Softwr

Networking · head to head

NetBird vs OpenVPN

NetBird logo

NetBird

Networking

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenVPN logo

OpenVPN

Networking

Open source VPN protocol with a commercial Access Server product priced per simultaneous connection

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; OpenVPN open source OpenVPN, while free, requires real technical skill to configure, secure and maintain without the Access Server admin layer
  • They diverge on capability: NetBird covers WireGuard data plane, OpenVPN covers Open source core.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NetBird and OpenVPN actually diverge.

Attributes where NetBird and OpenVPN differ
AttributeNetBirdOpenVPN
Pricing modelPer user per monthOpen source core is free; Access Server billed per simultaneous connection
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, DockerLinux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 NetBird

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

Only in OpenVPN

  • Open source core
  • Access Server admin UI
  • Per-connection licensing
  • Free tier
  • Cross-platform clients

What people use each for

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

NetBird

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

OpenVPN

  • A technical team wanting a fully free, self-configured VPN server using the open source protocol without any vendor relationshipnot NetBird
  • A small business wanting a supported, easier-to-administer VPN server, willing to pay per concurrent connection rather than per employeenot NetBird
  • An organisation with more staff than typical concurrent VPN usage, since Access Server bills only active simultaneous connections, not total accountsnot NetBird
  • An IoT or large-scale deployment needing custom Enterprise pricing above 2,000 connectionsnot NetBird

Where each one falls short

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

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.

OpenVPN

  • Open source OpenVPN, while free, requires real technical skill to configure, secure and maintain without the Access Server admin layer
  • Per-connection billing on Access Server means usage spikes, such as an all-hands remote day, can push simultaneous connections over a licensed limit and block new connections until usage drops or the plan is upgraded
  • OpenVPN's traditional hub-and-spoke architecture routes traffic through a central server, unlike mesh VPN tools like Tailscale or NetBird that establish direct peer-to-peer connections where possible, which can add latency
  • Client configuration and certificate management for the open source version is more manual and error-prone than newer VPN tools with zero-config onboarding
  • Access Server pricing above the Growth tier reverts to custom Enterprise quoting, so very large deployments lose the pricing transparency of the lower tiers
  • The protocol's throughput is generally lower than newer kernel-integrated protocols like WireGuard under equivalent conditions, which matters for high-bandwidth use cases

Pricing, plan by plan

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

OpenVPN

Free
  • Access Server FreeFree
    • Up to 2 simultaneous connections
    • All features included
  • Access Server Growth$7/month
    • Per simultaneous connection beyond the free tier
    • Annual billing
  • Access Server Enterprise/IoT$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing for 2,000+ connections

Which should you pick?

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

Choose OpenVPN if

  • You need open source core.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want access server admin ui.
OpenVPN review

Questions people ask

Is NetBird or OpenVPN better?
Neither clearly leads. NetBird starts at Free and OpenVPN at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NetBird or OpenVPN?
NetBird starts at Free and OpenVPN at Free.
Does NetBird or OpenVPN run on more platforms?
NetBird runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Docker. OpenVPN runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
Can I use NetBird for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is NetBird best used for?
NetBird is most often used for replacing a vpn concentrator that backhauls all traffic through one office, giving contractors access to two specific services rather than to a subnet, connecting workloads across several clouds without peering vpcs or managing route tables, meeting a requirement that the network control plane must run inside your own infrastructure. Of those, replacing a vpn concentrator that backhauls all traffic through one office and giving contractors access to two specific services rather than to a subnet are not what OpenVPN is typically brought in for.
What can NetBird do that OpenVPN cannot?
NetBird covers WireGuard data plane, NAT traversal with relay fallback, Identity based access control, Network routes. OpenVPN covers Open source core, Access Server admin UI, Per-connection licensing, Free tier.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

OpenVPN: Is OpenVPN free?

The open source protocol and software are free under the GPL; Access Server, the commercial packaged product, charges per simultaneous connection beyond a free 2-connection tier.

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.

OpenVPN: What counts as a connection for billing purposes?

A simultaneously active connected device, not a registered user account or total device count; unlimited accounts and devices can be created but only the licensed number can be connected at once.

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.

OpenVPN: How does OpenVPN compare with WireGuard-based tools like Tailscale?

OpenVPN uses a traditional hub-and-spoke VPN architecture rather than the mesh, peer-to-peer approach used by newer tools like Tailscale or NetBird.

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 NetBird

More on OpenVPN

Keep looking

Other head to heads