Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Puppet VS NetBox

Compare Puppet VS NetBox and see what are their differences

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Puppet logo Puppet

Easily create custom dashboards for your users

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.
  • Puppet Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23
  • 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

Puppet

Website
puppet.com
Release Date
2009 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
Oregon
City
Portland
Founder(s)
Andrew Shafer
Employees
250 - 499

Puppet features and specs

  • Scalability
    Puppet is designed to handle large-scale deployments efficiently, making it suitable for enterprises with thousands of nodes.
  • Declarative Language
    Puppet uses a high-level declarative language that simplifies the definition of system configurations, enabling easier maintenance and readability.
  • Extensive Ecosystem
    Puppet has a vast ecosystem of modules and plugins available through the Puppet Forge, allowing for quick implementation of common tasks and integrations.
  • Strong Community and Support
    Puppet has an active community, comprehensive documentation, and robust support offerings, including professional services, making it easier to get help and resolve issues.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Puppet supports a wide range of operating systems, including various Linux distributions, Windows, and Unix, providing flexibility in diverse environments.

Possible disadvantages of Puppet

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find Puppet's DSL (Domain-Specific Language) challenging to learn, requiring significant time and effort to become proficient.
  • Resource Intensive
    Puppet server can be resource-intensive, especially in large environments, necessitating robust hardware to ensure optimal performance.
  • Lower Flexibility
    Puppet's declarative nature, while simplifying configurations, can limit the flexibility to implement custom complex logic compared to some other configuration management tools.
  • Cost
    Though Puppet offers an open-source version, the enterprise features and support are part of paid plans, which could be a consideration for budget-conscious organizations.
  • Initial Setup Complexity
    The initial setup and configuration of Puppet can be complex and time-consuming, particularly for organizations new to configuration management tools.

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.

Analysis of Puppet

Overall verdict

  • Puppet is considered a good choice for organizations looking for a mature, reliable, and scalable infrastructure automation tool. Its active community, comprehensive documentation, and enterprise level support make it a strong contender in the configuration management space.

Why this product is good

  • Puppet is a widely-used configuration management tool that helps automate and manage infrastructure efficiently. It is appreciated for its robust features that allow system administrators and DevOps teams to manage large environments with ease. Puppet's declarative language enables users to define the desired state of their infrastructure, ensuring consistency and reducing the risk of configuration drift.

Recommended for

    Puppet is recommended for large organizations, DevOps teams, and system administrators looking to automate the management of complex and heterogeneous IT environments. It is particularly beneficial for enterprises that need to ensure consistency across numerous servers and configurations.

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.

Puppet videos

Echelon Reflect Review

More videos:

  • Review - JBL REFLECT FLOW Truly Wireless Earphone - REVIEW
  • Review - Reflect (Pre-rolled pack) by Cove reviewed | OCS Review

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Puppet and NetBox)
DevOps Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Monitoring Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
Log Management
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Puppet and NetBox. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

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

Puppet Reviews

Best 8 Ansible Alternatives & equivalent in 2022
Puppet enterprise tool eliminates manual work for software delivery process. This Ansible equivalent software helps developer to deliver great software rapidly
Source: www.guru99.com
12 Open Source/Commercial Software for Data Center Infrastructure Management
Puppet Enterprise has a free and fully-functional version for 10 computers. A yearly license cost is $120 per device.
Source: www.tecmint.com

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Puppet might be a bit more popular than NetBox. We know about 31 links to it since March 2021 and only 21 links to NetBox. 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.

Puppet mentions (31)

  • Puppet best practice
    At betadots, during our Puppet code reviews, we often receive requests for a comprehensive summary of best practices and guidelines. In response, we've compiled this article to delve deep into Puppet's best practices and implementations. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Puppet container version schema update
    Prior the repositories have been handed over from Puppet Inc to Puppet Community, the container images were using the Puppet server and PuppetDB versions, which were used inside the container. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • What is the Role of AI in DevOps?
    There was still some confusion between Devs and the Ops folks with their tasks, and even though the word ‘DevOps’ was popping up here and there, it wasn’t used as a concrete methodology/practice in organizations. Hence, during this phase, the focus shifted from merely merging teams to fostering a cultural change emphasizing collaboration, shared responsibility, and continuous improvement. Automation played a... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Using Let's Encrypt with the Puppet Enterprise console
    Had an itch I've been meaning to scratch for a while. I build my Puppet environment using Terraform, which makes it nice and easy to tear things down and rebuild them. That is great, but it does leave me with an issue when it comes to the console SSL certificates. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • How One Of The Oldest Forms Of Theater Survived 2000 Years: Artists in China have been making colourful puppets for 2,000 years. It is one of the oldest forms of entertainment. Audiences watched shadow puppets tell stories about heroes and villains, lovers and fantasy figures.
    Hi friend! This sub is for the configuration management tool, Puppet. You may be looking for r/puppetry or r/puppeteer. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

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: about 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: about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Setapp - Your shortcut to prime apps on Mac, an App Store alternative

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

Konfigure - APARTMENTS | VILLA | WORKSPACE | RETAIL

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

Metavine Platform - Metavine Platform is a comprehensive Platform-as-a-Service that help businesses build agility and compete effectively in the digital world by enabling them to iterate and create apps quickly.

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.