# EMQX vs netbird

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | EMQX | netbird |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 81/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #2 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 16 869 | 30 326 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +114 | +823 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 41 ✓ |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 | v0.82.0 · 29 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Other |
| Main language | Erlang | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

netbird scores 81/100 against 78/100 for EMQX, so it is the safer default.

netbird ships more often: 41 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for EMQX.

If you want the quickest setup, netbird is easier to run; EMQX needs more configuration.

netbird is growing faster right now (+823 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [EMQX](https://selfhost.directory/project/emqx) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/emqx.md)
- [netbird](https://selfhost.directory/project/netbird) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/netbird.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/emqx-vs-netbird