# NetBird

> NetBird is a free, open-source app you can self-host in the proxy & VPN category. Zero-config WireGuard-based mesh VPN and secure network access platform. It has 29,768 GitHub stars, is released under the BSD-3-Clause / AGPL-3.0 license and ships a Docker image. It is a self-hosted alternative to Tailscale.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird |
| Website | https://netbird.io/ |
| GitHub stars | 29,768 |
| Forks | 1,733 |
| Open issues | 777 |
| License | BSD-3-Clause / AGPL-3.0 |
| License type | Open source |
| Language | Go |
| Docker image | Yes |
| Platforms | Docker |
| Categories | Proxy & VPN |
| Commits, last 12 months | 1,079 |
| Last commit | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v0.80.0 (Oct 1, 2026) |
| Created | Apr 14, 2021 |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained |
| Archived | No |

Topics: wireguard, wireguard-vpn, vpn, nat-traversal, mesh-networks, mesh, golang, wiretrustee, zero-trust-network-access, netbird

## Install

NetBird ships a Docker image; follow the README at https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird for the image name and environment variables.

Need it installed for you? [appsgit installation help](https://appsgit.com/services/install): a fixed quote by email, single app installs from $79.

## NetBird replaces

- [Tailscale alternatives](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/tailscale): A mesh VPN built on WireGuard for connecting devices and servers.

## Similar apps in Proxy & VPN

- [frp](https://appsgit.com/apps/frp): Fast reverse proxy that exposes local servers behind NAT to the internet. (109,755 stars, Apache-2.0, Go, Docker)
- [Headscale](https://appsgit.com/apps/headscale): Open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. (44,378 stars, BSD-3-Clause, Go, Docker)
- [wg-easy](https://appsgit.com/apps/wg-easy): The easiest way to run WireGuard VPN with a web UI. (27,070 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker)
- [Rathole](https://appsgit.com/apps/rathole): Secure, high-performance reverse proxy for NAT traversal written in Rust. (14,296 stars, Apache-2.0, Rust, Docker)
- [imgproxy](https://appsgit.com/apps/imgproxy): Fast and secure standalone server for resizing and converting remote images. (11,108 stars, Apache-2.0, Go, Docker)
- [Outline Server](https://appsgit.com/apps/outline-server): A proxy server that runs a Shadowsocks instance for each access key and a REST API to manage the access keys. (6,257 stars, Apache-2.0, TypeScript, Docker)
- [Tinyproxy](https://appsgit.com/apps/tinyproxy): Light-weight HTTP/HTTPS proxy daemon. (6,017 stars, GPL-2.0, C)
- [sish](https://appsgit.com/apps/sish): HTTP(S)/WS(S)/TCP tunnels to localhost using only SSH (serveo/ngrok alternative). (4,786 stars, MIT, Go, Docker)

## Articles

- [Self-hosted Tailscale: Headscale, NetBird and the open-source mesh VPN options](https://appsgit.com/blog/self-hosted-tailscale-headscale-netbird): Can you run Tailscale self-hosted? Headscale, NetBird, wg-easy, Pangolin and Firezone compared: licences, features, requirements, and when the free plan wins.

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