# openvpn vs Zed 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.

## Details

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

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