# netbird vs openpencil

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

| | netbird | openpencil |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 ✓ | 73/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 56 in VPN | #2 of 7 in Design |
| GitHub stars | 30 318 ✓ | 9 428 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +815 | +827 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 41 ✓ | 14 |
| Latest release | v0.82.0 · 29 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

netbird scores 81/100 against 73/100 for openpencil, so it is the safer default.

netbird ships more often: 41 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for openpencil.

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

## Details

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

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