Network automation starts with data. Before you can automate configuration management, generate documentation, or build self-service portals, you need a reliable source of truth for your network infrastructure. Three platforms have emerged as leaders in this space: NetBox, Nautobot, and Infrahub. Each takes a different approach to solving the same fundamental problem.

Author’s Note: I’ve had the privilege of working directly with all three platforms discussed in this article. I tested NetBox in 2018, worked at Network to Code for four years (including during the Nautobot fork), and served as Director of Product at OpsMill. This article reflects both hands-on experience and an objective comparison of each platform’s strengths.

The Common Goal#

All three platforms aim to be your network source of truth - a single, authoritative repository for infrastructure data including:

  • IP address management (IPAM)
  • Data center infrastructure (DCIM)
  • Device inventory and configurations
  • Network topology and connections
  • VLANs, circuits, and services

The differences lie in their architecture, extensibility, and intended use cases.

NetBox: The Original#

NetBox was created by the network engineering team at DigitalOcean to address their documentation and automation needs. It’s now maintained by NetBox Labs and has become the de facto standard for network source of truth.

Architecture#

  • PostgreSQL database backend
  • Django web framework
  • REST API for programmatic access
  • Plugin system for extensibility

Key Features#

  • IPAM: Comprehensive IP address and prefix management with VRF support
  • DCIM: Rack layouts, device types, cables, power tracking
  • Circuits: Provider circuits and connections
  • Virtualization: VM and cluster tracking
  • Customization: Custom fields, tags, and relationships
  • Change Logging: Full audit trail of all changes

Strengths#

  • Mature and stable: Years of production use and active development
  • Large ecosystem: Extensive plugin library and community resources
  • Well-documented: Comprehensive documentation and examples
  • Ansible integration: Native dynamic inventory support
  • Simple deployment: Standard Django application, straightforward to install

When to Use NetBox#

NetBox is ideal when you need:

  • A proven, stable platform with minimal risk
  • Strong IPAM and DCIM capabilities out of the box
  • Integration with existing Ansible workflows
  • A large community for support and plugins
  • Straightforward deployment and maintenance

NetBox works well for teams that want a solid foundation without extensive customization needs. If your primary goal is replacing spreadsheets and documenting existing infrastructure, NetBox delivers immediately.

Nautobot: The Enterprise Fork#

Nautobot is a fork of NetBox created by Network to Code in 2021. The fork wasn’t a rejection of NetBox, but rather a response to evolving customer requirements that diverged from NetBox’s roadmap. Network to Code had been heavy users and contributors to NetBox for years, but kept encountering the same limitations: customers needed world-class support with SLAs, long-term support versions for enterprises that couldn’t upgrade rapidly, and most critically, a platform that could actively participate in automation workflows rather than just serve data.

Architecture#

  • PostgreSQL database backend (with MySQL support)
  • Django web framework
  • Enhanced REST API and GraphQL support
  • Advanced plugin system
  • Built-in Jobs framework

Key Features#

  • Everything from NetBox: All core IPAM/DCIM functionality
  • Jobs: Python-based automation workflows that run within Nautobot
  • GraphQL API: More flexible querying than REST alone
  • Git integration: Sync data from Git repositories
  • Relationships: More flexible object relationships than NetBox
  • Apps ecosystem: Enhanced plugin system called “Apps”

Strengths#

  • Automation-first: Jobs framework enables complex workflows without external tools
  • Extensibility: More powerful plugin/app system than NetBox
  • Enterprise features: Role-based access control, change management workflows
  • Active development: Rapid feature additions and improvements
  • Professional support: Commercial support available from Network to Code

The Jobs Framework: Nautobot’s Killer Feature#

What truly sets Nautobot apart is its Jobs framework. Jobs are Python scripts that run within Nautobot itself, with full access to the database and the ability to interact with external systems. Unlike external automation tools that query the source of truth, Jobs make the source of truth an active participant in automation.

Real-world use cases include:

  • Pre-change validation: Before deploying a configuration change, a Job can verify that IP addresses don’t conflict, VLANs exist, and circuits have capacity
  • Device onboarding: A Job can discover a new device, pull its configuration, create the device record, populate interfaces, and assign IP addresses - all from within Nautobot
  • Compliance reporting: Jobs can audit existing devices against naming standards, configuration templates, or security policies and flag violations
  • Self-service portals: Jobs can expose network operations to other teams through a web UI, like provisioning a new VLAN or circuit

Jobs can be stored in Git repositories and synchronized into Nautobot, bringing version control to your automation logic. They can run on-demand, on schedules, or be triggered by webhooks. The framework includes approval workflows, so changes can require manager approval before execution.

When to Use Nautobot#

Nautobot makes sense when you need:

  • Built-in automation workflows (Jobs) without external orchestration
  • More sophisticated data relationships and queries
  • Enterprise features like advanced RBAC
  • Professional support and training
  • A platform that can grow with complex automation needs

Nautobot is the choice for teams building sophisticated automation platforms where the source of truth needs to actively participate in workflows, not just serve data. The Jobs framework is particularly powerful for teams that want to centralize automation logic.

Infrahub: The Next Generation#

Infrahub is the newest entrant, launched by OpsMill in 2024. It was born from direct experience with NetBox and Nautobot’s limitations. The founding team, having worked extensively with both platforms, kept hitting the same walls: rigid schemas that required database migrations for changes, no built-in versioning for data, and constant tradeoffs between extensibility and maintainability.

Infrahub takes a fundamentally different architectural approach, treating infrastructure data like code with built-in version control and CI/CD integration. It’s the first platform to truly unite GitOps workflows with structured infrastructure data.

Architecture#

  • Neo4j graph database backend
  • GraphQL API (no REST API)
  • Git-native version control
  • Schema-driven with flexible data models
  • Native CI/CD integration

Key Features#

  • Version control: Git-like branching and merging for all data changes
  • Graph database: Native relationship modeling and traversal
  • Flexible schema: Define your own data models without code
  • CI/CD integration: Validate changes before they’re committed
  • Data synchronization: Sync from multiple sources (NetBox, CMDBs, etc.)
  • Service modeling: Map services to infrastructure components

Strengths#

  • Version control: Branch, test, and merge infrastructure data like code
  • Relationship modeling: Graph database excels at complex relationships
  • Validation: CI/CD integration catches errors before deployment
  • Flexibility: Schema changes don’t require migrations or downtime
  • Modern architecture: Built for GitOps and infrastructure-as-code workflows

Why a Graph Database?#

The choice of Neo4j as Infrahub’s backend wasn’t arbitrary. Graph databases natively model relationships between objects, which is exactly what infrastructure is - a web of interconnected devices, interfaces, circuits, and services. In a traditional SQL database, you model relationships through foreign keys and join tables. In a graph database, relationships are first-class citizens.

This matters when you’re asking questions like “show me all devices that would be affected if this circuit goes down” or “what services depend on this interface?” Graph databases traverse these relationships orders of magnitude faster than SQL joins. The data model also remains flexible - adding new relationship types doesn’t require schema migrations.

Version Control for Infrastructure Data#

Infrahub’s most distinctive feature is Git-like version control for all data. You can create a branch, make changes to device configurations or IP assignments, run validation checks in CI/CD, have peers review the changes, and merge them to production. If something breaks, you can roll back to any previous state.

This solves a problem that’s plagued network automation for years: how do you safely test changes to your source of truth? With Infrahub, you branch your data just like you branch code. Your automation can render configurations from the branch, deploy to test devices, validate the results, and only then merge to production.

The platform integrates with CI/CD pipelines to run validation checks on proposed changes. You can catch errors like IP conflicts, missing VLANs, or invalid device types before they reach production. This brings the reliability and collaboration of software development to infrastructure data.

When to Use Infrahub#

Infrahub is the right choice when you need:

  • Git-style workflows for infrastructure data (branch, review, merge)
  • Complex relationship modeling across many object types
  • Integration with existing CI/CD pipelines
  • Flexible schema that evolves with your needs
  • A platform that unifies data from multiple sources

Infrahub targets teams practicing infrastructure-as-code and GitOps who want their source of truth to work the same way as their code repositories. The version control and validation capabilities are unique in this space.

Making the Choice#

Choose NetBox if#

  • You want a proven, stable platform
  • Your needs are primarily IPAM and DCIM
  • You’re integrating with Ansible
  • You prefer simplicity over advanced features
  • You want the largest community and plugin ecosystem

Choose Nautobot if#

  • You need built-in automation workflows
  • You want enterprise features and professional support
  • You’re building a sophisticated automation platform
  • You need more flexible data relationships
  • You want GraphQL alongside REST

Choose Infrahub if#

  • You practice GitOps and infrastructure-as-code
  • You need version control for infrastructure data
  • You have complex relationship modeling needs
  • You want CI/CD validation of data changes
  • You’re willing to adopt a newer platform

Migration Considerations#

NetBox to Nautobot: Relatively straightforward due to shared heritage. Nautobot provides migration tools and maintains API compatibility for most operations.

NetBox/Nautobot to Infrahub: More involved due to architectural differences. Infrahub can sync data from NetBox/Nautobot, allowing gradual migration or hybrid operation.

Starting fresh: If you’re not migrating from an existing system, your choice depends more on team workflows and future needs than migration complexity.

The Bottom Line#

There’s no universally correct choice. NetBox offers stability and maturity. Nautobot adds enterprise features and built-in automation. Infrahub brings version control and modern GitOps workflows.

Consider your team’s size, automation maturity, and workflow preferences. A small team documenting infrastructure might thrive with NetBox’s simplicity. An enterprise automation team might leverage Nautobot’s Jobs framework. A team practicing infrastructure-as-code might find Infrahub’s Git-native approach transformative.

All three platforms are open source, well-maintained, and production-ready. The best way to decide is to deploy each in a test environment and evaluate which aligns with your team’s workflows and requirements.

Resources#