# netbird vs Zed 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).

## Details

- [netbird](https://selfhost.directory/project/netbird) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/netbird.md)
- [Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)](https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/netbird-vs-zed-attack-proxy-zap