# gluetun 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.

| | gluetun | setup-ipsec-vpn |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 75/100 | 78/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #5 of 56 in VPN | #3 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 15 907 | 28 882 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +309 | +325 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 8 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v3.41.3 · 30 Jul 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | 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 75/100 for gluetun, so it is the safer default.

gluetun ships more often: 8 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for setup-ipsec-vpn.

If you want the quickest setup, setup-ipsec-vpn is easier to run; gluetun needs more configuration.

## Details

- [gluetun](https://selfhost.directory/project/gluetun) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/gluetun.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/gluetun-vs-setup-ipsec-vpn