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Networking · head to head

Auvik vs Nebula

Auvik logo

Auvik

Networking

Cloud-based network monitoring and management priced by managed device count, quote-only

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nebula logo

Nebula

Networking

Certificate based overlay network from Slack, with identity and firewall rules carried in the certificate

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Nebula has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Auvik no pricing is published anywhere on the site; every number requires submitting a lead form and speaking to sales, which slows down basic vendor comparison; Nebula the open source project has no user interface, no enrolment workflow and no revocation service, so certificate issuing, distribution and expiry become scripts you write and then have to keep working.
  • They diverge on capability: Auvik covers Automated network mapping, Nebula covers Certificate carried identity.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Auvik and Nebula actually diverge.

Attributes where Auvik and Nebula differ
AttributeAuvikNebula
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquote, per managed deviceOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Networking).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Auvik

  • Automated network mapping
  • Configuration backup
  • Multi-tenant MSP view
  • Traffic insight
  • Device-based billing with exclusions

Only in Nebula

  • Certificate carried identity
  • Group based host firewall
  • Lighthouse discovery
  • Noise protocol encryption
  • Unsafe routes
  • Managed option

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Auvik

  • An MSP wanting a single SaaS platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregationnot Nebula
  • An internal IT team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselvesnot Nebula
  • A network team wanting continuous, automatically updated network topology mapping rather than maintaining diagrams manuallynot Nebula
  • An organisation wanting traffic visibility by application without deploying a separate flow collectornot Nebula

Nebula

  • Flattening a network across several clouds and datacentres without VPC peering or route tablesnot Auvik
  • Very large fleets where a central policy service on the connection path is unacceptablenot Auvik
  • Environments that already run an internal certificate authority and want the network to use itnot Auvik
  • Replacing per host iptables rules with policy written against roles that follow the hostnot Auvik

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Auvik

  • No pricing is published anywhere on the site; every number requires submitting a lead form and speaking to sales, which slows down basic vendor comparison
  • Billing by managed device count means the total cost is not knowable in advance without first running an accurate device count against Auvik's specific inclusion and exclusion rules
  • As a SaaS-only product with no on-premises option, an organisation loses monitoring visibility if its own internet connection to Auvik's cloud goes down at the same time as the incident it needs to diagnose
  • MSP-focused multi-tenant packaging may include features an internal IT team monitoring only its own network does not need, while still pricing against that broader feature set
  • Configuration backup and restore depend on Auvik correctly supporting the specific hardware models on a given network; less common vendors may have thinner support
  • Volume discounts exist but are also not published, so an MSP scaling client count has no way to model margin impact before negotiating each contract renewal

Nebula

  • The open source project has no user interface, no enrolment workflow and no revocation service, so certificate issuing, distribution and expiry become scripts you write and then have to keep working.
  • Revoking a compromised host means distributing a blocklist entry to every other host and reloading them, which is a fleet wide operation rather than a click, and easy to get wrong under pressure.
  • Changing a host group membership means reissuing and redeploying its certificate, so policy changes are a deployment rather than a configuration edit.
  • There is no identity provider integration or single sign on in the open source version, so it maps well to servers and badly to a fleet of user laptops.
  • NAT traversal is best effort and hosts behind symmetric NAT need a relay configured deliberately, so connectivity failures show up as intermittent rather than immediate and are awkward to diagnose.

Pricing, plan by plan

Auvik

On request
  • Auvik$undefined/month
    • Automated network mapping
    • Configuration backup
    • MSP multi-tenant packages available

Nebula

Free
  • NebulaFree
    • Full functionality under the MIT licence
    • No host limit
    • You operate the certificate authority and lighthouses
  • Defined Networking$undefined/month
    • Hosted control plane and enrolment
    • Managed certificate lifecycle and revocation
    • Policy and DNS interface

Which should you pick?

Choose Auvik if

  • You need automated network mapping.
  • You also want configuration backup.
Auvik review

Choose Nebula if

  • You need certificate carried identity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD.
  • You also want group based host firewall.
Nebula review

Questions people ask

Is Auvik or Nebula better?
Neither clearly leads. Auvik starts at On request and Nebula at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Auvik or Nebula?
Nebula has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Auvik and Free for Nebula.
Does Auvik or Nebula run on more platforms?
Auvik runs on Web. Nebula runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD.
Can I use Nebula for free?
Yes. Nebula has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Auvik starts at On request.
What is Auvik best used for?
Auvik is most often used for an msp wanting a single saas platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregation, an internal it team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselves, a network team wanting continuous, automatically updated network topology mapping rather than maintaining diagrams manually, an organisation wanting traffic visibility by application without deploying a separate flow collector. Of those, an msp wanting a single saas platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregation and an internal it team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselves are not what Nebula is typically brought in for.
What can Auvik do that Nebula cannot?
Auvik covers Automated network mapping, Configuration backup, Multi-tenant MSP view, Traffic insight. Nebula covers Certificate carried identity, Group based host firewall, Lighthouse discovery, Noise protocol encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Auvik: Is Auvik priced per network or per device?

Per device, according to Auvik's own FAQ; some device categories like access points and printers are monitored at no additional charge.

Nebula: Does it use WireGuard?

No. Nebula predates the common WireGuard mesh tools and uses the Noise protocol framework with its own certificate format.

Auvik: Is there any published price?

No, all pricing is quote-only through a sales conversation.

Nebula: Can I run it without Defined Networking?

Yes, entirely. Defined Networking sells the control plane conveniences, not the network itself.

Auvik: Does Auvik require an on-premises server?

No, it is SaaS-delivered with a lightweight local collector rather than a full on-premises monitoring server.

Nebula: How do I revoke a host?

Add its certificate fingerprint to the blocklist in the configuration of the other hosts and reload them. There is no online revocation check.

Nebula: Is it a good fit for laptops?

Less so than the identity provider based tools. There is no single sign on, so every laptop needs a certificate issued and renewed by whatever process you build.

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