Ostinato vs PacketForge
Ostinato
ostinato.orgPacketForge
gl.comSide by side
| Figure | Ostinato | PacketForge |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $12/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Network Testing Software | 8.1 (#11) | 7.0 (#27) |
| Automation | Ostinato provides a Python API for building streams and test scenarios, controlling runs, collecting counters, and integrating tests with CI/CD pipelines. | REST APIs enable remote control, test automation, CI/CD pipeline integration, and interaction with third-party management systems. |
| Founded | 2010 | 1986 |
| Purpose | Ostinato generates, customizes, or replays L2/L3 traffic to validate throughput, QoS, multicast, routing, switching, protocol behavior, and network performance. | PacketForge generates Ethernet/IP traffic to validate the performance, scalability, and reliability of networks and network devices. |
Plans
Ostinato
- Solo$12 a month
- Pro$49 a month
- Business$208 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Ostinato
Ostinato generates and customizes network traffic, or replays PCAP files, to help validate throughput, QoS, multicast, routing, switching, protocol behavior, and network performance. Users can edit supported protocol headers, set frame sizes, and create custom headers with hexdumps or scripts. PCAP replay can preserve or alter packet timing, loop traffic, or reorder packets. Native protocols include Ethernet, VLAN, QinQ, IPv4/IPv6, UDP, stateless TCP, ICMP, ARP/NDP, IGMP/MLD, and GRE; other methods can support headers such as MPLS and VXLAN. Reports show transmit and receive statistics, per-stream packet loss, and latency and jitter measured with software timestamps. A Python API supports stream and scenario creation, run control, counter collection, and CI/CD integration. Ostinato lists GNS3, EVE-NG, Cisco CML, and Containerlab as supported lab environments, and says it works on AWS and Azure cloud VMs. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted or API setups. Plans start at $12 a month billed annually; an active subscription is required.