AppBreakup
Submit an app

Firezone alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Firezone: control plane is hosted rather than self-hosted, and younger product with a smaller ecosystem. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Firezone, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Twingate currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Tailscale logoTailscaleFree plan + paidYesWindows, macOS, Linux +24 of 462.6
2NetBird logoNetBirdOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +34 of 459.6
3Pritunl logoPritunlOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux, Windows +13 of 357.2
  1. Tailscale logo

    1. TailscaleTop pick

    Best for: Developers, home-labbers and teams who want private access between their own devices

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Firezone

    Mesh networking with ACLs, free for small groups.

    Pros

    • Works through NAT and firewalls with almost no setup
    • Generous free plan for personal use
    • Fine-grained access controls and built-in SSH

    Cons

    • Coordination server is hosted unless you run Headscale
    • Not a location-changing VPN by default
    • Team pricing adds up per user
    Visit Tailscale Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Tailscale a good Firezone alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, Personal plan
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tailscale.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan users
    Up to 6 users
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tailscale.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Client licence
    BSD-3-Clause
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    macOS, iOS, Windows, Linux, Android
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tailscale.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. NetBird logo

    2. NetBird

    Best for: Teams that want a self-hostable, open-source alternative to Tailscale

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Firezone

    Open-source and fully self-hostable, including the control plane.

    Pros

    • Entire stack open source and self-hostable
    • SSO and MFA integration built in
    • Free cloud tier for small teams

    Cons

    • Self-hosting means running several components
    • Smaller ecosystem than Tailscale
    • Cloud pricing is per user
    Visit NetBird Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is NetBird a good Firezone alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    €0, up to 5 users and 100 machines
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netbird.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Team price
    €6 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netbird.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netbird.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Protocol
    Peer-to-peer WireGuard
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Pritunl logo

    3. Pritunl

    Best for: Sysadmins who want a self-hosted company VPN with a web console

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux, Windows, macOS

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Firezone

    Self-hosted server if you prefer a traditional VPN model.

    Pros

    • Supports OpenVPN, WireGuard and IPsec
    • Clustering for redundancy
    • Works with standard OpenVPN clients

    Cons

    • Needs MongoDB and some Linux admin skills
    • SSO and some features need a paid plan
    • Interface is functional but dated
    Visit Pritunl Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Pritunl a good Firezone alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes, source on GitHub
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pritunl.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Protocols
    OpenVPN, WireGuard, IPsec
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pritunl.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Client platforms
    macOS, Windows, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026pritunl.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Firezone alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Twingate logo

Best Firezone alternative for most people

Twingate

More mature zero-trust access product with similar resource-based policies.

NetBird logo

Best Firezone alternative for a free option

NetBird

Open-source and fully self-hostable, including the control plane.

Tailscale logo

Best Firezone alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Tailscale

Mesh networking with ACLs, free for small groups.

Pritunl logo

Best Firezone alternative for open source

Pritunl

Self-hosted server if you prefer a traditional VPN model.

NetBird logo

Best Firezone alternative for self-hosting

NetBird

Open-source and fully self-hostable, including the control plane.

Twingate logo

Best Firezone alternative for Mac

Twingate

More mature zero-trust access product with similar resource-based policies.

Twingate logo

Best Firezone alternative for Windows

Twingate

More mature zero-trust access product with similar resource-based policies.

Twingate logo

Best Firezone alternative for Linux

Twingate

More mature zero-trust access product with similar resource-based policies.

Twingate logo

Best Firezone alternative for iPhone and Android

Twingate

More mature zero-trust access product with similar resource-based policies.

Firezone alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Firezone?

Twingate ranks first right now. More mature zero-trust access product with similar resource-based policies. Tailscale and NetBird follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Firezone?

Yes. Twingate (free plan + paid), Tailscale (free plan + paid), NetBird (open source) and Pritunl (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Firezone?

Yes: Tailscale, NetBird and Pritunl. NetBird and Pritunl can also be self-hosted.

Which Firezone alternatives work on Linux?

Twingate, Tailscale, NetBird and Pritunl run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Firezone?

The complaints we hear most: control plane is hosted rather than self-hosted; younger product with a smaller ecosystem; advanced features need paid seats.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Firezone, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.