ZeroTier vs Netmaker
A detailed comparison to help you choose between ZeroTier and Netmaker.
Quick Verdict
3.7/5
ZeroTier
0 reviews
3.6/5
Netmaker
0 reviews
ZeroTier is rated higher (3.7 vs 3.6). ZeroTier creates virtual Ethernet networks over the internet. Connect servers, VMs, and devices as if on the same LAN. Personal plan is free for 10 devices (non-commercial). SDN-based layer-2 architecture. Netmaker is an open source platform for creating and managing WireGuard virtual networks. Self-hosted on your infrastructure. More feature-rich than raw WireGuard with a dashboard and ACL management.
ZeroTier Virtual networking — Ethernet over the internet | Netmaker Self-hosted WireGuard network management | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.7 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.6 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Best for | Homelab operators, LAN-dependent software, and device-heavy, user-light fleets that need a flat virtual Ethernet network | DevOps teams that want self-hosted WireGuard mesh networking with a dashboard, ACLs, and site-to-site links under their own control |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ✓ | |
| Free tier | ||
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen sourceapi access | free tieropen sourceself hostableapi access |
| Visit ZeroTier → | Visit Netmaker → | |
ZeroTier
Pros
- + True layer-2 virtual Ethernet: broadcast and multicast work, unlike WireGuard-based overlays
- + Free Personal plan covers a 10-device homelab with no time limit
- + Native IPv6 support with RFC 4193, 6PLANE /80 delegation and public prefix routing
- + Lightweight agents (under 16 MB memory) with broad platform support including MikroTik and Docker
- + Direct peer-to-peer paths keep traffic off vendor infrastructure when NAT traversal succeeds
Cons
- - Free tier shrank to 10 devices, one network, non-commercial only; no API without a paid plan
- - No forward secrecy in its Salsa20/Poly1305 protocol, unlike WireGuard-based rivals
- - Since v1.16 the controller is non-commercial source-available; commercial self-hosting means Enterprise
- - Relayed fallback traffic is slow, and paid Premium Relays are still listed as coming soon
- - Monthly-only, non-refundable subscriptions with configuration lockout if payment lapses
Netmaker
Pros
- + Free community tier is unlimited — self-hosted, Apache 2.0, unlimited networks and devices
- + Per-active-connection billing with hourly proration instead of idle seat licenses
- + Peer-to-peer WireGuard mesh keeps traffic off a central bottleneck; relay and egress gateways cover hard NAT cases
- + Deployment choice: fully self-hosted, Netmaker Cloud, or fully managed by their team
- + Dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 networks, private DNS, OAuth, ACLs; SCIM/SIEM/traffic logs on Business
Cons
- - Very small vendor (single-digit headcount, ~$2.8M raised) behind a critical-path product
- - Pricing page mixes current per-connection rates with legacy platform/network fees and a $99/month plan — billing basis is ambiguous
- - Community tier is community-supported only; SLAs are Enterprise-only
- - Self-hosting the server adds operational overhead (upgrades, database, TLS, monitoring)
- - Native mobile meshing not supported — phones connect via gateway and the standard WireGuard app
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