# netbird vs Qeli

> Two self-hosted [VPN projects](https://selfhost.directory/vpn), 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).

## Details

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

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