# mbusd vs setup-ipsec-vpn

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

| | mbusd | setup-ipsec-vpn |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 52/100 | 78/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 4 in Industrial IoT | #3 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 685 | 28 888 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 | +322 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 1 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v0.5.3 · 7 Apr 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Other |
| Main language | C | Shell |

## Which one should you pick?

setup-ipsec-vpn scores 78/100 against 52/100 for mbusd, so it is the safer default.

mbusd ships more often: 1 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; mbusd needs more configuration.

setup-ipsec-vpn is growing faster right now (+322 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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