NAPALM
What it is
NAPALM is a free Python library for connecting to network devices from different vendors through a unified API. It provides methods to manage configurations and retrieve device data. Its core drivers cover Arista EOS, Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS-XR, Cisco NX-OS, and Juniper JunOS, alongside community drivers. Configuration operations include replacing or merging configurations, comparing changes, commit-confirm, and rollback, though support depends on the platform. Data retrieval can include device facts, configurations, interfaces, BGP neighbors, and environment data, with available information varying by driver. For deployment validation, NAPALM compares live device state against YAML-defined expectations and produces a compliance report. The project identifies integrations with Ansible, SaltStack, and StackStorm. It is self-hosted, licensed under Apache-2.0, and installation is documented with pip install napalm. Version 5.1.0 and later supports Python 3.9 and later; users are advised to check platform-specific caveats before use.
For and against
For
- Free plan; installation via pip.
- Core drivers cover five named network platforms.
- Supports configuration changes and rollback operations.
- Can generate compliance reports from YAML expectations.
- Integrates with Ansible, SaltStack, and StackStorm.
Against
- Operation availability varies by platform.
- Data retrieval support varies by driver.
- No free trial is listed.
- Self-hosted deployment is required.
The verdict
NAPALM brings multi-vendor network configuration and data retrieval under a Python API, with validation and automation-framework integrations. Confirm driver support and platform caveats for the devices and operations you need.
Who it suits
NAPALM suits people automating or validating network devices across multiple vendors using Python and automation frameworks. It is relevant where configuration management and network testing are needed.
Plans and prices
NAPALM
Open-source Python library · install with pip · device and driver support varies
Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Community drivers
- NAPALM also supports community-driven drivers in addition to its core drivers.napalm.readthedocs.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Configuration and data
- The library provides methods to connect to devices, manipulate configurations, and retrieve data.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Configuration operations
- The documented configuration methods include replace, merge, compare, commit-confirm, and rollback, with availability varying by platform.napalm.readthedocs.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Core device support
- The documentation lists core drivers for Arista EOS, Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS-XR, Cisco NX-OS, and Juniper JunOS.napalm.readthedocs.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Data retrieval
- Documented getters retrieve information such as device facts, configuration, interfaces, BGP neighbors, and environment data, with support varying by driver.napalm.readthedocs.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Deployment validation
- NAPALM can compare live device state with YAML-defined expectations and produce a compliance report.napalm.readthedocs.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The project documents installation with pip install napalm and states that the package includes all currently available core drivers.napalm.readthedocs.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The project README identifies integrations with Ansible, SaltStack, and StackStorm.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- NAPALM is aimed at people automating and validating network devices across multiple vendors through Python and automation frameworks.napalm.readthedocs.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The GitHub repository identifies the project license as Apache-2.0.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Platform caveats
- The device support documentation warns users to review platform-specific caveats before using the library.napalm.readthedocs.io · read 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- NAPALM is a Python library for interacting with network devices from different vendors through a unified API.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Runtime requirement
- The repository README states that NAPALM 5.1.0 and later supports Python 3.9 and later.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Security policy
- GitHub reports that the project has not set up a SECURITY.md file and has no published security advisories.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The README points users to the napalm channel on the network.toCode() Slack team for help.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
