# gateway-go vs setup-ipsec-vpn

> Two self-hosted [VPN projects](https://selfhost.directory/vpn), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | gateway-go | setup-ipsec-vpn |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 47/100 | 78/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #38 of 56 in VPN | #3 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 163 | 28 882 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +325 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 1 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v2.0.12 · 11 Jan 2026 | — |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Go | Shell |

## Which one should you pick?

setup-ipsec-vpn scores 78/100 against 47/100 for gateway-go, so it is the safer default.

gateway-go ships more often: 1 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for setup-ipsec-vpn.

setup-ipsec-vpn is growing faster right now (+325 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [gateway-go](https://selfhost.directory/project/gateway-go) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/gateway-go.md)
- [setup-ipsec-vpn](https://selfhost.directory/project/setup-ipsec-vpn) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/setup-ipsec-vpn.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/gateway-go-vs-setup-ipsec-vpn