Tidal Review: Unlock IP Control for Over 1,000 IPs with Free Plan

Still tracking your IP addresses in spreadsheets?

If you’re exploring IP address management options, you probably know how error-prone and time-consuming manual tracking can get—especially as your network keeps growing.

Every day, you’re stuck with constant data errors that break deployments and leave you wasting hours double-checking subnets.

Tidal LightMesh aims to fix this with a completely automated, visual-first approach that helps you map, manage, and discover everything in your IP space—including hybrid cloud assets—without tedious manual work or firefighting spreadsheet mistakes.

In this review, I’ll dig into how Tidal LightMesh delivers faster, safer network management with far less hassle compared to manual methods or competing IPAM options.

You’ll find out—based on real analysis—which features actually reduce complexity, how pricing stacks up, where it beats legacy solutions, and what to expect from Tidal in 2025 in this Tidal review.

You’ll walk away knowing the features you need to actually fix your daily IP management headaches.

Let’s get started.

Tidal Overview

Tidal has been tackling modern IP management challenges since 2012. From their headquarters in Canada, their mission is to replace your team’s clunky, error-prone spreadsheets.

They serve a surprisingly wide market, from solo network engineers to large enterprises. What really sets them apart, in my opinion, is their focus on modern, visual IPAM, helping you avoid the feature bloat common in all-in-one network suites.

You can see this forward momentum in recent product updates like instant cloud discovery tools. It’s a key point I’ll explore further through this Tidal review.

Unlike the comprehensive but often overwhelming platforms from Infoblox or SolarWinds, Tidal doesn’t try to be everything. They offer a specialized and streamlined IPAM experience that feels like it was built by people who actually manage networks daily.

They work with a broad spectrum of organizations—I’ve seen them used by growing IT teams, Managed Service Providers, and enterprises wrangling complex hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures.

After analyzing their roadmap, their strategic direction is clearly centered on powerful automation and deep cloud integration. This directly addresses your critical need for a single, reliable source of truth for IP data across all environments.

Now let’s examine their capabilities.

Tidal Features

Tired of manual IP address tracking?

Tidal features focus on modernizing IP Address Management (IPAM) to eliminate spreadsheet chaos and network headaches. Here are the five main Tidal features that streamline network administration.

1. Intuitive Subnet Visualization

Can’t get a clear picture of your network?

Juggling complex network diagrams or outdated spreadsheets can make it impossible to understand your IP space. This leads to configuration errors and slow deployments.

Tidal LightMesh offers TreeView subnet mapping, providing a visual representation of your entire IP address space. From my testing, seeing your network topology at a glance really simplifies identifying available blocks. This feature helps you quickly understand subnet composition and potential conflicts.

This means you can easily spot available IP blocks, making network planning and deployment much faster.

2. Automated Network Discovery

Is your IP data always out of date?

Manually tracking network devices and IP assignments is time-consuming and prone to errors. This leads to inaccurate data and unexpected conflicts.

LightMesh automates the discovery of IP and subnet information, integrating with Nmap to scan for active hosts. What I love about this feature is how it populates IPAM data quickly, especially when starting fresh or migrating. It ensures your network insights are always current.

So you can maintain an accurate, up-to-date view of your network without constant manual updates.

3. Bulk Import and Export

Struggling with data migration to new systems?

Moving existing IP data from spreadsheets to a new IPAM solution can be a nightmare. This often leads to fragmented data and a difficult transition.

This feature simplifies migration by allowing bulk subnet imports with custom field mapping, making data transfer smooth. What you get instead is easy data migration from spreadsheets, which is a huge time-saver. You can also export data for reporting or integration with other tools.

This means you can seamlessly transition from manual IPAM, ensuring all your critical data is quickly and accurately transferred.

4. Custom Alerts and Automation

Are manual IP reservations causing bottlenecks?

Reserving IP addresses manually or receiving belated notifications about capacity limits creates significant overhead. This often leads to delays and IP conflicts.

LightMesh offers custom alerts and automation for IP reservations, which significantly reduces manual overhead. Here’s where Tidal shines: you can set rules to automatically reserve IPs or receive notifications about unused ones. This feature dramatically improves efficiency and prevents conflicts.

This means you can automate routine tasks, ensuring your IP addresses are managed proactively and efficiently without constant oversight.

5. Audit Trails and Rollback

Worried about unauthorized network changes?

Without a clear history of network modifications, identifying unauthorized changes or troubleshooting issues becomes incredibly difficult. This impacts security and compliance.

LightMesh provides a comprehensive audit trail that lets you review, rollback, and replay configuration changes. What I found impressive is this “time-machine-like functionality,” which is vital for security and compliance. This feature allows administrators to quickly identify and revert changes.

This means you gain complete accountability for network modifications, ensuring stability and easily recovering from errors.

These Tidal features work together to create a complete IPAM solution that simplifies network administration and eliminates manual errors.

Tidal Pricing

Worried about overpaying for IPAM software?

Tidal pricing offers clear tiers, including a generous free plan, making it straightforward to find a solution that fits your budget for IP address management.

Plan	Price & Features
Free Plan	Always Free • 1 user • Up to 1,000 IPs • Unlimited subnets • Basic IPAM features
Pro Plan	$35.00/month for 1 user (cloud) OR $385.00/year for 1 user (on-premise) • Designed for solo administrators • Cloud or on-premise hosting • Full IPAM functionality • Advanced features
Team Plan	Starts at $249.00/month for 5 users (cloud) OR $2,739.00/year for 5 users • Scalable for small teams • Cloud or on-premise hosting • Enhanced collaboration • Expanded IP/subnet capacity
Enterprise Plans	Customized pricing – contact sales • 15+ users • Unlimited IPs & subnets • On-premise hosting • Priority support

1. Value Assessment

Solid value across tiers.

What I found regarding pricing is that Tidal LightMesh provides a compelling value proposition, especially with its robust free plan that truly offers a “free forever” option. For smaller teams or solo admins, their tiered pricing scales effectively, allowing you to pay only for the features and user count you actually need without overspending.

This means your budget gets a flexible, cost-effective solution that grows with your network management requirements.

2. Trial/Demo Options

Try before you buy, completely.

Tidal offers a remarkable “Free Plan” that is essentially an unlimited free trial, giving you full access to basic features with no time limits. From my cost analysis, this lets you thoroughly evaluate core IPAM capabilities before ever needing to consider paid upgrades. You can truly understand its fit for your workflow.

This approach significantly reduces your risk, letting you validate value without any upfront financial commitment.

3. Plan Comparison

Choosing the best fit.

The Free Plan is perfect for individuals or tiny teams, while the Pro Plan is ideal for a solo administrator needing more advanced features. For collaborative teams, the Team Plan offers a scalable entry point. What stands out is their clear path to Enterprise for larger organizations, ensuring specialized support and unlimited capacity.

This tiered structure helps you align Tidal pricing precisely with your team size and network complexity, avoiding unnecessary costs.

My Take: Tidal LightMesh’s pricing strategy is highly transparent and customer-centric, offering a fantastic free entry point and clear scaling options for growing organizations, making it a budget-friendly choice.

The overall Tidal pricing strategy reflects excellent value and transparency for all team sizes.

Tidal Reviews

What do actual users really think?

My analysis of Tidal reviews involved sifting through real user feedback to provide you with balanced insights into customer experiences and what they genuinely think about the software.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

Users are largely very positive.

From my review analysis, Tidal LightMesh maintains an impressive 5.0 out of 5-star rating on platforms like G2. What stood out in user feedback is how customers praise its intuitive design and effectiveness in simplifying complex IPAM challenges, marking it as a highly user-friendly solution.

This indicates you can expect a refreshingly straightforward experience with IP management.

2. Common Praise Points

The clean interface is a consistent favorite.

Users consistently highlight the intuitive interface and minimal learning curve as major advantages. From customer reviews I analyzed, the seamless cloud integration with AWS and Azure is frequently cited, making hybrid network management significantly easier for teams.

This means you’ll likely find it simple to adopt and integrate into your existing network.

3. Frequent Complaints

Limited public feedback on specific issues.

While most Tidal reviews are highly positive, detailed public complaints or extensive specific feature requests are less common. What I found in user feedback is how specific setup times aren’t widely detailed, making it harder to gauge precise implementation timelines beyond “no steep learning curve.”

These aren’t deal-breakers, but more specific constructive feedback would be beneficial.

The overall Tidal reviews reflect strong user satisfaction with practical benefits for IP address management.

Best Tidal Alternatives

Considering other IPAM options?

The best Tidal alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different network management needs, organizational sizes, and specific budget considerations.

1. SolarWinds IP Address Manager (IPAM)

Already invested in network monitoring tools?

SolarWinds IPAM makes more sense if you require a broader network monitoring suite beyond just IPAM and are already a SolarWinds customer. From my competitive analysis, SolarWinds provides a more comprehensive network suite for organizations already in their ecosystem, though it often comes with higher upfront costs.

Choose SolarWinds if you prioritize integrating IPAM within a wider network management platform.

2. Infoblox DDI (BloxOne)

Need enterprise-grade DDI with advanced security?

Infoblox BloxOne is the superior alternative for very large enterprises requiring a fully integrated DDI solution with advanced security and high availability features. What I found comparing options is that Infoblox delivers premium, integrated DDI capabilities for mission-critical network services, though it demands a significantly larger budget.

Consider Infoblox when your enterprise needs the most robust, integrated DDI solution available, budget permitting.

3. phpIPAM

Seeking a customizable, free, open-source solution?

phpIPAM is an excellent alternative for organizations with the technical expertise and a limited budget that prefer an open-source solution. From my analysis, phpIPAM offers complete control and customization at no licensing cost, but it requires you to manage all deployment and ongoing maintenance internally.

Choose phpIPAM when you have in-house technical resources and a strong preference for an open-source, self-managed solution.

4. ManageEngine OpUtils

Looking for cost-effective IPAM with basic network utilities?

ManageEngine OpUtils is a solid option if you need an affordable IPAM solution that also includes basic network monitoring and troubleshooting tools. Alternative-wise, your situation calls for OpUtils when it provides good value for combined utility needs, though its IPAM depth isn’t as specialized as Tidal’s.

Choose ManageEngine OpUtils when you need a budget-friendly option that combines IPAM with essential network utilities.

The best Tidal alternatives depend on your specific budget, existing infrastructure, and feature priorities for IPAM.

Tidal Setup

Concerned about complicated software setup and training?

This Tidal review will help you understand the deployment process, setup requirements, and adoption challenges, setting realistic expectations for your implementation journey.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

Is Tidal deployment quick and easy?

Tidal LightMesh is designed for straightforward deployment with an intuitive interface. What I found about deployment is that its minimal learning curve simplifies initial setup, often allowing for rapid adoption, especially for small teams or solo users transitioning from spreadsheets.

You can import existing subnet lists from Excel, streamlining data migration and accelerating your path to active usage.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

How challenging are the technical needs?

Tidal LightMesh offers both cloud-based and on-premise deployment, providing flexibility for your infrastructure and security needs. From my implementation analysis, API access and integrations with Nmap, AWS, and Azure are key for automating workflows and managing hybrid networks effectively.

Your IT team will need to assess integration points and select the deployment model that best aligns with your existing network architecture.

3. Training & Change Management

Will user training be a significant hurdle?

The clean and intuitive user interface of LightMesh means extensive training isn’t typically required for basic usage. From my analysis, its familiar design reduces the learning curve, making it easier for network engineers and IT teams to quickly grasp the system.

You should leverage available documentation and user guides for advanced features like user permissions and API usage.

4. Support & Success Factors

What about vendor support during setup?

Tidal’s support is consistently praised as highly responsive and genuinely helpful, available through Slack, email, and phone for paid plans. What I found about deployment is that reliable support is crucial for smooth implementation, ensuring any challenges are quickly addressed.

You’ll want to leverage these support channels to navigate any complexities and ensure a successful, efficient rollout of your IPAM solution.

Overall, Tidal setup is remarkably user-friendly and its robust support makes for a smooth implementation experience, regardless of your organization’s size.

Bottom Line

A strong contender for modern IPAM.

This Tidal review provides a comprehensive final assessment of its strengths, limitations, and ideal users, helping you make an informed software decision with confidence.

1. Who This Works Best For

Organizations tired of manual IP address spreadsheets.

Tidal LightMesh is perfect for IT teams, network engineers, and MSPs aiming to modernize IP address management from error-prone spreadsheets to an intuitive, automated solution. What I found about target users is that you’ll find success if you operate hybrid or multi-cloud environments and prioritize clear network visibility, efficiency, and accurate IP tracking.

You’ll see significant improvements if your goal is to automate IP tasks and reduce conflicts across diverse network infrastructures.

2. Overall Strengths

Intuitive visualization and robust automation stand out.

The software shines with its clean, visual interface, powerful automation features like IP discovery and capacity alerts, and seamless integration with AWS and Azure. From my comprehensive analysis, its ability to unify hybrid network management is a major advantage for organizations seeking to streamline complex operations and ensure compliance with ease.

These strengths directly translate into improved network visibility and substantial time savings for your IT team.

3. Key Limitations

Primary focus on IPAM, not a full DDI suite.

While excellent for IPAM, Tidal LightMesh does not include integrated DNS and DHCP functionalities, meaning you might need additional tools for a complete DDI solution. Based on this review, the limited public user feedback from review platforms might be a minor concern for some, though existing reviews are overwhelmingly positive.

I find these limitations are manageable trade-offs if dedicated IPAM is your priority, rather than a deal-breaker for its core functionality.

4. Final Recommendation

Tidal LightMesh comes highly recommended.

You should choose this software if your business needs a user-friendly, efficient, and scalable IPAM solution to automate network administration, especially in cloud or hybrid environments. From my analysis, this solution is ideal for replacing manual IP tracking with a modern, visual, and error-reducing system that fits all business sizes.

My confidence level is high for organizations looking to simplify and automate their IP address management effectively.

This Tidal review confirms strong value for the right business profile, offering an intuitive and efficient solution to modernize your IP address management.