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NetBird Server

Combined NetBird server — management, signal, relay, and STUN in a single container for self-hosted VPN mesh networking.

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Combined NetBird server — management, signal, relay, and STUN in a single container for self-hosted VPN mesh networking. Requires a config.yaml and a reverse proxy for TLS.

Platform availability

Available on 5 of 9 platforms

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

63/100 Good

Maintained
No data
Popular
No data
Easy to install
654 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
602 GB minimum RAM, runs on ARM

Based on 2 of 4 factors.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 15 days ago

No GitHub repository data collected yet.

Resources & Compatibility

Minimum requirements: 2 GB RAM, 1 CPU core(s). ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 17 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Set domain and Let's Encrypt email Before starting, put your public domain and a Let's Encrypt email into setup.env. These tell NetBird-Server which URL to use and where to request the HTTPS certificate, so the web login works without missing certificate errors. source
  • Create the owner account on first run Check /api/instance until it says setup is required, then create the owner account with an email and password. If you skip this, you will not have an admin login to manage the server or add devices. source
  • Use a setup key to add devices Create a setup key on the server and pass it to clients, for example netbird up --setup-key <KEY>. This is how devices prove they are allowed to join your NetBird network, so without it new computers cannot connect automatically. source

Fetched 16 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (12)

  • Fossorial Pangolin - Open-source identity-based remote access platform using WireGuard, offering unified management, tunneled connections, granular access contr…
  • Headscale - Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server.
  • LogMeIn Hamachi - Seamlessly connects devices and networks, extending LAN-like connectivity to mobile users and teams with a secure, hosted VPN service.
  • OpenVPN Connect - OpenVPN Connect provides flexible VPN solutions to secure your data communications, whether it's for Internet privacy, remote access for em…
  • Outline VPN - Journalists need safe access to information to research issues, communicate with sources, and report the news.
  • Rayfish - A peer-to-peer mesh VPN with zero infrastructure.
  • Remote.it - Remote.it is a tool that lets you securely access your home or office computer from anywhere.
  • Serveo - Serveo exposes local servers to the internet using SSH tunneling.
  • SoftEther VPN - SoftEther VPN (&quot;SoftEther&quot; means &quot;Software Ethernet&quot;) is one of the world's most powerful and easy-to-use multi-protoco…
  • Tailscale - Private networks made easy.
  • Twingate-Connector - Twingate makes Zero Trust Network Access easy to deploy, even easier to use, and always secure.
  • ZeroTier - Zerotier is an open source, cross-platform virtual LAN / VPN

Checked 14 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

What must I configure if I put NetBird behind my own reverse proxy?

Set NETBIRD_TRUSTED_PEERS to your proxy's address. Without it, the NetBird server trusts forwarded client IP headers from any source, not only from your proxy.

What do I need in setup.env before starting the server?

Put your public domain and a Let's Encrypt email in setup.env. These set the URL and where to request the HTTPS certificate so web login does not fail on missing certificate errors.

How do I create the first admin account on a fresh NetBird server?

Check /api/instance until it says setup is required, then create the owner account with an email and password. If you skip this, you will not have an admin login to manage the server or add devices.

How do I add a Windows machine to a self-hosted NetBird?

Create a setup key on the server and pass it to clients, for example netbird up --setup-key <KEY>. Without it new computers cannot connect automatically.

Answers sourced from docs.netbird.io, docs.netbird.io, docs.netbird.io, docs.netbird.io

Community

Collected 16 days ago - public community threads