# netbird vs Pterodactyl

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

| | netbird | Pterodactyl |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 ✓ | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 56 in VPN | #5 of 62 in Game Servers |
| GitHub stars | 30 308 ✓ | 9 437 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +840 ✓ | +183 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 40 ✓ | 11 |
| Latest release | v0.81.5 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ | v1.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Other |
| Main language | Go | PHP |

## Which one should you pick?

netbird scores 81/100 against 75/100 for Pterodactyl, so it is the safer default.

netbird ships more often: 40 stable releases in the past year, against 11 for Pterodactyl.

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

netbird is growing faster right now (+840 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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