NetBird
An open-source WireGuard mesh network with built-in SSO and access controls, hosted or self-hosted.
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
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About NetBird
NetBird connects devices into a peer-to-peer WireGuard network, much like Tailscale, but the whole stack, including the management and signal servers, is open source and can be self-hosted. It integrates with identity providers for single sign-on and MFA, lets admins write access policies by group, and supports routing to whole networks, DNS management, posture checks and activity logging. NetBird is developed by a company in Berlin, and its cloud plans are priced in euros, with a free tier for individuals and small teams and per-user paid tiers for businesses. Self-hosting is free and documented, which makes it popular with organisations that want a zero-trust network without depending on a vendor's control plane. Clients run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, plus Docker. It suits teams and home-lab users who want Tailscale-style networking they can fully own.
Best for: Teams that want a self-hostable, open-source alternative to Tailscale.
Pros and cons
What works
- Entire stack open source and self-hostable
- SSO and MFA integration built in
- Free cloud tier for small teams
Why people leave
- Self-hosting means running several components
- Smaller ecosystem than Tailscale
- Cloud pricing is per user
Top NetBird alternatives
See all 5- 1
Tailscale66.5More polished and widely used, if a hosted control plane is acceptable.
- 2
Headscale62.6Self-hosted control server that works with the Tailscale clients.
- 3
Firezone59.6Open-source zero-trust access focused on resources rather than a full mesh.
- 4
Netmaker57.2Self-hostable WireGuard automation with strong site-to-site features.
- 5
ZeroTier55.3Layer-2 virtual networks with a long track record.
Why people left NetBird
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Reviews
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NetBird: common questions
Is NetBird free?
Yes. NetBird is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.
Is NetBird open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at netbirdio/netbird. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does NetBird run on?
NetBird is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to NetBird?
The highest-ranked NetBird alternatives right now are Tailscale, Headscale and Firezone. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.