Kiwi CatTools NG vs RANCID
Kiwi CatTools NG
solarwinds.comRANCID
shrubbery.netSide by side
| Figure | Kiwi CatTools NG | RANCID |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Network Configuration Management Software | 7.6 (#14) | 7.9 (#9) |
| Purpose | Kiwi CatTools NG is a network automation application for managing router, switch, and firewall configurations. | RANCID monitors network-device configurations, records configuration and hardware/software history in a revision control system, and emails detected differences. |
Plans
In their own words
Kiwi CatTools NG
Kiwi CatTools NG has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
RANCID
RANCID is free, open-source software that monitors network-device configurations and keeps their changes in revision control. It logs into devices, runs commands, reformats output to remove changing values that do not represent meaningful configuration differences, emails detected changes, and commits updates to version control. CVS, Subversion, and Git are listed for maintaining history. Login scripts connect through Telnet or SSH, and included looking-glass software provides device access. The maker lists support for equipment including Allied Telesis, Cisco, Juniper, Catalyst, Foundry/Brocade, Redback, ADC, Alteon, and HP Procurve, among others. RANCID is available for Linux, macOS, and self-hosted deployment; version 3.14 is identified as current. It has no GUI or web interface for configuration, although separate tools can show diffs and repositories. Setup guidance generally assumes basic Unix and tool knowledge, and versions 2.3 onward require Expect 5.40 or later.