Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network) vs. GNS3

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
VIRL is a complete network simulation platform for testing, training, and learning.N/A
GNS3
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
GNS3 is an open source software which visualizes, plans, tests and troubleshoost network environments across any vendor platform at scale - without the need to directly interact with the network hardware.N/A
Pricing
Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)GNS3
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)GNS3
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsContact vendor for pricing information.GNS3 is a free open source software.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)GNS3
Considered Both Products
Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)
Chose Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)
Cisco VIRL/CML provides a similar emulation environment to GNS3 and EVE-NG but I would argue that it's the best when it specifically comes to Cisco network appliances. This is because you will have access to latest Cisco virtual images with the best support in regards to …
GNS3

No answer on this topic

Best Alternatives
Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)GNS3
Small Businesses

No answers on this topic

No answers on this topic

Medium-sized Companies
PRTG
PRTG
Score 8.6 out of 10
PRTG
PRTG
Score 8.6 out of 10
Enterprises
PRTG
PRTG
Score 8.6 out of 10
PRTG
PRTG
Score 8.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)GNS3
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco VIRL (part of The Cisco Learning Network)GNS3
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
Cisco VIRL/CML is obviously very well suited if you want to lab practically any Cisco based network platform. It does a fantastic job of supporting almost all feature sets in a production appliance. It may not be the best option if you require a very multi-vendor intensive solution for labbing purposes.
Read full review
GNS3
If you want to design a network that contains devices from different vendors and you want to implement and monitor this network and make sure of the stability of this network before actually implementing it physically, then this is the right program. It allows you to design a complete network with different components and from different vendors with the possibility of integrating various devices and also linking them with network monitoring programs.
Read full review
Pros
Cisco
  • It allows for labbing complex environment topologies
  • Interconnecting virtual nodes, which emulate network appliances, is extremely easy and intuitive
  • Assuming you meet the minimum hardware requirements to run the virtual images, the nodes run relatively fast
Read full review
GNS3
  • The possibility of applying integrated labs that simulate reality by more than 90%.
  • It enables the addition of different network devices from all vendors with the possibility of integration between them.
Read full review
Cons
Cisco
  • Better support for multi-vendor labs. Since Cisco VIRLs uses KVM as its hypervisor, not all vendor images will be fully supported in the Cisco VIRL/CML environment. For these particular use cases, it's sometimes better to use GNS3 or EVE-NG.
  • Since there are several free offerings out there that allow you to emulate network appliances (especially Cisco IOS based devices), I would love to see Cisco offer more cost-effective alternatives to engineers over their current pricing model.
Read full review
GNS3
  • In my opinion, the program consumes a lot of device resources, especially when using the iOS version.
  • The program does not contain network devices, so you need to search for the network devices that you need and add them manually.
Read full review
Usability
Cisco
Cisco VIRL is a great network environment emulation tool when it comes to Cisco devices. However, I have run into some issues when trying to integrate other vendors virtual images into the Cisco VIRL/CML environment. For those specific use cases, I have had better luck with other emulation platforms like EVE-NG.
Read full review
GNS3
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Cisco
Cisco VIRL/CML provides a similar emulation environment to GNS3 and EVE-NG but I would argue that it's the best when it specifically comes to Cisco network appliances. This is because you will have access to latest Cisco virtual images with the best support in regards to current feature sets. If you run into any issues, you can also get support from Cisco. The same can't be said about free emulation programs like GNS3 or EVE-NG. However, when it comes to multi-vendor labbing, I have found better success with EVE-NG.
Read full review
GNS3
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Cisco
  • It has allowed me to avoid mistakes when implementing changes on Cisco devices
  • It has allowed me to better plan new network change implementations
  • It has allowed me to be more confident in my network designs by providing me with a predictive model where I can gauge the effect that certain changes and new technology features will have on my network
Read full review
GNS3
  • Reducing spending on physical equipment
  • Improving the quality of output work
  • Developing the efficiency of the work team
Read full review
ScreenShots