Softwr

Networking · head to head

Ivanti vs NetBird

Ivanti logo

Ivanti

Networking

Security, service management, and unified endpoint management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NetBird logo

NetBird

Networking

Open source WireGuard mesh VPN with identity based access policies and a hosted control plane

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only NetBird has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ivanti no pricing information published - enterprise custom pricing required; NetBird self hosting requires an identity provider, and the bundled option adds a second unfamiliar service to operate, so the free path costs more administrative time than the docker compose file suggests.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ivanti and NetBird actually diverge.

Attributes where Ivanti and NetBird differ
AttributeIvantiNetBird
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotePer user per month
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Docker

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Networking).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ivanti

Nothing recorded that NetBird does not also cover.

Only in NetBird

  • WireGuard data plane
  • NAT traversal with relay fallback
  • Identity based access control
  • Network routes
  • Posture checks
  • Full self hosting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ivanti

  • Controlling device compliance and patches for remote workforcesnot NetBird
  • Automating service ticketing and change processes at enterprise scalenot NetBird
  • Enforcing device compliance before network access in regulated industriesnot NetBird
  • Prioritizing vulnerability patches by risk levelnot NetBird
  • Enabling passwordless zero-trust access without VPN infrastructurenot NetBird

NetBird

  • Replacing a VPN concentrator that backhauls all traffic through one officenot Ivanti
  • Giving contractors access to two specific services rather than to a subnetnot Ivanti
  • Connecting workloads across several clouds without peering VPCs or managing route tablesnot Ivanti
  • Meeting a requirement that the network control plane must run inside your own infrastructurenot Ivanti

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ivanti

  • no pricing information published - enterprise custom pricing required

NetBird

  • Self hosting requires an identity provider, and the bundled option adds a second unfamiliar service to operate, so the free path costs more administrative time than the docker compose file suggests.
  • Peers that cannot connect directly fall back to relays, and on a self hosted deployment that relay bandwidth is your cost and your bottleneck rather than an included service.
  • If the self hosted management server is down, existing tunnels keep working but no new peer can join and no policy change takes effect, which makes it a component that needs its own availability plan.
  • Some capabilities aimed at larger organisations sit in the paid cloud tiers, so a self hosted deployment does not have exactly the same feature set as the hosted one.
  • The project moves quickly and configuration and deployment layouts have changed between versions, so self hosted upgrades need reading release notes rather than pulling a new image.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ivanti

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Ivanti review.

NetBird

Free
  • Self hostedFree
    • Full functionality under an open source licence
    • No peer or user limit
    • You operate management, signal and relay
  • Cloud FreeFree
    • Hosted management and relays
    • Small user and peer allowance
    • Identity provider integration
  • Cloud Team$undefined/month
    • Per user per month billing
    • Managed global relay footprint
    • Posture checks and activity events

Which should you pick?

Choose Ivanti if

Nothing in the data separates Ivanti from NetBird on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Ivanti review

Choose NetBird if

  • You need wireguard data plane.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Docker.
  • You also want nat traversal with relay fallback.
NetBird review

Questions people ask

Is Ivanti or NetBird better?
Neither clearly leads. Ivanti starts at On request and NetBird at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ivanti or NetBird?
NetBird has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Ivanti and Free for NetBird.
Does Ivanti or NetBird run on more platforms?
Ivanti runs on Web. NetBird runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Docker.
Can I use NetBird for free?
Yes. NetBird has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ivanti starts at On request.
What is Ivanti best used for?
Ivanti is most often used for controlling device compliance and patches for remote workforces, automating service ticketing and change processes at enterprise scale, enforcing device compliance before network access in regulated industries, prioritizing vulnerability patches by risk level. Of those, controlling device compliance and patches for remote workforces and automating service ticketing and change processes at enterprise scale are not what NetBird is typically brought in for.
What can Ivanti do that NetBird cannot?
NetBird covers WireGuard data plane, NAT traversal with relay fallback, Identity based access control, Network routes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ivanti: How much does Ivanti cost?

Ivanti does not publish pricing on their website. As an enterprise solution, pricing is customized based on organizational needs. Contact Ivanti through their website to request a demo and pricing information.

Source
NetBird: Is the self hosted version crippled?

No. The management, signal and relay components are all open source and the network works without any NetBird operated service.

NetBird: How does it differ from Tailscale?

Similar model and similar clients, but Tailscale keeps its coordination server proprietary. NetBird publishes its whole control plane, which is the reason most self hosters choose it.

NetBird: Do I need to open firewall ports?

No inbound ports are required. Peers make outbound connections to the signal service and to each other.

NetBird: What happens to traffic if NetBird the company disappears?

On a self hosted deployment, nothing, since you run every component. On the cloud service you would need to stand up your own control plane and re-enrol peers.

Share

Related pages

More on Ivanti

More on NetBird

Keep looking

Other head to heads