openvpnvsZed Attack Proxy (ZAP)
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| openvpn | Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 56 in VPN | #4 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 14 737 | 16 059 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +137 | +244 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 31 |
| Latest release | v2.7.8 · 6 Oct 2026 | w2026-10-23 · 23 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | C | Java |
Which one should you pick?
Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) scores 80/100 against 76/100 for openvpn, so it is the safer default.
Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for openvpn.
If you want the quickest setup, Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is easier to run; openvpn needs more configuration.
openvpn details →Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) details →