List of the Top 8 Network Operating Systems (NOS) for Linux in 2025

The CacheGuard product range revolves around a foundational offering known as CacheGuard-OS. When installed on either a physical or virtual machine, CacheGuard-OS effectively converts that system into a robust network appliance. This newly formed appliance can serve multiple functions as various types of gateways that enhance the security and efficiency of your network. Below is a concise overview of the various CacheGuard appliances available. - Web Gateway: exercise control over organizational web traffic and filter out undesirable web access. - UTM (Unified Threat Management): protect your networks from a wide array of online threats using a combination of a firewall, antivirus at the gateway, VPN server, and a filtering proxy. - WAF (Web Application Firewall): prevent harmful requests from reaching your essential web applications and safeguard your enterprise. The WAF incorporates OWASP rules while allowing for the creation of custom rules, along with an IP reputation filtering system that enables the blocking of IPs identified in real-time blacklists. - WAN Optimizer: optimize the flow of your vital network traffic, conserve bandwidth, and ensure high availability for your internet connection through the use of multiple ISPs. Each appliance is designed to address specific network challenges, ultimately providing comprehensive solutions tailored to your organization’s needs.

Open-source software combined with a universal router plays a crucial role in making network access more equitable for all. VyOS aims to transform the way individuals connect to networks, empowering them to create the solutions they envision without facing constraints, limitations, or exorbitant costs. We assert that access to the internet is as vital for human progress as essential resources like food, water, air, and healthcare. Founded by engineers with a passion for innovation, VyOS stands as an open-source company dedicated to facilitating unrestricted network access without financial barriers. Our mission is realized through VyOS, leveraging our open-source software and virtual platforms to provide robust solutions. We offer features such as stateful firewalls, zone-based firewalls, and various types of NAT, including one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many configurations. Moreover, our commitment extends to transparency, allowing users to engage in auditing, create customized images, and contribute to the development, with full access to the entire codebase and build toolchain available to all. This collaborative approach not only enhances security but also fosters a community of innovation and shared knowledge.

NVIDIA introduces pure SONiC, an open-source, community-focused, Linux-based network operating system that has been enhanced within the data centers of prominent cloud service providers. By adopting pure SONiC, businesses can overcome distribution limitations and fully harness the benefits of open networking, supported by NVIDIA's vast expertise, thorough training, detailed documentation, professional services, and ongoing support to facilitate successful deployment. Moreover, NVIDIA provides extensive backing for Free Range Routing (FRR), SONiC, Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI), systems, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), all integrated into a single platform. Unlike conventional distributions, SONiC enables organizations to remain independent from a sole vendor for updates, bug fixes, or security improvements. This independence allows businesses to simplify management tasks and make use of their current management tools across their data center activities, leading to improved operational efficiency. Consequently, the flexibility of SONiC not only enhances network management but also empowers organizations to adapt to their specific needs, making it an invaluable choice for those aiming for effective network oversight.

Junos® OS transforms network management by implementing precise automation, which enhances efficiency and enables businesses to focus their resources on initiatives that promote growth. It is crafted to be reliable, secure, and adaptable, making it a cornerstone for some of the most sophisticated network infrastructures worldwide, thereby providing a significant advantage over those who rely on competing network operating systems. By reducing the time and resources required for the planning, deployment, and maintenance of network systems, it simplifies operations considerably. Moreover, it promotes a modern approach to disaggregation, offering a flexible consumption model for network applications and delivering robust software that scales in accordance with evolving demands. The system guarantees that the integration of line cards and updates to the network OS occur seamlessly, without interrupting ongoing services. Cloud service providers understand that a flexible and cost-effective network requires efficient operations throughout a highly scalable architecture. This capability ultimately equips organizations to swiftly adapt to market shifts and embrace new technological innovations, fostering a culture of agility and responsiveness. By leveraging Junos OS, businesses can stay ahead in a competitive landscape and drive forward their strategic objectives with confidence.

Switching to bare metal switches in Open Networking presents significant operational and economic benefits for creating sophisticated networks. These switches come with the essential features needed to achieve cloud-scale performance while offering flexibility, scalability, and adaptability. In the process of implementing a disaggregated open networking strategy, selecting the right Network Operating System (OS) is crucial for achieving success. This selection is critical as the right Network OS maximizes the performance, capabilities, and services derived from Open Networking switches, thereby ensuring that organizations realize the highest value. Among the available options, Netvisor® ONE emerges as a standout choice; it is an open, secure, and programmable next-generation Network OS tailored to improve the operational functions of bare metal Open Networking hardware. This operating system has undergone rigorous testing in vital production scenarios within both enterprise and carrier networks, ensuring compliance with strict performance standards. Additionally, Netvisor ONE offers exceptional reliability and scalability, providing the uncompromised performance necessary for the demands of contemporary networking environments. With its cutting-edge features, organizations utilizing Netvisor ONE are well-equipped to navigate the fast-paced changes in technology effectively. As a result, they can not only maintain competitiveness but also drive innovation within their network infrastructures.

The distinctive PICOS open NOS, designed with tightly integrated control planes, offers network operators accurate and non-intrusive visibility into their enterprise applications, facilitating comprehensive and flexible traffic analysis as well as timely attack prevention. When it comes to implementing zero-trust networking and creating software-defined perimeters, PICOS is recognized as the leading solution. Our cutting-edge open network operating system seamlessly works with open switches that feature interfaces between 1G and 100G, sourced from a wide array of Tier 1 manufacturers. This extensive licensing package provides unmatched support for enterprise capabilities found in today's market. It also includes the Debian Linux distribution, maintaining an unaltered kernel to maximize DevOps programmability. In addition, the Enterprise Edition is further enhanced with AmpCon, an automation framework leveraging Ansible, which combines Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) with the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE), thereby simplifying the deployment and management of open network switches across the enterprise. Such sophisticated functionalities empower organizations to maintain not only operationally efficient networks but also robust defenses against continuously emerging threats. As a result, businesses can confidently navigate the complexities of modern networking while ensuring their infrastructure remains fortified.

Arista's Extensible Operating System (EOS®) is the cornerstone of its groundbreaking cloud networking offerings specifically designed for contemporary data centers and cloud environments. Built with a focus on scalability, architectures powered by Arista EOS can accommodate vast numbers of computing and storage devices while delivering management and provisioning capabilities that function effortlessly at scale. The system's programmability enables a collection of software applications that automate workflows, guarantee high availability, and provide exceptional network visibility and analytics. Furthermore, it supports rapid integration with a wide range of third-party applications centered around virtualization, management, automation, and orchestration services. As a fully programmable and modular network operating system founded on Linux, Arista EOS utilizes a user-friendly industry-standard command-line interface (CLI) and runs on a consistent binary software image across the entire Arista switching lineup. This unique architecture not only boosts operational efficiency but also makes maintenance and upgrades across the network infrastructure far more straightforward. In essence, Arista EOS empowers organizations to optimize their network capabilities while adapting to the evolving demands of digital transformation.

Hyperscale networking software crafted for the dynamic 5G ecosystem, extending from data centers to core and edge infrastructures, as well as across multi-cloud setups, guarantees unmatched scalability and swift integration. With an integrated monitoring and analytics framework, users gain comprehensive visibility into their networks along with immediate intelligence that is enhanced by predictive analytics and actionable insights. The ACE platform can be operated on existing infrastructures, allows deployment from various locations, and helps reduce operational expenses by streamlining onboarding processes and improving reliability. Fully compliant with open standards, this solution permits network operators to seamlessly interface with third-party automation and orchestration tools. The ACE framework is built upon a three-tier architecture that is both adaptable and scalable, promoting efficient connections between enterprise data centers and the infrastructures of service or cloud providers. As a trailblazer in independent network operating systems tailored for internet-scale applications, it features a scale-out route reflector that boasts impressive convergence speeds. Additionally, the platform provides real-time actionable intelligence that enhances network management and optimization, ensuring that organizations can thrive in a rapidly evolving digital environment. By adopting this innovative solution, businesses can significantly enhance their operational capabilities while maintaining a competitive edge.