rConfig vs Oxidized
Looking for an Oxidized alternative?
rConfig V8 Core is free and open source, like Oxidized. The move is from a collector a few volunteers maintain to a platform a company maintains, not from free to paid.
Both are network configuration management, or NCM, tools. Oxidized collects configs into Git very well. rConfig adds a web interface, user roles, scheduled backups, policy checks, reports and a restore workflow in one self-hosted platform. Keep Oxidized if it fits. This page compares the two, with sources.
- Self-hosted
- Open-source Core
- Multi-vendor
- Sources dated
Is rConfig a good Oxidized alternative?
Yes, and the price is the same. rConfig V8 Core is free and open source with no device limit, so moving from Oxidized to Core is not a move from free to paid. It is a move from a collector maintained by a small group of volunteers to a platform maintained by a company, with paid editions and support available later if you want them. Core backs up configs on a schedule, keeps every version, shows a line-by-line diff and puts devices, backups and history behind named user accounts in one web interface.
Oxidized can remain a good fit for a team that lives in Git and is comfortable with YAML and Ruby. It collects configs well, its hooks post diffs to the chat tools teams already use, and its maintainers have kept it moving. Neither tool is better for everyone. The right Oxidized alternative depends on how many people need access, what an auditor will ask for, and who you want to call when a fetch fails. That is what the rest of this page compares.
Which tool fits your team?
Oxidized and rConfig overlap on collecting configs and keeping their history. They differ on everything around that job. Start with how your team works, not with a feature list.
Oxidized may fit when
Your team lives in Git and wants a light collector it can wire into the tools it already runs.
- Configuration history as Git commits is exactly the record you want, and your team already reads Git diffs and logs every day.
- Engineers are comfortable with YAML, Ruby and running a service on Linux or in a container, and can patch a device model when a prompt changes.
- Diffs posted to Slack, XMPP or a webhook by a hook are all the change notification the team needs.
- Your device list already lives in a CSV, a database or an HTTP endpoint that Oxidized can read as a source.
- Named user accounts, roles, compliance reports and a support contract are not requirements, or are met elsewhere.
rConfig may fit when
Your team wants one application to run the whole workflow, and someone to call.
- The team wants one interface for devices, backups and configuration history, with search across every saved config.
- More people need safe, controlled access, with named accounts and roles rather than host or repository access.
- The team needs policy checks, backup reports and a guided restore, or an auditor is asking for them.
- The organisation wants maintained releases and commercial support options, with a free edition to start on.
- The team wants to test a free, open-source, self-hosted edition next to Oxidized before deciding anything.
rConfig vs Oxidized
Both tools collect network configurations and keep their history. They differ in how teams operate, control and support the workflow. Each cell names its source.
| What matters | rConfig | Oxidized |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | rConfigA network configuration management platform. Backs up configs, shows changes, checks rules, restores versions and reports, all from one web application.[12]All editions | OxidizedDescribes itself as a network device configuration backup tool and a RANCID replacement. Collects device configurations and stores them, with the history kept in Git or in files.[1] |
| Deployment | rConfigSelf-hosted on your own Linux server or in Docker. Your configs stay on hosts you control. rConfig maintains the application; you maintain the host.[12], [25]All editions | OxidizedA Ruby application installed as a gem, from packages for Debian, Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, RHEL and FreeBSD, or as a Docker or Podman container. You run and maintain the host, the Ruby runtime and the output store.[1] |
| User interface | rConfigA web interface for devices, backups, versions, diffs, reports and settings, plus a REST API.[12], [22]All editions | OxidizedA YAML configuration file and the command line. The optional oxidized-web gem adds a web interface and REST API, bound to localhost on port 8888 unless you configure otherwise.[1], [6] |
| Device inventory | rConfigDevices, groups, tags and credential sets are managed in the application or by API, with an import tool for an Oxidized hosts file.[23], [24]All editions | OxidizedRead from a source: a colon-separated CSV file in the router.db style, a JSON file, an SQL, MySQL or SQLite database, or an HTTP endpoint. Groups and per-device variables come from the source too.[3] |
| Device access and credentials | rConfigConnects over SSH or Telnet using connection templates. Credentials are stored as encrypted credential sets inside the application.[23], [12]All editions | OxidizedConnects over SSH, Telnet, FTP, TFTP or HTTP, as the device model requires. Credentials are set in the YAML configuration globally, per group, per model or per node, or supplied by the source.[1], [2] |
| Configuration backups | rConfigBackups run on a schedule, on demand, by API call, or when a device sends an SNMP trap. Each backup is saved as a new version.[12]All editions | OxidizedFetches every device's configuration on a repeating interval set in seconds, with a configurable thread count, retries and timeout. A model defines the commands for each OS type. remove_secret can strip sensitive lines before storage.[2] |
| Version history | rConfigEvery backup is a version. Browse versions per device in the interface, search across all saved configs, and set retention limits.[12], [13]All editions | OxidizedOutputs are file, Git, Git-Crypt or an HTTP POST. With the Git output, a fetch that changed the config becomes a commit, in one repository per group by default. The history is text in a repository you own.[4] |
| Configuration diffs | rConfigCompare any two versions line by line in the browser. Change Manager lists what changed, on which device, when, and how big the change was.[13], [14]All editions | OxidizedChanges are Git commits, readable with Git tooling. Hooks such as slackdiff, xmppdiff and ciscosparkdiff post the diff to a chat channel after a changed config is stored.[4], [5] |
| Scheduling | rConfigScheduled tasks are created in the application with a cron expression, per device group or tag. Task history and the queue are visible in the interface.[15]All editions | OxidizedOne interval in seconds, set in the configuration, for the whole run. Oxidized adjusts its thread count to meet it. A node can be moved to the front of the queue through the REST API for an on-demand fetch.[2] |
| User authentication | rConfigLocal user accounts in every edition. Single sign-on with SAML or OIDC in every edition. LDAP, Active Directory and RADIUS sign-in from Starter.[16], [17], [11]All editions | OxidizedThe oxidized-web configuration documents the listen address, port, URL prefix, virtual hosts and which node variables to hide. It documents no user accounts, so teams that need them place access control in front of it, at the proxy or network level.[6] |
| Role-based access | rConfigRoles with per-module permissions, preset roles, and a user audit log. Device and tag level scoping from Standard.[18], [11]Starter and above | OxidizedNot an application feature in the documentation. Access is access to the host, the Git repository and the web interface where it is enabled. Teams restrict each of those with the controls they already have.[6], [4] |
| Policy and compliance checks | rConfigWrite rules once and run them against saved configs. Each device shows pass or fail per rule, with the reason. Scheduled checks and exportable compliance reports from Standard.[19], [11]Starter and above | OxidizedNot part of Oxidized's documented scope. Teams script their own checks against the stored files or the Git history, or run them from a post_store hook.[1], [5] |
| Reports and export | rConfigBackup task reports show which devices succeeded and which failed on every run. Compliance reports and exports from Standard.[20], [11]All editions | OxidizedThe Git history, the logs and the hooks are the record. node_fail fires after the retries are used up, so a failed device can be sent to a channel or a script. Anything else is built by the team.[5] |
| Recovery workflow | rConfigPick a saved version. rConfig builds the restore commands, you review them, and it sends them to the device from the queue. Needs a role that can send commands, and valid device credentials.[21], [11]Starter and above | OxidizedOxidized describes itself as a backup tool. Restoring means taking the stored text from the repository and applying it to the device with the device's own process.[1] |
| API access | rConfigA REST API covers devices, backups, configs, compliance and users, with access tokens you issue and revoke.[22], [11]All editions | OxidizedA REST API through the optional oxidized-web gem, covering the node list, fetching a stored configuration and managing the fetch queue.[1], [2] |
| Multi-vendor support | rConfigMore than 200 ready device profiles. Add a connection template for any device rConfig can reach over SSH or Telnet.[23]All editions | OxidizedThe README says Oxidized supports over 130 operating system types. Each is a Ruby model class, and the project welcomes new models and people to maintain them.[1] |
| Support model | rConfigCommunity support for Core. Email support with a five business day response from Starter, next business day from Standard, and 24x7 with a four-hour response on Enterprise.[11]All editions | OxidizedCommunity support through the GitHub project. The README says Oxidized is maintained by very few people and asks companies with Ruby developers on staff to help with an extra maintainer.[1] |
| Licensing | rConfigFree, open-source Core with no device limit. Paid editions are a flat annual price by device band: Starter to 300 devices, Standard to 1,000, Enterprise above that.[11]All editions | OxidizedFree, open-source software under the Apache License 2.0. The latest release on the checked date is version 0.37.0, dated 20 May 2026.[1], [7] |
| Best fit | rConfigA team that wants one application for devices, backups, history, access control, policy checks and recovery, with maintained releases and support options.[12], [11]All editions | OxidizedA team that lives in Git, is comfortable with YAML and Ruby, wants a light collector with hooks into its chat tools, and does not need named users, roles, policy checks or a support contract.[1] |
Source checked: 13 September 2026. Oxidized details come from the official Oxidized project on GitHub, its README and its documentation. Where Oxidized does something through a hook, a script or another tool rather than in the application, the cell says so rather than claiming it cannot be done. rConfig edition limits come from the rConfig pricing page. All sources are listed in the dated sources. Oxidized is the work of its maintainers and contributors.
Other Oxidized alternatives people consider
Three tools that appear on most shortlists next to Oxidized, each described as it describes itself. Commercial NCM suites from monitoring vendors also appear on those lists; they solve a wider problem at a different price and are not compared here.
Unimus
Commercial, self-hosted
A network configuration management system from NetCore j.s.a., deployed on your own hardware on Windows, Linux or Unix. It offers automated backups with a versioned history, change tracking with graphical diffs, network-wide config search, custom compliance rules, config push automation and a REST API, and says it supports over 400 device types from more than 150 vendors. Ten device licences are free without a time limit; beyond that it is billed yearly, per device up to 1,000 devices and as an unlimited tier above.[8], [9]
RANCID
Open source, script based
The tool Oxidized was written to replace, and still running in many networks. RANCID is a set of Perl and Expect scripts driven by cron: it logs in, runs commands, filters the output, emails a diff and commits the result to CVS, Subversion or Git. Teams that are choosing between RANCID and Oxidized, or moving off RANCID, have their own comparison page here.[1]
rConfig Core
Open source, free, self-hosted
rConfig's free edition, and the one to put next to Oxidized. It runs on your Linux server or in Docker, backs up configs on a schedule, keeps every version, compares any two line by line and tracks changes, behind named user accounts in a web interface. There is no device limit. The paid editions add roles, policy checks, reports, restore and a support contract when, and if, you need them.[11], [12]
See the work in rConfig
Real screens from rConfig V8. Click any one to see it full size. Each caption says what to notice and which edition includes the workflow.
Find a saved configuration
All editionsCompare two versions
All editionsCheck a rule
Starter and abovePrepare a recovery
Pick a saved version and rConfig builds the restore commands. Notice that you review the commands before anything is sent, then rConfig sends them to the device from the queue. Needs a role that can send commands and valid device credentials. Starter and above. Configuration restore docs.
What Oxidized actually costs to run
Neither tool charges a licence fee to start. Oxidized costs the time of whoever owns it. rConfig Core costs the same, with less to own. Compare the ownership first and the edition prices second.
Oxidized
Oxidized is free, open-source software under the Apache License 2.0. There is no licence fee and no device count.[1]
Its operating cost is ownership. For a small, stable network with an engineer who knows the setup well, that cost can be low, and the project's maintainers have kept it moving for years. For a growing team, or one whose Ruby-literate engineer moves on, the same list grows.
- The host and the runtime. A Linux host or container, the Ruby runtime and the gems, patched and upgraded by you, including each new Oxidized release.
- Credentials and the source. Device credentials live in the YAML configuration or in the source you point Oxidized at. Keeping them correct, rotated and access-controlled is yours to manage.
- Device models. Each OS type is a Ruby model. When a vendor changes a prompt or a command's output, someone patches the model or waits for the project to.
- Failed fetches. A node_fail hook fires after the retries run out. Noticing it, chasing the device and re-running the fetch is a person's time.
- Storage and the record. Git repositories per group, their growth and their backups. Any report an auditor asks for is assembled from that history and the logs.
Project and documentation: Oxidized on GitHub.
rConfig
rConfig Core is free and open source, with no device limit. Moving from Oxidized to Core changes who maintains the tool, not what you pay for a licence.[11]
What you stop owning: the runtime, the device models and the upgrade path, which rConfig maintains, and the web interface, user accounts, scheduler and search, which come with Core. You still own the host, the credentials and the network. rConfig is sized for estates well beyond one collector; the installed-base figure and the method behind it are set out in how rConfig counts devices. On throughput, rConfig's latest benchmark backs up over 50,000 devices in under 21 minutes with realistic fault conditions included, and you can model your own estate with the rConfig Sim network simulator.[10]
The paid editions are a later choice, not a condition. Starter, Standard and Enterprise are a flat annual price by device band. They add restore, policy checks, role-based access, directory sign-in, reports and a support contract, in steps, when a requirement arrives that Core does not meet. The current prices, in your currency, are on the pricing page.
Start with rConfig Core.
Move from Oxidized to rConfig in stages
A safe move runs both tools side by side and moves one device group at a time. rConfig ships an Oxidized import tool that reads your hosts file. It does not move your Git history, and it does not set your schedules. Plan for both.
- 01
Review the Oxidized source and models
List the device types in your Oxidized source and which model each uses. The importer reads one hosts file, one hostname:device_type line per device. If your nodes come from another Oxidized source, get in touch before you start.
- 02
Deploy rConfig in the target environment
Install rConfig Core or a paid edition on a Linux server or in Docker, next to Oxidized, not instead of it. Create at least one credential set; the load step halts without one.
- 03
Map each Oxidized device type
For every Oxidized model in use, record the rConfig template, vendor, category, tags and device prompts it maps to. The mapping is interactive and is stored in rConfig for the next steps.
- 04
Load and validate a small group
Point the load step at a hosts file for one group. It resolves each hostname, checks SSH port 22 answers, checks a mapping exists, and writes a JSON import file plus a failures log. Read the log before going further.
- 05
Dry run, then import
Run the import with the dry-run flag and read what would be created. Then import for real. Duplicates by name or IP are skipped, and the import runs in one transaction that rolls back on any error.
- 06
Test access, backups, diffs and schedules
Give a few colleagues accounts and roles. Set a backup schedule; the import does not create one. Make a small change on one device, back up again and read the diff. Repeat for each group.
- 07
Retain Oxidized until validation is complete
Keep Oxidized fetching until rConfig has backed up every device for as long as your change process needs. Then stop the service and archive the Git repositories. Your history stays readable in them.
The Oxidized import tool, as documented
All editions · commands checked 13 September 2026Three command-line steps, run on the rConfig server. They read a hosts file in the hostname:device_type format, with optional embedded credentials, and write their output into rConfig's own storage. What they import is the device list: name, resolved address, model, template, vendor, category, tags and a credential set. What they do not import is your Git repository, your configuration history or your fetch interval; the credential sets must exist in rConfig before you start. The scope is narrower than a full migration and this page does not pretend otherwise. The commands ship with rConfig V8 Core and the paid editions.[24], [26], [11]
php artisan rconfig:oxidized-device-mappings --add- Maps one Oxidized device type to an rConfig device type, template, vendor, category, tags and device prompts. Interactive; you supply the IDs. Also takes --list, --edit and --delete.
php artisan rconfig:oxidized-load-devices /path/to/router.db- Reads the hosts file, resolves each hostname, checks SSH port 22 and the mapping, asks for a default credential set for devices without embedded credentials, and writes a JSON import file and a failures log.
php artisan rconfig:oxidized-import-devices --dry-run- Validates the JSON file and shows what would be created. Drop the flag to import; add --group=ID to choose the device group. Duplicates are skipped and the import runs in one transaction.
Oxidized alternative FAQs
What is a good Oxidized alternative?
A good Oxidized alternative does the same core job, collecting network configs and keeping their history, and adds the things a team has to build around Oxidized: named user accounts, roles, scheduling in the application, reports, policy checks and a guided restore. rConfig is built for that job and runs on your own servers. Its Core edition is free and open source, like Oxidized, so the comparison is between two free tools and what surrounds them. Unimus and RANCID also appear on most shortlists; the section above describes each as it describes itself.[1], [12], [11]
What is the difference between Oxidized and rConfig?
Oxidized is a Ruby collector. It reads a device list from a source, logs in on an interval, runs the commands its model defines and commits the result to Git or a file, with hooks to post diffs to chat. You configure it in YAML and run it as a service. rConfig is an application. It does the collection and the history too, and adds a web interface, scheduled tasks, user roles, policy checks, reports, a restore workflow and a REST API. The trade is simple: Oxidized gives you a light tool you wire into the rest of your stack yourself. rConfig gives you a managed workflow you maintain less.[1], [2], [12], [22]
Is rConfig free like Oxidized?
rConfig Core is free and open source, with no device limit, and it is the edition to compare with Oxidized. It backs up configs, searches them, compares versions and tracks changes. The paid editions, Starter, Standard and Enterprise, add restore, policy checks, role-based access, directory sign-in, reports and a support contract. So an Oxidized replacement can start at the same price as Oxidized, which is nothing, and grow only if your requirements do.[11]
Can rConfig replace Oxidized for config backups?
Yes. rConfig backs up configs on a schedule, on demand, by API call, or when a device sends an SNMP trap. Every backup is saved as a version, and any two versions can be compared line by line. That covers the job Oxidized does for you today. The free Core edition does this with no device limit, so you can prove it on your own devices before you spend anything.[12], [13], [11]
Can I run rConfig and Oxidized at the same time?
Yes, and we recommend it. Both tools only read from your devices, so they do not interfere with each other. Keep Oxidized fetching on its interval while rConfig backs up the same devices, and compare the two until you are satisfied that rConfig covers every device you expect. Your Oxidized Git history keeps growing in the meantime, which is exactly what you want during a move.[2], [24]
Can I move my Oxidized device list to rConfig?
Yes. rConfig ships an Oxidized import tool as three command-line steps. First you map each Oxidized device type to an rConfig template, vendor, category and tags. Then the tool reads your hosts file in the hostname:device_type format, with optional embedded credentials, checks that each hostname resolves and that SSH port 22 answers, and writes a JSON import file and a failures log. Last, it imports the devices, with a dry-run mode that shows what would change before anything is written. It imports the device list. It does not import your Git repository, and it does not create backup schedules for you.[24], [26]
Can I keep my Oxidized Git history?
Keep it where it is. Your Oxidized history lives in Git repositories that you own, one per group by default, and it stays readable with Git for as long as you keep them. The rConfig import tool moves your device list, not your commits. rConfig starts a fresh version history from its first backup of each device. If you need old versions inside rConfig for an audit, talk to us about your case before you plan the move.[4], [24]
Does rConfig run on Linux or in Docker?
Does rConfig support the devices Oxidized supports?
Very likely, and you should test rather than assume. Oxidized's README says it supports over 130 operating system types, each as a Ruby model. rConfig ships more than 200 ready device profiles and connects over SSH or Telnet using connection templates, and you can add a template for any device rConfig can reach. Test the odd devices in your estate first, not just the common ones, and do it while Oxidized is still running.[1], [23]
When should a team keep using Oxidized?
Keep Oxidized when it already does the job you need. If your team lives in Git, is comfortable with YAML and Ruby, wants a light collector with hooks into Slack or XMPP, and does not need named users, roles, policy checks, reports or a guided restore, Oxidized remains a sound choice made by a project that has served network engineers well. Look at rConfig when more people need controlled access, when an auditor needs reports or rule checks, or when you want a vendor to support the tool.[1], [5]
Test rConfig with your network
Start with a small device group, next to Oxidized. Compare the backups, the config history and the daily work before you make a move.
Related reading
The RANCID comparison, the Oxidized and RANCID feature comparison, the free Core edition and the pricing page.
Sources, checked 13 September 2026
Oxidized facts are taken from the official project on GitHub on that date: its README, its configuration, sources, outputs and hooks documents, the oxidized-web configuration document and its releases page, which listed version 0.37.0 of 20 May 2026 as the latest release. They may change. Unimus facts come from unimus.net. rConfig capability claims link to the product documentation; edition limits come from the rConfig pricing page. No third-party write-up is cited for a fact about another vendor's product.
- [1]Oxidized project README on GitHub (self-description, supported OS type count, inputs, sources, outputs, hooks, oxidized-web, maintainers, licence)
- [2]Oxidized docs, Configuration (interval, threads, retries, timeout, credentials, remove_secret, on-demand fetch, oxidized-web extension)
- [3]Oxidized docs, Sources (CSV, JSON file, SQL, MySQL, SQLite, HTTP)
- [4]Oxidized docs, Outputs (file, Git, Git-Crypt, HTTP; one repository per group)
- [5]Oxidized docs, Hooks (node_success, node_fail, post_store, nodes_done; exec, githubrepo, awssns, slackdiff, xmppdiff, ciscosparkdiff)
- [6]oxidized-web docs, Configuration (load, listen, port, url_prefix, vhosts, hide_node_vars)
- [7]Oxidized releases on GitHub (latest release and date)
- [8]Unimus, Features (backup, change management, compliance, config push, device and vendor counts, on-premise deployment)
- [9]Unimus, Pricing (free device licences, per-device and unlimited tiers, yearly billing)
- [10]rConfig homepage FAQ, How fast can rConfig back up large networks (the 50,000 devices in under 21 minutes benchmark)
- [11]rConfig pricing and editions
- [12]rConfig docs, Configuration backups
- [13]rConfig docs, Configuration diffs
- [14]rConfig docs, Change Manager overview
- [15]rConfig docs, Scheduled tasks
- [16]rConfig docs, Users
- [17]rConfig docs, Single sign-on overview (SAML and OIDC), with LDAP and RADIUS guides beside it
- [18]rConfig docs, Roles and permissions
- [19]rConfig docs, Policy compliance results
- [20]rConfig docs, Configuration reports
- [21]rConfig docs, Configuration restore
- [22]rConfig docs, REST API
- [23]rConfig docs, Universal device support
- [24]rConfig docs, Oxidized import tool (commands, what it reads, what it checks, what it creates)
- [25]rConfig Core docs, Configuration backups
- [26]rConfig Core docs, Oxidized import tool
Oxidized is an open-source project by its maintainers and contributors, released under the Apache License 2.0. Unimus and RANCID are trademarks of their owners. This page is written by rConfig for evaluation purposes and compares the tools on configuration backup and management only. Where Oxidized does something through a hook, a script or another tool, the page says so rather than claiming the product lacks it. Your agreement with any vendor governs your actual terms.