GNS3 or netplex.?
An honest comparison.
GNS3 has been a standard for network labs for years. It is free, open source and has a huge community. Its 3.0 version now has a browser interface and multiple users too. netplex. also runs in the browser, on one Linux server, and adds lab files you can keep in git. Below is how they compare, side by side.
GNS3 is free, open source and very capable. netplex.'s browser-first design is easier to live with day to day, and the table below compares them side by side.
What people find awkward.
And what GNS3 3.0 already fixes.
Fair note: GNS3 3.0 is a stable release (3.0.6) and already has a browser interface and multi-user roles. GNS3 2.2 is still maintained too (2.2.61). Below is what is awkward in 2.2, and what 3.0 does and does not change.
Local server or GNS3 VM - you have to pick
GNS3 can run as a local server, a remote server, or inside a dedicated GNS3 VM. "These different options are confusing to people, which results in frustration." GNS3 3.0 changes this a little: its server runs only on Linux, so on Windows or Mac you still need the GNS3 VM or a remote Linux computer, and on a Linux machine you can run it directly.
VMware / VirtualBox required
Many GNS3 users on Windows or Mac run the GNS3 VM inside VMware Workstation, VMware Player or VirtualBox. That is an extra program to install and look after before your first node boots. On a Linux machine, GNS3 3.0 can run directly with no VM. netplex. has the same kind of need: it wants an x86-64 Linux server (or its appliance image), and if that server is itself a virtual machine, nested virtualization must be on.
Consoles open in a separate app
With GNS3, console windows open in a local program (a Telnet or VNC app in 2.2, or the web client pack in 3.0). GNS3 says a browser console is only planned. In netplex. the console is a tab in the browser.
Client and server versions must match
GNS3 2.2's desktop app needs the app and the server to be the same version. Update one and forget the other, and your lab will not open until they match. GNS3 3.0's browser interface avoids this, because the server serves its own interface.
GNS3 vs netplex.
Both free to start. Different trade-offs.
| Feature | GNS3 Free / open source |
netplex. Tier shown per row |
|---|---|---|
| Runs in browser | Yes, in GNS3 3.0 (stable) - server must be Linux or the GNS3 VM; consoles still open in a local client pack. GNS3 2.2 is a desktop app | Yes - full UI and consoles in the browser |
| What you have to install | 2.2: the desktop app plus a server or VM. 3.0: a Linux server (your own host or the GNS3 VM) plus a browser, and an optional client pack for consoles | A server on an x86-64 Linux host (or the appliance ISO/OVA; nested virtualization needed if that host is itself a VM). Clients need only a browser |
| Console access method | 2.2: Telnet/VNC in an external app. 3.0: consoles open in a local app through the web client pack; a browser console is only planned | Browser terminal for every node type, nothing local to install |
| Image pipeline | Appliance templates and an image manager; you supply the vendor images | Automated image import: auto-convert and test-boot (you still supply the images) |
| Packet capture | Wireshark through the local client pack; newer builds also have a Web Wireshark | In-browser capture and .pcap download on every tier; one-click open in native Wireshark on Professional and above |
| REST API | Full REST API (OpenAPI docs on the server) - the GNS3 apps use it themselves | REST API on every tier (API keys are read-only below Architect) |
| Lab as code (plan / apply) | No built-in plan/apply workflow (REST API and JSON project files exist) | Yes - git-native .npx files with plan/apply |
| AI agent access (MCP) | In the 3.1 pre-release (built-in MCP service in its docs); not in the stable 3.0 line | MCP server (beta), 80+ tools; read-only below Architect |
| Link impairment (delay / jitter / loss) | Yes - built-in per-link filters: delay and jitter, packet loss, corruption, BPF | Presets on every tier; custom delay, jitter, loss and rate on Professional |
| Client / server version sync | 2.2 desktop app: must match exactly. 3.0 browser interface is served by the server, so this does not apply | One deployment - nothing to sync |
| GNS3 .gns3project import | - | Yes - same workflow as .unl import |
| Client apps on Windows / macOS / Linux | Yes - GNS3 GUI client runs on all three; server is Linux | Any modern browser, but the server must be x86-64 Linux |
| Built-in tool nodes (scanner, multicast, traffic) | No | Yes - network scanner, multicast, traffic generator and bandwidth tester nodes (Professional) |
| Built-in switch and router nodes (no image needed) | Partial - Ethernet switch and hub only, no router node | Yes - a built-in switch and Linux router start instantly |
| Lab backup to GitHub / git | No | Yes - push backups to GitHub, GitLab or any git remote |
| Scheduled backups to SSH / SFTP / SMB / cloud | No | Yes - on a timer, to your own SSH/SFTP or SMB server or cloud storage |
| LXC container nodes | No | Yes - LXC nodes |
| Network-namespace nodes (about 50 ms start) | No | Yes - lightweight namespace nodes, no image |
| MicroVM nodes (Firecracker) | No | Yes - Firecracker MicroVM nodes (beta) |
| Themes and accent colours | Yes | Yes - 6 themes and 9 accent colours |
| Export the topology as PNG / PDF / SVG | Yes | Yes - PNG (1x-3x, transparent), PDF or SVG |
| Presentation mode (laser, spotlight, pen) | No | Yes - laser pointer, spotlight, pen and annotation (Professional) |
| Export to draw.io / Mermaid / Graphviz / SSH config / Nornir | No | Yes - draw.io, Mermaid, Graphviz, SSH config, hosts file, Nornir inventory |
| Freeze points and lab branches | Yes | Yes - freeze a lab, restore it, or branch a new lab from it (Professional) |
| Read-only share link for a live lab | No | Yes - a link anyone can watch, nobody can change (Professional) |
| Recently deleted labs (restore within days) | No | Yes - restore a deleted lab within 3 days (labs that had a backup repository) |
| Coloured tags on devices | No | Yes - free-text tags, each with its own colour |
| Windows / Linux desktops in a browser tab | Yes | Yes - RDP and VNC desktops in the browser |
| Host dashboard (CPU / RAM history and alerts) | No | Yes - 1-hour and 24-hour history, email/webhook alerts |
| Edit the lab as code next to the canvas | No | Yes - a JSON code panel kept in sync with the drawing |
| Pull and restore cables while the lab runs | Yes | Yes - take a link down and bring it back live (Professional) |
| Push your own code as a device | No | Yes - CLI, VS Code task or git hook |
| IPv6 labs | No | Yes - IPv6 addresses and traffic between nodes |
| UI in 5 languages | No | Yes - English, Arabic (right-to-left), Chinese, Spanish and French |
| Restore centre (lab history, file or whole platform) | Partial - Project snapshots with restore (API docs); no restore centre | Yes - restore a lab from history or a file, or the whole platform from a snapshot (admin) |
| Gateway node to the internet or host network | Yes | Yes - a Cloud gateway node, NAT or bridge, the only way out of a lab |
| Config drift detection | No | Yes - compares a saved golden config with the running one (Professional) |
| Live traffic animation on cables | No | Yes - links flash as packets flow (Professional) |
| Native console connector (your own terminal) | Partial - Console app setting incl. custom command; seen in 3rd-party guide | Yes - opens consoles in SecureCRT, PuTTY, Windows Terminal, iTerm2 and more |
| Side-by-side config diff viewer | No | Yes - one diff viewer with a commit picker and restore button |
Checked against GNS3 3.0.6 and 2.2.61 (and the 3.1 pre-release docs for MCP), 12 Oct 2026, using GNS3's own docs, PyPI and GitHub. If you spot something wrong, tell us.
GNS3 proved the model works. netplex. is a different take on it.
A browser interface, one deployment to keep up to date, and lab files you can keep in git. GNS3 is open source - pick what suits you.
Nothing to install on each laptop.
GNS3 2.2 is a desktop app talking to a server. GNS3 3.0 moved to server-side and browser access too. netplex. is built browser-first around one server, with git-friendly lab files.
One server, any browser
Install netplex. once on an x86-64 Linux host (or the appliance image), then reach it from any modern browser - laptop, tablet, borrowed machine. Nothing to install on each client, and no version sync.
Labs as one portable file
Export any lab as a single .npx file and import it on another netplex. machine - topology, configs and layout travel together.
AI agent access via MCP
A real MCP server ships alongside the REST API - point an MCP-compatible AI agent at a running lab and it can see the topology and read configs. Write actions need the Architect tier; below that access is read-only. Claude is the only client we've tested end to end. · beta
Scale beyond one machine
In beta: on Professional one lab can run across 2 hosts, on Architect across up to 4, linked by VXLAN inside an encrypted WireGuard tunnel - transparent to the emulated devices. · beta
Image setup - drop it in and walk away
Upload an image and netplex. works out what it is, converts it and test-boots it. In the device list you see a readable device name, not a file path.
Your GNS3 projects come with you.
Same importer as EVE-NG.
Export from GNS3
File → Export portable project. This bundles the topology and any saved configs into a .gns3project file.
Import in netplex.
Labs → Import → GNS3 (.gns3project) and drop the file. Device kinds are mapped automatically for common types; you may need to assign images by hand.
Start your lab
Select all nodes, press Start. Double-click any node to console in, right in your browser.
Topology preserved
All node positions, interface assignments and link types carry across from the GNS3 project file.
Configs carry too
Saved startup configurations embedded in the project come across automatically.
EVE-NG and containerlab
Same importer handles .unl and containerlab YAML. Consolidate everything into one platform.
Stop fighting your lab tool.
Focus on the exam.
GNS3 is powerful and free, with a huge amount of tutorials. netplex. aims to stay out of your way: open a browser, build the network, open a console.
- Import your existing GNS3 or EVE-NG labs and study immediately
- Built-in Knowledge Base with step-by-step guides
- Hand a lab to a study group as one portable .npx file
- In-browser packet capture - click the link, see the traffic
GNS3 to netplex.
The questions people actually ask.
Last reviewed October 2026 · Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Want to try it
in your browser?
Start on the free Associate tier. Import your first .gns3project. Open a console in your browser. One Linux server, nothing to install on each client.