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Networking · head to head

Nebula vs Pop!_OS

Nebula logo

Nebula

Networking

Certificate based overlay network from Slack, with identity and firewall rules carried in the certificate

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pop!_OS logo

Pop!_OS

Operating Systems

Ubuntu-based Linux distribution tuned for developers and GPU work

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Nebula the open source project has no user interface, no enrolment workflow and no revocation service, so certificate issuing, distribution and expiry become scripts you write and then have to keep working.; Pop!_OS built primarily around System76 hardware, so other machines get less attention
  • They diverge on capability: Nebula covers Certificate carried identity, Pop!_OS covers NVIDIA ISO.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nebula and Pop!_OS actually diverge.

Attributes where Nebula and Pop!_OS differ
AttributeNebulaPop!_OS
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSDLinux, Desktop
CategoryNetworkingOperating Systems

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Nebula

  • Certificate carried identity
  • Group based host firewall
  • Lighthouse discovery
  • Noise protocol encryption
  • Unsafe routes
  • Managed option

Only in Pop!_OS

  • NVIDIA ISO
  • Auto-tiling
  • Pop!_Shop
  • Ubuntu base

What people use each for

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

Nebula

  • Flattening a network across several clouds and datacentres without VPC peering or route tablesnot Pop!_OS
  • Very large fleets where a central policy service on the connection path is unacceptablenot Pop!_OS
  • Environments that already run an internal certificate authority and want the network to use itnot Pop!_OS
  • Replacing per host iptables rules with policy written against roles that follow the hostnot Pop!_OS

Pop!_OS

  • Machine learning and graphics work needing NVIDIA drivers that work on first bootnot Nebula
  • Developers who want tiling without configuring a window managernot Nebula
  • System76 hardware, which it is built aroundnot Nebula

Where each one falls short

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

Nebula

  • The open source project has no user interface, no enrolment workflow and no revocation service, so certificate issuing, distribution and expiry become scripts you write and then have to keep working.
  • Revoking a compromised host means distributing a blocklist entry to every other host and reloading them, which is a fleet wide operation rather than a click, and easy to get wrong under pressure.
  • Changing a host group membership means reissuing and redeploying its certificate, so policy changes are a deployment rather than a configuration edit.
  • There is no identity provider integration or single sign on in the open source version, so it maps well to servers and badly to a fleet of user laptops.
  • NAT traversal is best effort and hosts behind symmetric NAT need a relay configured deliberately, so connectivity failures show up as intermittent rather than immediate and are awkward to diagnose.

Pop!_OS

  • Built primarily around System76 hardware, so other machines get less attention
  • Based on Ubuntu LTS, so packages lag current upstream
  • A smaller team than Ubuntu or Fedora, and releases have sometimes slipped well behind the Ubuntu base
  • The COSMIC desktop rewrite has been a long transition with the older GNOME-based version in maintenance

Pricing, plan by plan

Nebula

Free
  • NebulaFree
    • Full functionality under the MIT licence
    • No host limit
    • You operate the certificate authority and lighthouses
  • Defined Networking$undefined/month
    • Hosted control plane and enrolment
    • Managed certificate lifecycle and revocation
    • Policy and DNS interface

Pop!_OS

Free
  • Pop!_OSFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Nebula if

  • You need certificate carried identity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD.
  • You also want group based host firewall.
Nebula review

Choose Pop!_OS if

  • You need nvidia iso.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Desktop.
  • You also want auto-tiling.
Pop!_OS review

Questions people ask

Is Nebula or Pop!_OS better?
Neither clearly leads. Nebula starts at Free and Pop!_OS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nebula or Pop!_OS?
Nebula starts at Free and Pop!_OS at Free.
Does Nebula or Pop!_OS run on more platforms?
Nebula runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD. Pop!_OS runs on Linux, Desktop.
Can I use Nebula for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Nebula best used for?
Nebula is most often used for flattening a network across several clouds and datacentres without vpc peering or route tables, very large fleets where a central policy service on the connection path is unacceptable, environments that already run an internal certificate authority and want the network to use it, replacing per host iptables rules with policy written against roles that follow the host. Of those, flattening a network across several clouds and datacentres without vpc peering or route tables and very large fleets where a central policy service on the connection path is unacceptable are not what Pop!_OS is typically brought in for.
What can Nebula do that Pop!_OS cannot?
Nebula covers Certificate carried identity, Group based host firewall, Lighthouse discovery, Noise protocol encryption. Pop!_OS covers NVIDIA ISO, Auto-tiling, Pop!_Shop, Ubuntu base.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nebula: Does it use WireGuard?

No. Nebula predates the common WireGuard mesh tools and uses the Noise protocol framework with its own certificate format.

Pop!_OS: Is Pop!_OS free?

Yes, free and open source. System76 funds it through hardware sales.

Nebula: Can I run it without Defined Networking?

Yes, entirely. Defined Networking sells the control plane conveniences, not the network itself.

Pop!_OS: Why is there a separate NVIDIA download?

It ships with the proprietary GPU drivers already installed and working, which removes the most common first-day failure on Linux for GPU work.

Nebula: How do I revoke a host?

Add its certificate fingerprint to the blocklist in the configuration of the other hosts and reload them. There is no online revocation check.

Pop!_OS: Is it just Ubuntu?

It is based on Ubuntu LTS and uses its repositories, with a different desktop, tiling, an NVIDIA image and System76 tuning on top.

Nebula: Is it a good fit for laptops?

Less so than the identity provider based tools. There is no single sign on, so every laptop needs a certificate issued and renewed by whatever process you build.

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