Ostinato vs Pktgen-DPDK
Ostinato
ostinato.orgPktgen-DPDK
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Ostinato | Pktgen-DPDK |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $12/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Network Testing Software | 8.1 (#11) | 7.2 (#26) |
| Automation | Ostinato provides a Python API for building streams and test scenarios, controlling runs, collecting counters, and integrating tests with CI/CD pipelines. | Users can control Pktgen through an interactive console, Lua scripts, or a remote TCP socket that defaults to port 22022. |
| Founded | 2010 | 2010 |
| Performance | The site states that the Turbo add-on supports line-rate traffic up to 400G. | The project describes wire-rate packet generation with 64-byte frames, subject to hardware and core count. |
| Purpose | Ostinato generates, customizes, or replays L2/L3 traffic to validate throughput, QoS, multicast, routing, switching, protocol behavior, and network performance. | Pktgen is a multi-port, multi-core traffic generator built on DPDK for repeatable performance and functional packet tests. |
| Support | Customers with Pro or Business licenses may submit support tickets; Pro email support is available for 30 days from purchase, and community forums are available to all listed license tiers. | The project directs users to GitHub issues for bug reports and feature requests and asks for version, DPDK build, NIC, driver, and reproduction details. |
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.
Pktgen-DPDK
Pktgen-DPDK has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.