Best Software-Defined Networking Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Cisco Catalyst Center is ranked #1 of 19 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer and Netris. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Antrea.
19 software-defined networking software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cisco Catalyst Center | 8.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 2 |  HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer | 8.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | on-premises | View |
| 3 |  Netris | 8.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 4 |  Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | on-premises | View |
| 5 | Nutanix Flow Virtual Networking | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 6 |  Antrea | 7.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 7 |  TeraFlowSDN | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | on-premises | View |
| 8 |  OpenStack Neutron | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 9 |  Kube-OVN | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | on-premises | View |
| 10 | Cilium | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 11 |  Open Virtual Network | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | on-premises | View |
| 12 |  OpenDaylight | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | — | — | — | View |
| 13 |  TP-Link Omada Cloud-Based Controller | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 14 | Isovalent Enterprise for Cilium | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | hybrid | View |
| 15 | Faucet | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | on-premises | View |
| 16 |  Ryu SDN Framework | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | on-premises | View |
| 17 | Calico Enterprise | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | hybrid | View |
| 18 | ONOS | 4.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 19 |  Ericsson Billing | 4.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which software-defined networking software is ranked first on Inferse?
Cisco Catalyst Center is ranked #1 of 19 with a score of 8.2. HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer is second and Netris third.
How many of these have a free plan?
3 of the 19 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.