Mininet vs NetSim

Mininet is a free network emulator that creates virtual hosts, switches, controllers and links on one machine. Its hosts run standard Linux network software on the real Linux kernel and network stack, while switches support OpenFlow. The project describes uses including research, development, learning, prototyping, testing and debugging, including experiments with SDN systems using OpenFlow and P4. A topology-aware and OpenFlow-aware command-line interface supports debugging and network-wide tests. Users can select parameterized topologies or create custom ones, and an extensible Python API supports network creation and experimentation. Mininet networks can connect to real networks, and code developed in Mininet can move to real systems with minimal changes. Installation options include a pre-packaged virtual machine, native installation from source and packages for recent Ubuntu or Debian 11 and later; Fedora support is experimental. Mininet depends on the Linux kernel, while its VM can run through VMware or VirtualBox on Mac, Windows and Linux. Its networks are constrained by a single server's CPU and bandwidth, and it cannot currently run non-Linux-compatible OpenFlow switches or applications. Mininet is released under a permissive BSD open source license.

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.