EVE-NG is a platform that runs entire networks, with routers, switches and firewalls from many vendors, on a server or inside a virtual machine. The name stands for Emulated Virtual Environment, Next Generation. It is published by EVE-NG Ltd, a company based in London. Version 7, released in June 2026, is built on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and has significantly changed the software’s free model.
What EVE-NG is for
Like GNS3, EVE-NG does emulation: it runs the real operating systems of network devices rather than imitating their behavior. The main difference lies in how you use it. EVE-NG is not a program you install on your own computer but a complete system, delivered as an ISO image. You install it on a physical server, in a VMware virtual machine or with a cloud provider such as Google Cloud or Azure. You then connect to it with an ordinary web browser, from any computer.
In that interface, you build your topology by dropping devices onto a page and connecting them. Vendor systems run on several engines, including QEMU for virtual routers and firewalls, and IOL for Cisco images designed for Linux, which are very light on resources. The Pro version adds Docker containers, handy for simulating client machines or servers without weighing down the lab. Device consoles open in tools provided by the publisher’s client pack, which bundles PuTTY for Telnet, a VNC client and Wireshark to capture the traffic on a link. Since version 7.0.1, this pack can be downloaded directly from the EVE-NG server.
The publisher’s website also offers a library of ready-made labs and a calculator that estimates the memory and processing power a lab will need. That detail matters: every emulated device uses resources, and it is the hardware, far more than the software, that sets the size of the labs you can build.
Who is it for?
EVE-NG is aimed at network engineers, candidates for advanced certifications such as the CCNP or CCIE, and training centers. The Pro RBL edition, which handles roles and user accounts, is designed precisely for schools, universities and companies that have several people working on the same server. Some companies also use it to reproduce their production network, what is known as a digital twin, and test changes there without risk.
The pricing model changed in 2026, and it is worth knowing before you start. The old Community edition, free and limited to 63 devices, reached its end of life in June. It has been replaced by a Freemium edition that is free for personal learning and evaluation but restricted: according to the publisher’s official hosting partner, it accepts only seven emulated devices. That is enough to study for the CCNA, much less so for ambitious labs. For those, and for any professional, commercial or training use, a paid license is required. A student who wants large labs without paying anything will be better off with GNS3, which is completely free.
Download EVE-NG safely
The official images are available on eve-ng.net, in the Download section. The Pro ISO, which is also used for Freemium mode, is about 10 GB. Next to each file, the publisher lists its SHA1 and SHA256 checksums: comparing them after the download is the best way to make sure the image has not been tampered with. EVE-NG is a system for x86 processors. On a Mac with Apple silicon, you therefore install it on another machine or in the cloud, and the Mac acts only as a client.
To upgrade to the Pro version, you buy a license on the publisher’s website. It is generated from a request produced by your own server, which must support Intel VT-x virtualization with EPT. The price is shown in your local currency when you place the order. Be wary of Pro licenses offered cheaply or for free on forums: they are pirated copies, and they can hide malware on the very machine that hosts your entire lab.
Frequently asked questions
Is EVE-NG free?
Partly. The Freemium edition is free for personal learning and evaluation, but it is limited in the number of devices. Professional, commercial and training use, as well as larger labs, require a paid Pro license.
What is the difference between EVE-NG and GNS3?
Both run the vendors’ real operating systems. GNS3 is free, open source software used through a desktop application. EVE-NG is installed as a server and controlled from a browser, which makes teamwork easier, but its advanced features are paid.
Can you still download EVE-NG Community?
Community version 6.2 is still offered on the publisher’s website, but it reached its end of life in June 2026. It no longer receives updates or security fixes, so it is best kept for testing on an isolated network.
