IMUNES vs NetSim

IMUNES is a free multiprotocol emulator and simulator for general-purpose IP network experiments on FreeBSD and Linux. The project says a single physical machine can run hundreds to thousands of virtual nodes. Its GUI helps create and configure nodes and links, and each node has its own IPv4, IPv6, IPsec, socket and firewall configuration and address space. Link controls can introduce delay, bit errors, duplication and bandwidth limits. Standard UNIX APIs are preserved, so BSD and Linux binaries can run unmodified. On Linux it uses Docker for virtual nodes; on FreeBSD it uses jails and netgraph. The project says experiments can be instantiated in seconds and use hardware resources efficiently. Downloads include public source repositories, examples, security scenarios, manuals and VMware and VirtualBox images. Linux use requires kernel version 3.10 or newer and the Docker daemon; the README also instructs users to run experiments as root. The listed latest image is IMUNES-FreeBSD-14.3-RELEASE (BETA), a 4GB amd64 OVA. The project describes JSON configuration and live changes to nodes, interfaces and links during a running experiment.

NetSim is a browser-based network simulator for learning and practicing network configurations. It runs in the browser using WebAssembly and supports command-line practice for Cisco IOS, Huawei VRP and Aruba AOS-CX. NetSim Labs says it includes more than 35 labs from HCIA to HCIE level. The Free plan costs nothing, billed at $0 forever, and includes 10 basic labs, up to 15 devices per topology, AI Copilot with a bring-your-own-key setup, and local storage only. Pro costs $15 a month and adds 35+ advanced labs, unlimited devices, included AI Copilot, cloud sync across devices and priority support. Enterprise has custom pricing and lists SSO/SAML, an instructor dashboard, LMS integration through LTI, custom lab creation and dedicated support. Topology configurations and lab progress stay local unless cloud sync is enabled. The core engine is licensed under AGPL v3, with commercial licenses offered for organizations needing other terms.