Algo VPN vs Wirehole
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Algo VPN | Wirehole |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 30,392 | ★ 4,968 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | NordVPN | NordVPN |
What are Algo VPN and Wirehole?
Algo VPN
Algo VPN is a set of Ansible scripts that deploy a personal, hardened VPN server using WireGuard and IPsec. It focuses on security defaults and disposable cloud deployments.
- Hardened security defaults
- WireGuard and IPsec
- Ansible-automated setup
- Disposable deployments
Wirehole
WireHole combines WireGuard, Pi-hole, and Unbound into a single Docker Compose project for a private VPN with network-wide ad blocking and DNS resolution. It is a popular home-lab bundle.
- VPN with ad blocking
- Pi-hole and Unbound bundled
- Single compose file
- Home-lab friendly
Algo VPN vs Wirehole: key differences
Algo VPN is written in Python, while Wirehole is built with Shell. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Algo VPN versus MIT for Wirehole. Algo VPN is the more established project (first released 2016), while Wirehole arrived in 2020. Algo VPN has the considerably larger community, at 30,392 GitHub stars versus 4,968. Wirehole lists first-class Docker deployment; Algo VPN does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Algo VPN if…
- Hardened secure defaults
- Automated cloud deployment
- Disposable server model
Watch out for
- Command-line only
- User changes need redeploys
Choose Wirehole if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (5k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Algo VPN or Wirehole better?
Neither is universally better. Algo VPN has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Algo VPN and Wirehole free and open-source?
Yes. Algo VPN is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Wirehole under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Algo VPN and Wirehole with Docker?
Algo VPN: check the project docs for container support. Wirehole: yes.