Cisco CML Alternative
The cloud-native, AI-powered alternative to Cisco Modeling Labs — no local VM, no 5-node cap, no Cisco-only lock-in.
See It in Action
Watch NetPilot build a multi-vendor lab from a plain-English prompt — no VM, no node cap, no Cisco-only limit.
Why engineers pick NetPilot over CML
Why NetPilot is the Cisco CML alternative
Cloud-native + AI-designed in one product — 2-minute prompt-to-lab vs hours of DIY setup. Four capabilities that compound when shipped together.
Cloud-native
Browser only. Nothing to install.
The alternative
Cisco CML: a local VM with nested virtualization, 16-32 GB RAM, and 2-4 hrs of setup — unavailable on locked-down laptops and most cloud hosts.
AI-designed
Describe any topology in plain English — AI designs, configures, and deploys it; SSH in to verify.
The alternative
Cisco CML: drag-and-drop nodes by hand, then type every IOS/NX-OS line yourself — and only Cisco devices are on the palette.
Multi-turn iteration
“Add an Arista spine, move OSPF to area 0.0.0.1” → AI updates across all devices.
The alternative
Cisco CML: edit and re-push configs device by device — and there's no Arista, Juniper, Nokia, or Palo Alto to add in the first place.
2 minutes vs days/weeks
~2 minutes from prompt to working multi-vendor lab.
The alternative
Cisco CML: hours of VM + license setup, then a 5-node Free cap (20 nodes at $199/yr) that a basic lab already exceeds.
From prompt to multi-vendor lab
Describe it, let the agent design and configure it across vendors, and SSH into real CLIs — in about 2 minutes, no VM to stand up.
1. Describe it — or import your configs
Tell NetPilot what you need in plain English — "a multi-vendor BGP lab with a Cisco core and an Arista spine" — or import existing device configs. No drag-and-drop, no node cap, no VM.
2. The AI builds it across vendors
NetPilot lays out the topology, assigns addressing, and generates per-vendor configs across 14+ network OSes and growing (Nokia SR Linux, FRR, and Linux built in, plus Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Aruba, Dell, and SONiC via BYOI), then deploys to the cloud or your on-prem environment. No nested-virtualization VM required.
3. SSH into real CLIs and iterate
Open a real device CLI over SSH, run show commands, and troubleshoot. Say "add a Juniper PE and redistribute OSPF into BGP" and the agent updates every affected device — across vendors CML can't run at all.
Where Cisco CML hits a wall
CML is excellent for official Cisco fidelity — but four limits push teams to a cloud, multi-vendor, AI-native alternative.
5-node free-tier cap
CML Free stops at 5 simultaneous nodes — a basic OSPF lab with a few routers, switches, and hosts already exceeds it. NetPilot has no node limit on any tier.
$199/year for 20 nodes
CML Personal is $199/year and still caps at 20 nodes; Enterprise costs more. NetPilot's free tier has no node cap, and multi-vendor support is included.
Cisco-only by design
CML runs Cisco IOS, NX-OS, and ASAv, with no Juniper, Arista, Nokia, or Palo Alto. NetPilot runs 14+ network OSes in one topology (BYOI for commercial NOSes).
Local VM + nested virtualization
CML needs a VM with nested virtualization and 16–32 GB RAM — unavailable on many cloud providers and locked-down laptops. NetPilot is browser-based, zero local hardware.
What you can build
From a quick Cisco OSPF check to a full EVPN fabric — describe it and the agent builds it on real multi-vendor network OSes, no 5-node cap.
Cisco OSPF / EIGRP multi-area
Build a Cisco IOL (BYOI) OSPF or EIGRP lab with backbone + multiple areas, ABRs, and route summarization — the kind of CCNP/CCIE topology that blows past CML Free's 5-node cap on node one.
Cisco + Arista + Juniper BGP
Mix a Cisco IOL core with an Arista cEOS spine and a Juniper cRPD PE (all via BYOI) in one BGP topology — multi-vendor in a single lab, which CML's Cisco-only scope can't do.
EVPN/VXLAN data-center fabric
Stand up a leaf-spine VXLAN fabric on built-in Nokia SR Linux (or Arista cEOS via BYOI) with BGP EVPN — full fabrics with far more than 5 or 20 nodes, no per-node license.
MPLS L3VPN with PE/CE
Model an MPLS core with LDP, MP-BGP VPNv4, and multiple PE/CE pairs across vendors — node-heavy service-provider labs without CML's node ceiling.
Palo Alto / Fortinet firewall insertion
Insert a Palo Alto or Fortinet firewall (via BYOI) between Cisco routing tiers and validate policy and routing together — security vendors CML doesn't run.
First-hop redundancy + L2
Lab HSRP/VRRP, STP, and EtherChannel across Cisco IOL (BYOI) and built-in SR Linux switches — describe it in plain English and the agent wires and configures every device.
Change validation before production
Import your live Cisco configs, spin up the topology in ~2 minutes, and test a change across every affected device before you touch the real network.
Network automation sandbox
Run Ansible, Nornir, or NETCONF/RESTCONF against a multi-vendor topology over SSH — a programmable lab CML's local VM makes slow to stand up.
NetPilot vs Cisco CML
Where the cloud + AI + multi-vendor approach differs from CML — and the one row where CML still wins (official Cisco image fidelity).
Bottom line
Pick Cisco CML when you need:
- •Official Cisco image fidelity — exact IOS-XE, IOS-XR, and NX-OS images as Cisco ships them
- •CCIE-level single-vendor accuracy on hardware you own
- •Strictly Cisco workflows where Cisco-sanctioned, exam-grade behavior is the requirement
Pick NetPilot when you need:
- •Multi-vendor in one topology: 14+ network OSes and growing, not Cisco-only
- •Cloud-native — browser only, no VM, no nested virtualization, no node cap
- •AI-built labs — describe a topology in plain English, get per-vendor configs in ~2 minutes
- •Enterprise change validation and fast multi-vendor iteration CML can't do
Verdict:Keep Cisco CML when your work is strictly Cisco and you need official image fidelity for CCIE-grade certification on owned hardware. Pick NetPilot for the multi-vendor, cloud, AI-built, no-node-cap work — describe the lab, SSH into real CLIs, and iterate across vendors in minutes. Many engineers run both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from Cisco CML users evaluating NetPilot
Explore NetPilot
Network Engineering Agent
The agent your engineers run — it designs, builds, and validates the lab from your prompt.
AI Network Emulator
How the AI agent designs and deploys labs end to end.
On-Prem AI Network Lab
Air-gapped, on your own local LLM — a self-hosted CML alternative.
GNS3 Alternative
AI-built topologies in the cloud — no VM, no node cap.
EVE-NG Alternative
Cloud multi-vendor labs with no server to stand up.
ContainerLab Alternative
Agent-authored YAML and configs, hosted in the cloud.
Further reading
Cisco CML Free: Beyond 5 Nodes
What to do when the free-tier node cap isn't enough.
GNS3 vs EVE-NG vs ContainerLab vs CML
How the lab tools stack up in 2026.
Best Network Emulator in 2026
Honest, tier-ranked comparison of the field.
Build Multi-Vendor Labs with AI
Cisco + Juniper + Arista + Nokia in one topology.
Can AI Build a Network Lab?
Yes — here is exactly how it works, end to end.
Network Emulator vs Simulator
Why real-NOS emulation beats simulated CLI.
How Much Does Cisco CML Cost?
The full pricing ladder — free tier to enterprise, plus hardware.
Running Cisco CML in the Cloud
Why CML-on-AWS is harder than it should be — and the alternative.
Boson NetSim Alternative
Real multi-vendor CLIs instead of simulated command output.
Outgrow Cisco CML's limits
No VM, no node cap, no Cisco-only lock-in. Describe a multi-vendor lab in plain English and get real CLIs in minutes — free to start.