Best Azure CNI Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from container networking software ranked against Azure CNI on the same published basis.
- 1Azure CNI vs Canal
- 2Azure CNI vs Kube-OVN
- 3Azure CNI vs Spiderpool
- 4Azure CNI vs Antrea
- 5Azure CNI vs OVN-Kubernetes
- 6Azure CNI vs Skupper
- 7Azure CNI vs VMware Workstation Pro
- 8Azure CNI vs Calico Open Source
- 9Azure CNI vs Cilium
- 10Azure CNI vs CNI Plugins
- 11Azure CNI vs Flannel
- 12Azure CNI vs Terway
- 13Azure CNI vs Submariner
- 14Azure CNI vs Amazon VPC CNI
- 15Azure CNI vs Liqo
- 16Azure CNI vs Calico Enterprise
- 18Azure CNI vs Network Service Mesh
- 19Azure CNI vs VMware NSX
- 20Azure CNI vs Aviatrix Kubernetes Firewall
- 21Azure CNI vs Cello CNI
Azure CNI alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canal | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted |
| 2 | Kube-OVN | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted |
| 3 | Spiderpool | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted |
| 4 | Antrea | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 5 | OVN-Kubernetes | 7.0 | No | — | API, Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 6 | Skupper | 6.9 | No | — | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 7 | VMware Workstation Pro | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 8 | Calico Open Source | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 9 | Cilium | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 10 | CNI Plugins | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Windows |
| 11 | Flannel | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 12 | Terway | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 13 | Submariner | 5.6 | No | — | self-hosted |
| 14 | Amazon VPC CNI | 5.5 | No | — | Linux, self-hosted, Windows |
| 15 | Liqo | 5.3 | No | — | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 16 | Calico Enterprise | 5.2 | No | — | Linux, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 18 | Network Service Mesh | 5.1 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted |
| 19 | VMware NSX | 5.1 | No | — | Web |
| 20 | Aviatrix Kubernetes Firewall | 5.0 | No | — | self-hosted, Web |
| 21 | Cello CNI | 5.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
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Questions about Azure CNI alternatives
What is the best alternative to Azure CNI?
Canal, number 1 in container networking software with a score of 7.4 out of 10. The others here: Kube-OVN, Spiderpool, Antrea and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Azure CNI?
Canal is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 12 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives 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.