Neutron is the networking component of the OpenStack cloud platform.

Is Neutron open source?

Yes. Neutron is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at openstack/neutron and is written mainly in Python.

Yes. Neutron is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Neutron?

Yes. Neutron can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Neutron an alternative to?

Neutron is an open-source alternative to Illumio. Other open-source alternatives to Illumio include Tailscale, Cilium and Calico.

Is Neutron actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Neutron was on 14 October 2026. The project has 1.5k stars on GitHub.

Neutron: open-source alternative to Illumio

About Neutron

Neutron provides networking services for OpenStack clouds. It manages networks, subnets, and ports for virtual machines and other OpenStack resources.

Key features

Manages networks, subnets, and ports
Supports L3 routing and HA state file permissions
Includes BGP spine and leaf ansible roles
Integrates with OVN metadata
Provides OpenTelemetry tracing middleware

Built with: Python tools
Tags: openstack; networking; cloud; infrastructure

Neutron: questions and answers

What is Neutron?: Neutron is the networking component of the OpenStack cloud platform.
Is Neutron open source?: Yes. Neutron is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at openstack/neutron and is written mainly in Python.
Is Neutron free?: Yes. Neutron is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Neutron?: Yes. Neutron can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Neutron an alternative to?: Neutron is an open-source alternative to Illumio. Other open-source alternatives to Illumio include Tailscale, Cilium and Calico.
Is Neutron actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Neutron was on 14 October 2026. The project has 1.5k stars on GitHub.