# netbird vs ThoughtDAG

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

| | netbird | ThoughtDAG |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 ✓ | 51/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 56 in VPN | #25 of 69 in AI Chat |
| GitHub stars | 30 326 ✓ | 719 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +823 ✓ | +3 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 41 ✓ | 10 |
| Latest release | v0.82.0 · 29 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.5.26 · 25 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 51/100 for ThoughtDAG, so it is the safer default.

netbird ships more often: 41 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for ThoughtDAG.

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

netbird is growing faster right now (+823 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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