A Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) alternative that runs in the browser
Cisco Modeling Labs is the vendor's own virtualization platform, and it is the closest thing to official: real Cisco node types, maintained images, and a supported product behind it. It is also a licensed product you renew, running on a hypervisor you provide and size yourself.
For a lot of people — students, career changers, instructors on a department budget — that combination of annual cost plus infrastructure is the reason the lab never happens. NetForge-AI is the other end of that trade: open a browser, start building, pay nothing to begin.
| Cisco CML | NetForge-AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Paid, renewed annually (tiers vary by node count) | Free plan · Pro $20/mo · Max $25/mo |
| Where it runs | A hypervisor or server you provide | Your browser |
| Approach | Virtualization — real Cisco images | Simulation — behavior computed from your config |
| Node limits | Bounded by your licence tier and your RAM | 5 devices on Free; unlimited on paid plans |
| Vendor alignment | Official Cisco node types and images | Vendor-neutral, IOS-style CLI syntax |
| Time to first ping | Hours — provision, licence, import images | About two minutes |
| Packet visibility | Packet capture on links | Live animation on every cable, always on |
| Built-in curriculum | — | 8 modules · 47 chapters + quizzes + final assessment |
| AI tutor | — | ARIA reads your running config and explains failures |
When CML is worth the licence
If you are working toward a hands-on Cisco expert-level exam, or you need a lab whose behavior you can cite in a production change window, buy CML. Official images and official node types remove an entire category of doubt — when something behaves oddly, it is the real behavior, not the simulator's approximation.
It is also the right pick for teams already inside a Cisco support relationship, where the licence is a line item someone else approves and the infrastructure already exists.
When paying for realism is buying the wrong thing
A student trying to understand why their subnet mask breaks reachability gains nothing from official images. What they need is to see the packet stop, and to be told which decision stopped it. That is a visualization and pedagogy problem, and it is unaffected by whether the router is real.
This is the specific gap NetForge-AI targets. Every ping draws its path hop by hop. ARP resolution plays out on the canvas. A frame filtered by an ACL dies visibly at the interface that filtered it. Then ARIA, reading your actual configuration, tells you what to change and why — which is closer to having an instructor than to having a better router.
Cost, honestly compared
CML's cost is a yearly licence plus the machine to run it on, and the machine is not incidental — virtualized nodes want real RAM. NetForge-AI's free plan covers a five-device lab and the first course module at no cost, and the paid plans are monthly, so trying it for a term is a small commitment rather than an annual one.
If budget is the deciding factor and the goal is learning rather than certification-practical rehearsal, starting free and upgrading only if the course proves useful is the lower-risk path.
The fastest way to compare simulators is to send one ping. Create a free account, drop two PCs and a switch on the canvas, and watch the ARP + ICMP animation — that's the whole pitch.
Try NetForge-AI freeFAQ
Is Cisco Modeling Labs free?
CML is a commercial product licensed annually, with tiers that differ in node count and features. Cisco has offered limited free or trial options at various times, so check their current terms — but the mainstream personal and enterprise tiers are paid, and you supply the hardware to run them on.
Does NetForge-AI use real Cisco IOS?
No. NetForge-AI implements an IOS-style CLI — enable, configure terminal, ip address, switchport mode trunk, router ospf, show ip route — so command muscle memory transfers, but it is a vendor-neutral simulation, not Cisco's code. For exams that test the real OS, pair it with an emulator running licensed images.
Can I run NetForge-AI on a laptop that cannot run CML?
Yes. That is the core difference. CML's requirements scale with node count because each node is virtualized; NetForge-AI runs in a browser tab and works on modest hardware including Chromebooks.
NetForge-AI is an independent educational platform, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any vendor named on this page. Product names are used for identification and comparison purposes only. Details about third-party products reflect their publicly documented behavior at the time of writing; pricing and features change, so verify current terms with the vendor before deciding.
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