Which WireGuard mesh VPN is right for you?
NetBird is built for enterprises and security-focused teams. It combines mesh VPN with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), offering SSO integration, MFA, device posture checks, and granular access policies. More features, more configuration.
Netrinos follows the KISS principle: Keep It Simple. Sensible defaults, point-and-click access control, and less to configure. We focus on connecting devices, not managing enterprise security policies.
Quick Comparison
| Netrinos | NetBird | |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | WireGuard | WireGuard |
| Free tier | 1 user, 100 devices | 5 users, 100 machines |
| Paid (e.g. 10 users) | $10/month | $50/month (Team) |
| Self-hosting | No | Yes (open source) |
| Mobile apps | Coming soon | iOS, Android |
| Access control | Point-and-click, device-level | Policy-based, granular |
| Open source | No | Yes |
Pricing Comparison
Netrinos
| Plan | Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Free | 1 user, 100 devices, non-commercial |
| Pro | $10/month | 10 users, 100 devices, commercial use |
| Pro (scaled) | +$1/user | Each user adds 10 devices to pool |
NetBird
| Plan | Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 5 users, 100 machines, basic SSO |
| Team | $5/user/month | Unlimited users, MFA, logging, IdP sync |
| Business | $12/user/month | Device posture, MDM/EDR integration |
Cost Examples
| Team Size | Netrinos | NetBird Team | NetBird Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 users | $10/month | Free | Free |
| 10 users | $10/month | $50/month | $120/month |
| 20 users | $20/month | $100/month | $240/month |
| 50 users | $50/month | $250/month | $600/month |
Both include 100 devices in base pricing, which is generous for small teams. Netrinos is 5x cheaper than NetBird Team and 12x cheaper than NetBird Business. NetBird's pricing includes enterprise features that Netrinos doesn't offer.
Who Should Choose Netrinos?
You want simplicity over features. Netrinos ships with sensible defaults. No SSO to configure, no policies to write, no device posture to manage.
You're a small team or individual. At $10/month for 10 users versus $50/month for NetBird Team, the math favors Netrinos if you don't need enterprise features.
You don't have enterprise compliance requirements. Both are secure (WireGuard encryption, zero trust networking). NetBird adds enterprise compliance features: SSO, MFA enforcement, device posture checks, audit logging. Netrinos trades some of that rigidity for flexibility and ease of use.
You want predictable, simple pricing. $10/month minimum, $1/user after that. No per-active-user metering.
Good fit for:
- Home users connecting NAS, Raspberry Pi, and laptops
- Small businesses needing remote access without enterprise overhead
- Developers who want WireGuard without security policy configuration
- Technical users who value simplicity over features
Who Should Choose NetBird?
You need enterprise security features. SSO with Google Workspace, Azure, Okta. MFA enforcement. Device posture checks. Audit logging. NetBird has it.
You need Zero Trust Network Access. NetBird combines mesh VPN with ZTNA, enforcing who can access what based on identity, device state, and policies.
You want to self-host. NetBird is fully open source. Run your own control plane with the same features as the cloud version.
You need granular access policies. NetBird's policy engine handles complex access rules, port ranges, and conditional access based on device posture.
Good fit for:
- Companies with SSO/identity provider requirements
- Security-conscious organizations needing Zero Trust
- Teams with compliance/audit requirements
- Self-hosters who want open source
- Larger organizations with complex access policies
Security Features Comparison
| Feature | Netrinos | NetBird |
|---|---|---|
| WireGuard encryption | ||
| Peer-to-peer connections | ||
| End-to-end encryption | ||
| SSO integration | No | (Google, Azure, Okta) |
| MFA | No | (paid) |
| Device posture checks | No | (Business) |
| Access logging | Basic | (paid) |
NetBird is built for enterprise compliance. Netrinos is built for simplicity.
The Self-Hosting Advantage
If self-hosting matters to you, NetBird wins by default. It's fully open source under BSD-3 license, and you can run everything on your own infrastructure.
NetBird explicitly states: "The cloud-hosted version is exactly the same as the self-hosted one. None of this 'self-hosted users are several versions behind' or any of the other bait-and-switch tactics."
Netrinos is managed-only. If you need to own the entire stack, NetBird is your choice.
Platform Support
| Platform | Netrinos | NetBird |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| Raspberry Pi | ||
| Cloud VMs | ||
| iOS | Coming soon | |
| Android | Coming soon | |
| Docker | ||
| Routers | No | |
| Android TV | No |
NetBird has broader platform support today, including mobile apps and router support. Netrinos mobile is on the roadmap.
The Bottom Line
Choose Netrinos if you want simple mesh networking without enterprise overhead. Point-and-click access control, sensible defaults, lower price. For individuals and small teams who want to connect devices, not manage security policies.
Choose NetBird if you need enterprise compliance features: SSO, MFA, device posture, audit logging, granular policies. Or if you want to self-host an open source solution.
Both use WireGuard. Both create mesh networks. Netrinos optimizes for simplicity. NetBird optimizes for enterprise compliance.