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NetBird alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave NetBird: self-hosting means running several components, and smaller ecosystem than Tailscale. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces NetBird, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Tailscale currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Tailscale logoTailscaleFree plan + paidYesWindows, macOS, Linux +24 of 466.5
2Headscale logoHeadscaleOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux3 of 362.6
3Firezone logoFirezoneFree plan + paidYesWindows, macOS, Linux +24 of 459.6
4Netmaker logoNetmakerOpen sourceYesLinux, Windows, macOS +34 of 457.2
5ZeroTier logoZeroTierFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux +34 of 455.3
  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

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from NetBird

    More polished and widely used, if a hosted control plane is acceptable.

    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 ×0.3100
    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 NetBird 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. Headscale logo

    2. Headscale

    Best for: Self-hosters who want Tailscale's clients without a hosted control server

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from NetBird

    Self-hosted control server that works with the Tailscale clients.

    Pros

    • Works with the official Tailscale clients
    • No third party sees your device list
    • Free and open source

    Cons

    • No official web interface
    • Lags behind some newer Tailscale features
    • You maintain and secure the server yourself
    Visit Headscale 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 Headscale a good NetBird alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Licence
    BSD-3-Clause
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    What it is
    Self-hosted Tailscale control server
    Checked Oct 25, 2026headscale.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Design goal
    Self-hosted, open-source alternative to Tailscale's server
    Checked Oct 25, 2026headscale.net(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Firezone logo

    3. Firezone

    Best for: Technical teams that want open-source zero-trust access instead of a VPN gateway

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

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from NetBird

    Open-source zero-trust access focused on resources rather than a full mesh.

    Pros

    • Open-source, Apache-licensed code
    • Fast WireGuard data plane written in Rust
    • Free for small teams

    Cons

    • Control plane is hosted rather than self-hosted
    • Younger product with a smaller ecosystem
    • Advanced features need paid seats
    Visit Firezone 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 Firezone a good NetBird alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Up to 6 users
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firezone.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Team price
    $50 per seat/year
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firezone.dev(opens source in a new tab)
    Licence
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Data plane
    Rust, built on WireGuard
    Checked Oct 25, 2026firezone.dev(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Netmaker logo

    4. Netmaker

    Best for: Infrastructure teams automating WireGuard site-to-site and remote access networks

    Open sourceSelf-hostableLinux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from NetBird

    Self-hostable WireGuard automation with strong site-to-site features.

    Pros

    • Free self-hosted Community edition
    • Uses fast kernel WireGuard
    • Strong site-to-site and gateway features

    Cons

    • Heavier setup than consumer mesh tools
    • Docs assume networking knowledge
    • Advanced features need a paid tier
    Visit Netmaker 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 Netmaker a good NetBird alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Community edition
    Free, open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netmaker.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Licence
    Apache 2.0 (Community)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netmaker.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Pricing basis
    Active connections
    Checked Oct 25, 2026netmaker.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Protocol
    WireGuard
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. ZeroTier logo

    5. ZeroTier

    Best for: Gamers, home-labbers and IoT projects that need LAN-style networking across sites

    Free plan + paidSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from NetBird

    Layer-2 virtual networks with a long track record.

    Pros

    • Layer-2 networking, so LAN discovery works
    • Runs on routers, NAS boxes and unusual platforms
    • Free tier for small personal networks

    Cons

    • Licensing terms have changed over time
    • Admin console is less polished than Tailscale
    • Business pricing jumps quickly
    Visit ZeroTier Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    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 ZeroTier a good NetBird alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free tier
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zerotier.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid plans
    $18/month and $179/month tiers
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zerotier.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, Apple, Android, Linux, Docker, FreeBSD, OpenWRT, NAS
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zerotier.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Custom pricing for self-hosted deployments
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zerotier.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best NetBird alternative for…

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

Tailscale logo

Best NetBird alternative for most people

Tailscale

More polished and widely used, if a hosted control plane is acceptable.

Headscale logo

Best NetBird alternative for a free option

Headscale

Self-hosted control server that works with the Tailscale clients.

Firezone logo

Best NetBird alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Firezone

Open-source zero-trust access focused on resources rather than a full mesh.

Netmaker logo

Best NetBird alternative for open source

Netmaker

Self-hostable WireGuard automation with strong site-to-site features.

ZeroTier logo

Best NetBird alternative for self-hosting

ZeroTier

Layer-2 virtual networks with a long track record.

Tailscale logo

Best NetBird alternative for Mac

Tailscale

More polished and widely used, if a hosted control plane is acceptable.

Tailscale logo

Best NetBird alternative for Windows

Tailscale

More polished and widely used, if a hosted control plane is acceptable.

Tailscale logo

Best NetBird alternative for Linux

Tailscale

More polished and widely used, if a hosted control plane is acceptable.

Tailscale logo

Best NetBird alternative for iPhone and Android

Tailscale

More polished and widely used, if a hosted control plane is acceptable.

NetBird alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to NetBird?

Tailscale ranks first right now. More polished and widely used, if a hosted control plane is acceptable. Headscale and Firezone follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to NetBird?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to NetBird?

Yes: Tailscale, Headscale, Firezone and Netmaker. Headscale and Netmaker can also be self-hosted.

Which NetBird alternatives work on Linux?

Tailscale, Headscale, Firezone, Netmaker and ZeroTier run on Linux.

Why do people switch from NetBird?

The complaints we hear most: self-hosting means running several components; smaller ecosystem than Tailscale; cloud pricing is per user.

How is this list ranked?

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