netbirdvsZed Attack Proxy (ZAP)
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| netbird | Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 56 in VPN | #4 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 30 286 | 16 059 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +818 | +244 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 40 | 31 |
| Latest release | v0.81.5 · 26 Oct 2026 | w2026-10-23 · 23 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Java |
Which one should you pick?
netbird scores 81/100 against 80/100 for Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP), so it is the safer default.
netbird ships more often: 40 stable releases in the past year, against 31 for Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP).
If you want the quickest setup, Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is easier to run; netbird needs more configuration.
netbird is growing faster right now (+818 stars in 30 days).
netbird details →Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) details →
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