Cobbler vs PxeLab
Cobbler
cobbler.github.ioPxeLab
pxelab.comSide by side
| Figure | Cobbler | PxeLab |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Bare Metal Provisioning Software | 8.1 (#7) | 7.4 (#21) |
| Spec score · OS Deployment Software | 8.0 (#8) | 7.4 (#17) |
| Spec score · OS Imaging & Deployment Software | 8.0 (#7) | 7.4 (#14) |
| Integrations | Cobbler can integrate with external configuration management systems including cfengine3, Puppet, bcfg2 and Chef, and also has an internal lightweight system. | The product lists iPXE, PXELinux, GRUB2, WDS emulation, iSCSI sanboot, and BMC/IPMI among its boot and operations capabilities. |
| Intended users | The project describes Cobbler as suitable for small and large installations and says it is used by companies, universities and government organizations. | The site identifies IT operations engineers, data center engineers, system administrators, Dev and QA teams, and education and training as intended users. |
| Provisioning | It supports PXE deployments, virtualization with Xen, QEMU/KVM or VMware, and reinstallation of existing Linux systems. | The product includes a catalog of 64+ Linux distributions, answer-file templates, and install task tracking. |
| Purpose | Cobbler is a Linux installation server for setting up and automating network installation environments. | PxeLab is an all-in-one PXE network boot server with DHCP, TFTP, HTTP, DNS, and NFS managed through a web UI. |
Plans
In their own words
Cobbler
Cobbler is free, self-hosted Linux server software for creating and automating network installation environments. It supports PXE deployments, virtualization with Xen, QEMU/KVM, or VMware, and reinstallation of existing Linux systems. Administrators can coordinate DNS, DHCP, package updates, power management, and configuration-management orchestration. Interfaces include a command line, WebUI, and Python and XML-RPC APIs. Automated installation formats include AutoYaST for SUSE and openSUSE, Kickstart, and Preseed for Debian and Ubuntu. Templates and reusable snippets generate installation files and manage services such as DNS and DHCP. Cobbler integrates with cfengine3, Puppet, bcfg2, and Chef, or its internal lightweight system. It can be installed from distribution packages or source; pip installation is documented but not recommended. Python 3 is required, and server setup needs Apache, certificate, and administration knowledge. Security guidance notes broad network control and no SELinux or AppArmor profile. The project describes use in small and large installations.
PxeLab
PxeLab is an open-source PXE network boot platform that combines DHCP, TFTP, HTTP, DNS, and NFS in one binary. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS in server or desktop modes, with management available through a web interface, REST API, or command line. For provisioning, it offers a catalog of more than 64 Linux distributions, ISO uploads, an image library, answer-file templates, and install-task tracking. Its templates cover unattended installation workflows including autoinstall, preseed, kickstart, and autounattend. Boot profiles can use direct kernel, chain, WDS, sanboot, or local disk options, with rollback and host or group bindings. Host management includes inventory, scheduled Wake-on-LAN, BMC/IPMI power control, and CSV import. PxeLab also provides audit logs, live log streams, Prometheus metrics, MAC-based access control, and NFS IP/CIDR allowlists with read-only exports. Secure Boot is supported for UEFI x64 and ARM64. The software is licensed under AGPL-3.0. The Getting Started guide says deb and rpm packages, Homebrew, and Docker images remain on the roadmap.