Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

NetBox VS MAAS

Compare NetBox VS MAAS and see what are their differences

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NetBox logo NetBox

NetBox is an open source web application designed to help manage and document computer networks. NetBox was developed specifically to address the needs of network and infrastructure engineers.

MAAS logo MAAS

Metal as a Service is a free software physical cloud with IPAM and bare-metal server provisioning.
  • NetBox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-15

It encompasses the following aspects of network management:

IP address management (IPAM) - IP networks and addresses, VRFs, and VLANs Equipment racks - Organized by group and site Devices - Types of devices and where they are installed Connections - Network, console, and power connections among devices Virtualization - Virtual machines and clusters Data circuits - Long-haul communications circuits and providers Secrets - Encrypted storage of sensitive credentials

  • MAAS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-16

NetBox features and specs

  • Open Source
    NetBox is open-source software, which means you can use and modify it freely without having to pay for a license. This can significantly reduce costs and allows for customization according to specific needs.
  • Comprehensive IPAM and DCIM
    NetBox includes both IP Address Management (IPAM) and Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) functionalities, offering a single platform to manage diverse aspects of network infrastructure.
  • Extensible via API
    NetBox provides a robust API that allows integration with other tools and systems, enabling automation and enhanced functionality through scripting and third-party applications.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The web-based user interface is intuitive and easy to use, even for those who may not have extensive experience with network management tools.
  • Active Community and Support
    NetBox has an active community of users and contributors, which helps in quickly addressing issues, sharing knowledge, and contributing to the continuous improvement of the software.

Possible disadvantages of NetBox

  • Initial Setup Complexity
    The initial installation and configuration of NetBox can be complex and time-consuming, potentially requiring a good understanding of Python, PostgreSQL, and other dependencies.
  • Resource Intensive
    As a web-based application, NetBox can be resource-intensive, requiring a capable server environment to run efficiently, which might not be suitable for very small-scale deployments.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    Despite its intuitive interface, the broad set of features and functionalities might overwhelm new users, leading to a steeper learning curve.
  • Limited Built-in Reporting
    NetBox has limited built-in reporting capabilities, which might necessitate additional tools or custom reports to meet specific reporting needs.
  • No Built-in Alerting
    NetBox does not have built-in alerting mechanisms for tracking changes or unusual activities, so additional monitoring and alerting systems may be required.

MAAS features and specs

  • Scalability
    MAAS is designed to manage a large number of machines, making it ideal for data centers and large-scale deployments.
  • Automation
    MAAS supports extensive automation capabilities, simplifying tasks such as provisioning, configuration, and deployment of physical servers.
  • Flexibility
    MAAS can work with a wide range of hardware and networking configurations, providing versatility for different environments.
  • Integration with Juju
    MAAS integrates well with Juju, allowing for seamless orchestration of services and applications on top of the physical infrastructure.
  • Bare-Metal Provisioning
    MAAS excels at bare-metal provisioning, giving users direct control over physical hardware for high-performance needs.
  • Monitoring and Alerting
    MAAS includes built-in monitoring and alerting, helping administrators keep track of hardware status and performance.

Possible disadvantages of MAAS

  • Complexity
    The extensive features and capabilities of MAAS can make it complex to set up and manage, particularly for smaller teams with limited expertise.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its broad set of features, new users may find the learning curve steep, requiring time and effort to become proficient.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    While MAAS supports a broad range of hardware, there may be specific devices or configurations that are not fully compatible or require additional setup.
  • Resource Intensity
    Running MAAS can be resource-intensive, requiring significant computing and network resources for optimal performance.
  • Cost
    While MAAS itself can be used for free, the infrastructure and resources necessary to implement it at scale can result in high operational costs.
  • Community Support Limitations
    The level of community support may not be as extensive as some other open-source projects, potentially limiting the availability of external help.

Analysis of NetBox

Overall verdict

  • Yes, NetBox is considered a good tool for managing complex networks and data centers. Its strong community support and continuous development contribute to its robustness and reliability in production environments.

Why this product is good

  • NetBox is a popular open-source tool for network automation and management, favored for its comprehensive features such as IP address management (IPAM), data center infrastructure management (DCIM), and its extensibility through plugins and a REST API. It provides a user-friendly web interface and is highly customizable, making it suitable for various network configurations and workflows.

Recommended for

    NetBox is recommended for network engineers, system administrators, data center managers, and IT professionals who need an effective solution for managing IP addresses, network devices, and cabling infrastructure in medium to large-scale operations. It is particularly advantageous for those looking for an open-source option with a strong community backing.

Analysis of MAAS

Overall verdict

  • MAAS is considered a strong solution for organizations that need to manage large-scale physical server infrastructure with minimal overhead. Its automation capabilities, combined with its flexibility and scalability, make it a suitable choice for many IT environments.

Why this product is good

  • MAAS (Metal as a Service) is a powerful solution for provisioning and managing physical servers. It automates the process of deploying bare-metal servers, making it easy to scale and manage infrastructure. Its ability to handle large-scale deployments efficiently is highly valued, especially in data centers and environments where cloud-like operations are needed on physical hardware.

Recommended for

    MAAS is particularly recommended for IT departments of mid to large enterprises, data centers, and organizations that require on-premises hardware management with cloud-like orchestration capabilities. It is also beneficial for those transitioning from virtualized environments to a more hardware-focused setup, or for tech companies prioritizing fast and repeated deployments.

NetBox videos

Accessing NAPALM via the NetBox API

More videos:

  • Review - Network to Code NetBox with Jeremy Stretch and John Anderson
  • Tutorial - Netbox Global Review- How To Earn Money Browsing The Internet

MAAS videos

ONE STAR REVIEWS: CRESCENT CITY | SARAH J MAAS

More videos:

  • Review - Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas Review!
  • Review - HOUSE OF EARTH & BLOOD BY SARAH J MAAS [SPOILER FREE REVIEW]

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to NetBox and MAAS)
Monitoring Tools
93 93%
7% 7
Development
0 0%
100% 100
Log Management
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Computing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare NetBox and MAAS

NetBox Reviews

11 NetBox Alternatives
NetBox is a resource modeling application that is specially designed to automate networks and empower network engineering as well. It manages all the needs of networks and works under the license of Apache 2.
The 10 Best IP Address Management Tools for Linux
NetBox is certainly one of the best open-source IPAM solutions reviewed by our editors. It comes with a simple but elegant user interface that packs a serious punch in terms of functionalities. NetBox was initially developed by the network engineering team at DigitalOCean and has since evolved into a full-fledged IP management application. It is very popular among...
12 Open Source/Commercial Software for Data Center Infrastructure Management
NetBox is an open-source IP address management and data center infrastructure management platform, which was created by the network team at DigitalOcean to store the information about your networks, virtual machines, inventories, and many more.
Source: www.tecmint.com
Best IP Address Management Tools for Linux
NetBox is an open-source web based IP address management and data center infrastructure management application. It was developed more particulary to address the requirements of network and infrastructure engineers.
Source: www.tecmint.com

MAAS Reviews

We have no reviews of MAAS yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MAAS should be more popular than NetBox. It has been mentiond 35 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

NetBox mentions (21)

  • Share your greatest free tools
    Netbox. https://netbox.readthedocs.io/en/stable/ Your “Source of Truth” for your network. NetBox is an infrastructure resource modeling (IRM) application designed to empower network automation. Initially conceived by the network engineering team at DigitalOcean, NetBox was developed specifically to address the needs of network and infrastructure engineers. NetBox is made available as open source under the Apache... Source: about 3 years ago
  • What do you use to track disks and other hardware?
    Currently we are using [SnipeIT](https://snipeitapp.com/) to track our disks, hardware and machines, and [Netbox](https://netbox.readthedocs.io/en/stable/) to track physical layout and locations. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What does a longer career related to computing infrastructure look like?
    You might find it educational/interesting to have a look at Netbox. It's a fairly well respected piece of software that manages network hardware and configuration. Source: about 3 years ago
  • How does proper documentation look like?
    You could take a look at netbox . It’s a little hard to set up at first but worth it in the end IMO. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Web Application That Shows Switch Ports Mapping
    However I'd suggest that Netbox is the more modern and functional solution to this problem. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

MAAS mentions (35)

  • How to deploy Linux to 15 machines, without manually installing every single one with a USB stick?
    Another tool, maybe even more 'dedicated' for Ubuntu, would be Canonical MAAS, but I never used it personally. Source: over 1 year ago
  • On perm automated repair?
    Ah, I see. Yes, that is entirely possible with some engineering effort. But then you’re building a system that behaves sort of like Kubernetes, in that it serves as an availability controller machines themselves. https://maas.io/ is probably the fastest way to get there. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How many of you are running kubernetes on prem?
    Instead look at bare metal K8s solutions. I wouldn't roll your own, look at Palette (https://www.spectrocloud.com/product) which has Canonical MAAS integration for bare metal K8s. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Stuck in a loop choosing homelab upgrade
    As it's a homelab, I do want to use it for experiments as well. I like to explore new tech, to see how it works and if it could fit my professional life as well (I work as a tech lead / architect for an semi-ecommerce store). Playing with tools like proxmox, maas.io, is fun - just because you can. But then running proxmox on some of these machines..? Source: about 2 years ago
  • What OS should I run?
    I also use Ubuntu Server LTS in all my machines and it works perfectly fine, just install some utilities, check out RHEL Web Console for Ubuntu (aka cockpit) https://cockpit-project.org/ and the VM plugin (aka cockpit-machines), there is also a plugin to run containers and pods (aka cockpit-podman). You can also install MAAS https://maas.io/ wich is more related to Canonical/Ubuntu itself and uses LXC/LXD to do... Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing NetBox and MAAS, you can also consider the following products

phpIPAM - phpipam is an open-source web IP address management application (IPAM).

Aptum - Peer1 is an online platform for hosting, cloud, colocation, and connectivity services.

RackTables - Racktables is a nifty and robust solution for datacenter and server room asset management.

10gbps.io - DataPacket is a dedicated server provider with data centers in 20 locations worldwide. Get high-performance servers with unshared 10 Gbps ports. Multihomed network with 10 TIER-1 transit providers. 24/7 live support over multiple channels.

DCImanager - DCImanager is a platform for managing physical equipment. Connect any physical equipment to a single platform. Use the platform to manage your servers, switches, PDU as well as physical and virtual networks.

Server4you - Server4you is a web hosting platform that allows many web designer and developer to get their web site to be on track with robust traffics.