Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.10.15
What is EVE-NG, and how does it compare to Cisco CML?
EVE-NG is a "semi-commercial" network emulator with a free Community Edition plus paid Professional and Corporate editions. Unlike CML it is vendor-independent, and it runs on-premises or in the cloud.
| Cisco CML | EVE-NG | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing | Commercial (a limited free tier with 5 active nodes) | Free Community Edition, paid Professional/Corporate |
| Vendors | Cisco images | Vendor-independent (Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, Linux, …) |
| Where it runs | Cloud, or locally in a VM | On-premises or in the cloud |
Both serve the same purpose: model "real" network situations in a very realistic environment, configure them and test them. That saves an expensive physical lab, and it keeps experiments out of the production network, where a mistake can have unexpected consequences.
Go deeper:
EVE-NG — the emulator's site with Community and Pro editions.