Algo VPN vs Chisel
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Algo VPN
Set up a personal IPsec and WireGuard VPN in minutes
VS
Chisel
Fast TCP/UDP tunnel over HTTP secured by SSH
| Feature | Algo VPN | Chisel |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 30,350 | ★ 16,362 |
| First released | 2016 | 2015 |
| Replaces | NordVPN | ngrok |
Why pick each one
Choose Algo VPN if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 30.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Choose Chisel if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 16.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Algo VPN or Chisel better?
Algo VPN is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Chisel if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Algo VPN and Chisel free and open-source?
Yes. Algo VPN is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Chisel under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Algo VPN and Chisel with Docker?
Algo VPN: check the project docs for container support. Chisel: yes.