Kathará vs NetSim by Tetcos

Kathará is a free, open-source system for emulating networks in interactive lessons, demos, production-network sandbox tests, and protocol development. It represents network devices with containers connected through virtual Layer-2 LANs, and scenarios can use Docker or Kubernetes as their virtualization backend. Built-in images include Quagga, FRRouting, Bind, P4, and OpenVSwitch; users can also supply their own container images. A Python package exposes APIs for custom code. Kathará supports Linux, macOS on Intel or Apple Silicon, and Windows 10 and 11. Debian and Ubuntu installations are available through apt, with precompiled packages for other listed distributions. Settings cover IPv6, terminal behavior, volume mounts, and remote Docker or Kubernetes connections. The software depends on Docker by default, and rootless Docker and Podman are unsupported. The project lists version 3.8.3 as covered by security patches. It is free, with a listed price of free.

NetSim by Tetcos is a packet-level, discrete-event simulator and emulator for wired and wireless communication networks. It models end-to-end 5G and 6G systems with gNB, UE, 5G Core, MIMO, beamforming, network slicing, and configurable propagation. Each 5G stack layer includes C source code that users can modify for custom protocols, while an external Python interface supports automation, AI/ML workflows, and runtime control. Standard and Pro editions interface with Python, MATLAB, SUMO, and Wireshark. The Emulator connects simulations with real hardware and live applications, applying configured delay, loss, and error conditions. NetSim Cyber adds network and attack emulation for power-system cyber-physical testbeds and interfaces with listed power-system tools. Licensing can remain local through on-premises floating deployment, and cloud licensing exchanges only handshake data. NetSim runs on Windows; emulator setup specifies a dedicated Windows 10 or 11 machine.