Netrinos vs Netmaker
Netrinos and Netmaker both build WireGuard mesh networks. Netrinos is a managed service on every plan. Netmaker's free edition requires you to run your own server, and its paid plans are available as a managed cloud service or self-hosted.
Which WireGuard mesh VPN is right for you?
Netmaker is aimed at teams that want to run their own control plane. The free Open Source edition is self-hosted only, so you deploy the server and handle its updates and backups. Paid plans add a managed cloud option, billed per active connection.
Netrinos is managed. You sign up and install the app, and Netrinos maintains the control plane. There is no server to run on any plan.
Quick Comparison
| Netrinos | Netmaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | WireGuard | WireGuard |
| Free tier | 3 users, 100 devices (managed) | Self-hosted only, unlimited devices |
| Managed service | Included on all plans | Paid plans, $10/month + $2-3 per active connection |
| Self-hosting required | No | For the free edition |
| Server requirements | None | Ubuntu 24.04 VM, public static IP, domain preferred |
| Setup | Install the app | Install a server, then clients (self-hosted) |
| Maintenance | None (we handle it) | Updates and backups are yours (self-hosted) |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Access control | Per device, in the dashboard | ACLs with device and user policies |
Self-Hosting
With Netmaker, You Run the Server
Netmaker's quick-install guide lists these requirements for a self-hosted server.
- A Linux server, with Ubuntu 24.04 recommended
- A public static IP address
- A domain name with DNS access, recommended over the auto-generated domain
- At least 1 GB of RAM and 1 CPU, or 2 GB and 2 CPUs for production
After installation, updates, backups, and security patches are your responsibility.
With Netrinos, We Run the Server
To use Netrinos, you sign up and install the app. The control plane is managed for you, so there is no server, domain, or certificate to maintain.
Pricing Comparison
Netrinos
| Plan | Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Free | 3 users, 100 devices, non-commercial |
| Pro | $1/user/month, 10-user minimum | Commercial use, 100 devices included, 10 more per user |
| Edge | Custom | Multi-customer, remote device management, central monitoring |
Netmaker
| Plan | Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Self-hosted only, unlimited devices, community support |
| Team | $10/month + $2-3 per active connection | Cloud or self-hosted, SSO, relays, standard support |
| Business | $10/month + from $4 per active connection | Audit logs, posture checks, MDM/EDR, priority support |
| Enterprise | Custom | SCIM, traffic logs, SIEM, custom MSA and SLAs |
Cost Examples
| Scenario | Netrinos | Netmaker Team |
|---|---|---|
| 10 devices, personal | Free | $0 (self-hosted) |
| 25 devices, personal | Free | $0 (self-hosted) |
| 25 devices, commercial | $10 (10-user minimum) | $10 + 25 × $2-3 = $60-85 |
| 50 devices, commercial | $10 (10-user minimum) | $10 + 50 × $2-3 = $110-160 |
| 100 devices, commercial | $10 (10-user minimum) | $10 + 100 × $2-3 = $210-310 |
Netmaker Team charges a $10 monthly platform fee plus $2 to $3 per daily active connection, depending on volume. The ranges above assume every device connects daily. Netrinos Pro covers 10 users and 100 devices for $10 per month. Comparison taken 2026-09-28 from the vendor pricing page.
Cost of Self-Hosting
The Open Source edition has no license fee, but the server has running costs.
| Cost | Estimate |
|---|---|
| VPS hosting (DigitalOcean, Linode) | $5-10/month |
| Domain name | $10-15/year |
| Your time (setup, maintenance) | Hours per month |
A self-hosted Netmaker server typically costs $5 to $10 per month in hosting, plus the time to maintain it. The Netrinos free tier has no hosting cost.
Who Should Choose Netrinos?
| No server to run | Netrinos is fully managed. There is no infrastructure to deploy, patch, or secure. |
| Setup | Sign up and install the app. There is no DNS to configure and no server or container to provision. |
| Cost | $1 per user per month, 10-user minimum. There are no per-connection fees or hosting costs. |
| Good fit for | Home users, small businesses, service providers, and developers who would rather not run a VPN server. |
Who Should Choose Netmaker?
| Control | Self-hosting puts every part of the infrastructure under your control, with no third-party control plane. |
| DevOps experience | Netmaker suits teams comfortable with Linux servers, DNS, and ongoing maintenance. |
| Enterprise features | SSO on Team, and audit logs, posture checks, and MDM/EDR integration on Business. |
| Privacy | When self-hosted, network metadata stays on your own server. |
| Good fit for | DevOps teams, privacy-focused users, compliance-driven organizations, and homelabbers who want to run their own server. |
The Bottom Line
| Choose Netrinos | You want a WireGuard mesh without running infrastructure, at a flat $1 per user. |
| Choose Netmaker | You want to self-host the control plane, or you want per-connection billing with SSO and posture checks. |
Ready to get started?
Connect your first two devices in under 5 minutes.