Side by side
Forward Enterprise vs HPE Aruba Networking Central
Both stand on autonomous networks. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free trial APISelf-hostedWeb
Forward Enterprise brings network modeling, verification, and security visibility together for enterprise-scale environments. Buyers should confirm trial eligibility and request pricing; Forward Predict is currently described as beta.
Visit Forward Enterprise Paid Web
Central brings onboarding, configuration, inventory, monitoring, and troubleshooting into a single network management platform. The 90-day trial offers time to assess it, but plan pricing is not provided.
Visit HPE Aruba Networking CentralThe facts
| Forward Enterprise | HPE Aruba Networking Central | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | A free trial | No |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Self-hosted, Web | Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | forwardnetworks.com | hpe.com |
| On autonomous networks | #4 of 17 | #8 of 17 |
Forward Enterprise: what it does well
- Builds a digital twin from network device state and configuration.
- Checks forwarding behavior, segmentation, and policy against intent.
- Identifies CVE-affected assets and ranks exposure.
- Supports hybrid deployment and API access.
What to know first
- No free plan is listed.
- Pricing is available on request.
- Forward Predict is described as being in beta.
- Trial eligibility is limited by company size and headquarters location.
HPE Aruba Networking Central: what it does well
- Zero-touch device onboarding
- Centralized network configuration
- Device inventory and access policy provisioning
- Advanced plan includes analytics and AI features
- API access is available
What to know first
- No free plan
- Web platform only
Alternatives to Forward Enterprise Alternatives to HPE Aruba Networking Central The whole list