Alternatives to NetBird

A WireGuard-based mesh network with single sign-on, multi-factor authentication and access policies, self-hostable or managed. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as NetBird.

  • Tailscale

    Builds a private network between your own devices using WireGuard, without opening ports or running a server.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSCommand line

    Tailscale builds a similar WireGuard mesh with a free Personal plan for six users and iOS support, but its coordination server is hosted unless you use Headscale.

  • headscale

    A self-hosted, open-source implementation of the Tailscale control server, so your mesh VPN does not depend on a company.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    headscale self-hosts a Tailscale control server under BSD-3-Clause for use with standard Tailscale clients, but targets a single tailnet and has no graphical admin interface.

  • Netmaker

    Self-hosted platform for building and managing WireGuard mesh networks.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedWeb

    Netmaker is a self-hosted WireGuard mesh platform with an admin interface and private DNS under Apache-2.0, but pro code is commercially licensed and paid tiers hold back features.

  • ZeroTier One

    Puts machines anywhere in the world on the same virtual Ethernet network, as if they were plugged into one switch.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    ZeroTier One creates a virtual Ethernet network with its own encryption rather than WireGuard, adding iOS support, with a hosted controller unless you run your own.

  • Firezone

    WireGuard-based zero trust access with self-hosted gateways.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Firezone offers WireGuard zero trust access with identity-driven per-resource policies and self-hosted gateways, but its control plane is vendor-hosted and cannot be fully self-hosted.

  • nebula

    Connect devices through an encrypted overlay network.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid

    nebula is an MIT-licensed encrypted overlay network without accounts or identity providers, but it requires certificate management and manual network configuration.

  • Twingate

    An identity-based network access service meant to replace a traditional VPN for teams.

    FreemiumProprietaryWeb

    Twingate is a hosted, closed-source identity-based access service for teams, with a free tier for small teams and no self-hosting option.

  • innernet

    Private network manager built on WireGuard with peer invitations.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxCommand line

    innernet is an MIT-licensed WireGuard network manager with invitation-based enrolment and central rules, but it is Linux focused and you run the coordination server.

Also worth comparing

These listings name NetBird as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • defguard

    A self-hosted WireGuard VPN platform with built-in identity management and multi-factor authentication per connection.

    FreemiumOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hosted

    NetBird is a WireGuard mesh with SSO, multi-factor authentication and access policies under the AGPL, and can be self-hosted or managed, with clients for Windows and macOS.

  • EasyTier

    A decentralized mesh VPN written in Rust that links devices into one private network, with WireGuard support.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidCommand line

    NetBird offers peer-to-peer WireGuard with SSO, access policies and an admin web interface, but needs a control plane, either self-hosted or managed.

  • Husarnet

    A peer-to-peer VPN that connects laptops, servers and microcontrollers directly, with built-in support for ROS.

    FreemiumProprietaryLinuxSelf-hosted

    NetBird offers open-source peer-to-peer WireGuard with SSO and access policies, self-hosted or managed, aimed at general machines and people rather than robot fleets.

  • LogMeIn Hamachi

    A hosted VPN service that creates LAN-like virtual networks between remote computers.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxWeb

    NetBird gives a WireGuard mesh with SSO, multi-factor authentication and group access rules, and can be fully self-hosted under the AGPL instead of depending on a hosted service.

  • n2n

    A lightweight peer-to-peer layer-2 VPN for linking machines into a virtual network.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxCommand line

    NetBird builds a WireGuard mesh with SSO, multi-factor authentication and an admin web interface, self-hosted under the AGPL or managed, with desktop clients.

  • Netclient

    Connect a machine to a Netmaker-managed network.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    NetBird joins machines to a WireGuard mesh controlled by its own self-hosted or managed control plane, adding SSO and multi-factor authentication instead of requiring Netmaker.

  • Octelium

    A self-hosted zero trust access platform that can act as a remote access VPN or ZTNA gateway.

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hostedCommand line

    NetBird provides WireGuard mesh networking with SSO, MFA and group access policies, self-hostable under the AGPL or used as a managed service.

  • OpenVPN Access Server

    A self-hosted business VPN server with a web admin interface, free for two simultaneous connections.

    FreemiumProprietaryLinuxSelf-hosted

    NetBird replaces a central VPN server with a peer-to-peer WireGuard mesh with SSO, MFA and group rules, fully self-hostable under the AGPL or managed.

  • OpenZiti

    An open-source zero trust networking platform that connects services by identity instead of IP address.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxSelf-hostedCommand line

    NetBird provides a WireGuard mesh with SSO, MFA and group-based access rules, self-hostable under the AGPL, and is simpler to deploy than application-embedded connectivity.

  • Pritunl

    A self-hosted VPN server for OpenVPN, WireGuard and IPsec, managed through a web interface.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hosted

    NetBird replaces a central server with a peer-to-peer WireGuard mesh with SSO, MFA and group rules, self-hostable under the AGPL or used as a managed service.

  • Radmin VPN

    A free Windows program that joins remote computers into one virtual local network.

    FreeProprietaryWindows

    NetBird connects machines over peer-to-peer WireGuard with access policies and SSO, is open source and self-hostable, but needs a control plane and accounts.

  • tinc

    A VPN daemon that builds an encrypted mesh network between hosts over the internet.

    FreeOpen sourceLinuxCommand line

    NetBird replaces manual configuration with a WireGuard mesh managed through an admin web interface with SSO and access policies, self-hosted or managed.

  • Yggdrasil

    An experimental, end-to-end encrypted IPv6 mesh network run as a lightweight userspace software router.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSCommand line

    NetBird is a WireGuard mesh with SSO, multi-factor authentication and access policies, but it needs a self-hosted or managed control plane and lists no mobile platforms.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.