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Honest comparison · 2026

GridM BNG vs MikroTik

Thousands of ISPs and WISPs start with MikroTik as their PPPoE concentrator, and for good reason: it is affordable and gets a network off the ground. This comparison looks at where GridM BNG fits when subscriber counts and expectations outgrow that starting point.

GridM BNG

Cloud-native software BNG

VS

MikroTik

Incumbent platform

Side by side

GridM BNG vs MikroTik: the decision factors

Factor
GridM BNG
MikroTik
Architecture
Disaggregated software BNG on commodity x86
General-purpose router OS used in the BRAS role
Hardware
Any OEM or white-box server, merchant NICs
MikroTik appliances or x86 with RouterOS
Scaling model
Horizontal scale-out, add nodes with ECMP
Practical per-box session and CPU limits; manual sharding across boxes
Licensing
One plan, all features; ₹15/sub in India or per-node globally
Inexpensive perpetual licenses
Deployment options
Bare metal, VM, containers or Kubernetes
Appliance or x86 install
Upgrades
In-service software upgrades, canary per node
Reboot-based upgrades; HA requires manual design
Management & APIs
One central web console, cluster-wide, plus a REST API for billing
Scripting and API exist; fleet automation is do-it-yourself
Observability
Real-time per-subscriber analytics, built into the console
Basic per-session tools; deep analytics need external systems
CGNAT and IPv6
Integrated CGNAT + native dual-stack IPv6, included
NAT and IPv6 supported; deterministic CGNAT logging is manual
Cost model
Pay as you grow on commodity hardware
Very low entry cost; operational cost grows with subscriber count

Vendor information is indicative, compiled from publicly available sources, and may change without notice. Product capabilities, licensing models and pricing vary by platform, software release and region. Verify current details with the respective vendor. Cisco, Juniper, Nokia and MikroTik are trademarks of their respective owners; GridM is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

Why operators choose GridM

  • Hundreds of thousands of sessions per node instead of per-box ceilings
  • Session-synced N+1 failover instead of reboot-and-pray redundancy
  • Deterministic CGNAT with port-block logging and IPDR export for compliance
  • Real-time per-subscriber analytics, DDoS visibility and CPE diagnostics in one console

Where MikroTik shines

MikroTik offers remarkable value, a huge community and enough flexibility to run a small ISP end to end. As a first BRAS for a young network, it is often the pragmatic choice.

We believe in honest comparisons. Pick what fits your network; when the criteria are cost per subscriber, automation and freedom from lock-in, we are confident in GridM.

The verdict

MikroTik is a great way to start an ISP. When PPPoE concentrators multiply, outages hurt and compliance asks for NAT records, GridM BNG consolidates that sprawl into a redundant, observable, API-driven subscriber edge that still runs on affordable x86.

Request a demo Explore GridM BNG
FAQ

Switching from MikroTik: your questions

For the BNG/BRAS role, yes. GridM BNG terminates PPPoE and IPoE subscribers, enforces per-plan QoS, speaks RADIUS with CoA and provides CGNAT and dual-stack IPv6, the functions operators deploy MikroTik for at the broadband edge. Routing and other roles MikroTik platforms may also serve are evaluated separately in your design.

Compare GridM BNG with others

vs Cisco BNG vs Juniper MX BNG vs Nokia 7750 BNG vs Legacy hardware BRAS

Planning a move from MikroTik?

Bring your topology to a demo. We will map the migration path, the hardware bill and the payback period with you.

Request a demo Talk to sales

Runs on your hardware · One plan, every feature · Migrate in slices