netbirdvsQeli
Two self-hosted VPN projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| netbird | Qeli | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 46/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 56 in VPN | #42 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 30 296 | 262 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +828 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 40 | 10 |
| Latest release | v0.81.5 · 26 Oct 2026 | v0.8.3 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
netbird scores 81/100 against 46/100 for Qeli, so it is the safer default.
netbird ships more often: 40 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for Qeli.
If you want the quickest setup, netbird is easier to run; Qeli needs more configuration.
netbird is growing faster right now (+828 stars in 30 days).
netbird details →Qeli details →All VPN projects →
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