Danbyte

Danbyte is an open-source platform for managing IP addresses, data-center infrastructure and network configuration. Its IP address management tools calculate prefix containment, available space and utilization by VRF, and cover VLANs, DHCP ranges, DNS zones and route targets. For physical infrastructure, it models racks, device faceplates, ports, power and virtual chassis. Teams can trace cables and fibre strands, view floor plans and map circuits, VPN tunnels and wireless SSIDs. Proxmox VE and VMware vCenter imports bring in virtual machines and related infrastructure, with drift reconciliation; active checks, SNMP and nmap discovery maintain an observed layer. Automation options include Ansible and Terraform inventories, Jinja templates, configuration contexts, drift runners, signed webhooks and scoped APIs. Danbyte supports Linux, web, API and self-hosted deployments, including air-gapped operation on your hardware. Its free, open-source plan includes all features, has no seat license and does not expire. The Linux quick installer bundles Python, Node and dependencies, but requires PostgreSQL 15+ and Redis.

Danbyte combines IPAM, data-center modeling, topology, monitoring and automation in one open-source platform. Its free plan has no seat license or expiry, while installation requires PostgreSQL 15+ and Redis.

Danbyte suits teams that need one platform for IP address management, data-center inventory, network visibility and automation. It is also an option for organizations seeking an air-gapped, self-hosted deployment.

Overview

Danbyte is a broad infrastructure record system for teams that need IPAM alongside data-center and network documentation. It is best suited to operators consolidating those jobs in a self-hosted platform; its main trade-off is the infrastructure required to run it.

Address management, physical and virtual inventory, discovery, and automation share one platform. That breadth is valuable when teams need connected records, but excessive for organizations looking only for a basic DHCP or IPAM utility.

Key features

Danbyte calculates prefix containment, free space, and utilization by VRF, and supports VLANs, DHCP ranges, DNS zones, and route targets. This makes it more than an address register: network teams can relate address allocation to neighboring network records. Rack elevations, device faceplates, ports, power, virtual chassis, and device catalogs extend the model into data-center operations.

Topology coverage includes four views, end-to-end cable and fibre-strand tracing, floor plans, circuits, VPN tunnels, and wireless SSIDs. That is useful for teams documenting both physical connections and logical network structures, though it also means Danbyte may be more system than a narrowly scoped inventory requires.

Proxmox VE and VMware vCenter imports bring in virtual machines, disks, virtual switches, VLANs, and ESXi hosts, with drift reconciliation. Active checks, SNMP, and nmap discovery maintain an observed layer and drift inbox, giving operators a way to compare documented infrastructure with discovered state.

Native Ansible and Terraform inventory, Jinja export templates, configuration contexts, drift runners, signed webhooks, and scoped APIs connect records to automation workflows. Integrations also include Slack, Microsoft Teams, PagerDuty, LDAP/AD, and WinRM. Deployment security includes authenticated APIs by default, scoped API tokens, TLS-secure cookies, HSTS, CSP, security headers, and SSRF protections.

Pricing

Free and open source: free. The plan includes all features, self-hosted deployment, no seat license, no enterprise tier, and no license expiry. It suits teams willing to operate the software themselves and removes per-seat licensing as a scaling constraint.

Self-hosted Danbyte: free, billed forever. It likewise includes all features, no seat licence, no enterprise tier, and no licence expiry. There is no paid feature tier to move into; the cost is managing the deployment.

Danbyte Cloud: custom pricing. A private instance with managed updates, backups, uptime, and TLS is planned, with export anytime. Teams seeking a managed service may prefer that model, while the free self-hosted plans suit those able to run Danbyte on their own hardware.

Platforms

Danbyte supports API, Linux, self-hosted, and web deployment, and is designed for on-premises use. It can run air-gapped on user hardware, without phone-home, telemetry, or an expiring license. The quick installer targets Linux and bundles Python, Node, and dependencies, but PostgreSQL 15+ and Redis are still required. A live demo offers a private tenant without signup or a card and deletes it automatically after 30 minutes.

Who it's for

Danbyte is a strong fit for infrastructure teams that want one source of truth spanning address space, racks, cabling, virtualization, discovery, and automation—particularly where air-gapped or on-premises operation matters. Teams without capacity to maintain Linux, PostgreSQL, and Redis, or those needing only a focused DHCP manager, should consider a narrower alternative.

Pros and cons

• Pros: All features are available free, with no seat license or expiry, so broad deployments do not require a paid tier.
• Pros: IPAM, DCIM, topology, virtualization imports, discovery, and automation share a connected platform.
• Pros: Air-gapped operation and no telemetry suit environments that require local control.
• Cons: Self-hosting requires Linux plus PostgreSQL 15+ and Redis, adding operational work.
• Cons: Its extensive scope may be unnecessary for teams that only need address or DHCP management.
• Cons: The managed cloud option has custom pricing and is marked as coming soon.

Alternatives

For a tightly capped IPAM and DHCP option, Subnetly offers a free monthly plan with 256 IPAM addresses, 10 subnets, and 2 DHCP pools. Pick it when those limits fit and a narrower service is preferable to Danbyte's broad self-hosted platform.

FluxDHCP is a free, AGPL-3.0-licensed self-hosted option for Linux and web. ISC Stork is free open-source software for Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and web deployments, with professional support also offered at custom pricing. Jen Kea DHCP Management Console is a free GPL v3 self-hosted choice requiring Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 or Docker and ISC Kea with MySQL/MariaDB. SagaOS Kea Pilot is free MIT-licensed software with no paid tiers or usage limits stated. These are alternatives to consider when a focused DHCP-oriented tool better matches the job than Danbyte's wider IPAM and infrastructure scope.

teemIP offers a free Community plan billed forever, with open-source code, free installation, and community support. DacatDHCP is a permanently free Windows DHCP service limited to IPv4. Open DHCP Server is open-source freeware for Linux and self-hosting, with up to 125 DHCP ranges. Choose these when their stated platforms or DHCP scope fit better; their narrower scope does not match Danbyte's combined infrastructure model.

Readers comparing adjacent categories can also browse DHCP Management Software, IT Documentation Software, Data Center Infrastructure Management Software, Network Documentation Software, and IP Address Management Software.

Verdict

Choose Danbyte if your team wants a free, no-expiry platform that connects IPAM with data-center modeling, topology, discovery, and automation, and can operate its own Linux infrastructure. Look elsewhere if you need only a focused DHCP or address tool, or cannot take on PostgreSQL and Redis administration.