Antrea suits teams operating Kubernetes workloads that need pod networking, policy controls, diagnostics, or multi-cluster federation.
Free plan Open source WindowsLinuxAPISelf-hosted
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Best Software-Defined Networking Software 2026
Facts read 23 Sep 2026 – 14 Nov 2026
Software-defined networking software gives you ways to manage network control and policy through software. Compare control-plane and deployment models, supported protocols, and policy segmentation to see how each option describes its approach. A managed device limit and northbound API support are additional considerations, alongside free-plan availability and paid-from pricing. TP-Link Omada Cloud-Based Controller, Cisco Catalyst Center, and OpenDaylight are among the options to weigh. Consider the infrastructure you need to manage and which control or integration capabilities matter, then use the listed details to compare how each product may fit your network environment.
The standings: top 10
| Name | In a line | Record score | Price from | Try it free | Runs on | Facts read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Antrea | Antrea suits teams operating Kubernetes workloads that need pod networking, policy controls, diagnostics, or multi-cluster federation. | 5.0 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Linux, API, Self-hosted | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 02 ONOS | ONOS is aimed at teams controlling service-provider networks, and may also suit data-center or campus network settings. | 4.8 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Mac, Linux, API | 8 Oct 2026 |
| 03 TP-Link Omada Cloud-Based Controller | 4.7 | Free plan | Free plan | Android, iPhone & iPad, Web | 30 Sep 2026 | |
| 04 OpenDaylight | OpenDaylight suits teams and developers who need programmable network control and monitoring across supported network environments. | 4.6 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux, API | 3 Oct 2026 |
| 05 TeraFlowSDN | TeraFlowSDN suits telecommunications operators, vendors, research institutions, and research initiatives working on smart networks and services. | 4.4 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Linux, API, Self-hosted | 8 Oct 2026 |
| 06 Cilium | Cilium suits teams managing workload networking and security in Linux-based environments, including Kubernetes deployments. | 4.3 | Free plan | Free plan | Linux, Self-hosted | 3 Oct 2026 |
| 07 Kube-OVN | Kube-OVN suits Kubernetes environments needing multi-tenant networking or KubeVirt support. | 4.3 | Free plan | Free plan | Linux, API, Self-hosted | 4 Oct 2026 |
| 08 Open Virtual Network | OVN is intended for cloud management software used with virtual machine and container environments. | 4.3 | Free plan | Free plan | Linux, Self-hosted | 5 Oct 2026 |
| 09 Faucet | It suits network operators using compatible OpenFlow hardware who want vendor-independent, self-hosted control and monitoring. | 4.2 | Free plan | Free plan | Linux, Self-hosted | 7 Oct 2026 |
| 10 Ryu SDN Framework | Ryu suits developers creating software-defined networking management and control applications. | 4.2 | Free plan | Free plan | Linux, API, Self-hosted | 7 Oct 2026 |
02
ONOS
ONOS is aimed at teams controlling service-provider networks, and may also suit data-center or campus network settings.
WebMacLinux+2 Record4.8 Visit
03
TP-Link Omada Cloud-Based Controller
AndroidiPhone & iPadWeb Record4.7 Visit
04
OpenDaylight
OpenDaylight suits teams and developers who need programmable network control and monitoring across supported network environments.
WindowsMacLinux+2 Record4.6 Visit
05
TeraFlowSDN
TeraFlowSDN suits telecommunications operators, vendors, research institutions, and research initiatives working on smart networks and services.
WebLinuxAPI+1 Record4.4 Visit
6
Cilium
LinuxSelf-hosted Free plan Record4.3 Visit Cilium suits teams managing workload networking and security in Linux-based environments, including Kubernetes deployments.
7
Kube-OVN
LinuxAPISelf-hosted Free plan Record4.3 Visit Kube-OVN suits Kubernetes environments needing multi-tenant networking or KubeVirt support.
8
Open Virtual Network
LinuxSelf-hosted Free plan Record4.3 Visit OVN is intended for cloud management software used with virtual machine and container environments.
9
Faucet
LinuxSelf-hosted Free plan Record4.2 Visit It suits network operators using compatible OpenFlow hardware who want vendor-independent, self-hosted control and monitoring.
10
Ryu SDN Framework
LinuxAPISelf-hosted Free plan Record4.2 Visit Ryu suits developers creating software-defined networking management and control applications.
12
Calico Enterprise
WebWindowsLinux+1 — Record3.8 Visit It is intended for organizations that want a self-managed Kubernetes platform for network security and observability.
13
Netris
WebLinuxAPI+1 — Record3.8 Visit Netris is aimed at AI infrastructure operators managing multi-tenant networks across the listed network types.
15
OpenStack Neutron
LinuxAPISelf-hosted Free Record3.6 Visit Neutron is aimed at OpenStack administrators deploying and managing networking, especially those with sufficient Linux experience.
17
Ericsson Billing
API — Record3.5 Visit It is intended for communications providers, from growing operators to mature businesses with complex IT environments and large subscriber bases.
18
HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer
WebAPISelf-hosted — Record3.5 Visit Fabric Composer suits infrastructure teams managing HPE Aruba CX networks alongside compute, storage, virtualization, and security policies.
19
Isovalent Enterprise for Cilium
LinuxSelf-hosted — Record3.5 Visit It suits teams operating Linux, self-hosted, hybrid infrastructure that need network policy, observability, runtime security, and multi-cluster connectivity.
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