DNS operations vs
IP address management

Netra and phpIPAM solve fundamentally different problems. phpIPAM tracks your IP address space. Netra manages your DNS changes. If you need both, you'd run both — they're complementary, not competing.

These tools solve different problems

This isn't a head-to-head competition — it's a clarification of scope.

Netra provides:

  • DNS record management across multiple providers
  • Approval workflows with two-person rule enforcement
  • Continuous drift detection with automatic alerts
  • Multi-provider DNS (AWS, GCP, Azure, Cloudflare, WinDNS)
  • Modern UI with Cmd+K search and dark mode
  • Full REST API with CI/CD integration
  • One-click approve/reject from Slack, Teams, or email

phpIPAM provides:

  • IP address management and tracking
  • Subnet planning and visualization
  • VLAN tracking and management
  • Rack and device management
  • IP address scanning and discovery
  • Free and open source
  • REST API for integration

Netra vs phpIPAM — capabilities

Where each tool's scope begins and ends.

Capability Netra phpIPAM
DNS record managementCreate, modify, delete DNS records YesCore feature NoNot in scope
Approval workflowsSubmit → approve → apply YesBuilt-in, two-person rule No
Drift detectionDetect out-of-band changes YesContinuous, automatic No
Multi-provider DNSManage multiple DNS providers Yes5 provider types No
IP address managementTrack and assign IP addresses NoDNS-focused YesCore feature
Subnet planningVisualize and plan IP subnets No YesCore feature
VLAN trackingManage VLAN assignments No Yes
Modern UIClean, responsive interface YesCmd+K, dark mode, SPA DatedBootstrap 3 era interface
CI/CD integrationPipeline-driven changes YesGitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps No
NotificationsSlack, Teams, email alerts Yes7 channels + webhooks No
REST APIProgrammatic access YesNamed API tokens YesAvailable
CostAnnual licensing $5,000/yr FreeOpen source

phpIPAM + Netra = complete coverage

If you're using phpIPAM today and realize you have no tooling for DNS change management — no approval workflows, no drift detection, no multi-provider control — that's exactly the gap Netra fills. phpIPAM handles your IP space. Netra handles your DNS operations. They complement each other perfectly.

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