Defguard vs Subspace
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Defguard
WireGuard VPN and identity platform with MFA
VS
Subspace
Simple WireGuard VPN server with a web dashboard
| Feature | Defguard | Subspace |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 16 · At risk |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Rust | HTML |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,847 | ★ 1,804 |
| First released | 2023 | 2019 |
| Replaces | OpenVPN Access Server, Twingate | OpenVPN Access Server, Twingate |
What are Defguard and Subspace?
Defguard
Defguard is an open-source WireGuard VPN and identity management platform with multi-factor authentication and an OpenID Connect provider. It is fully self-hosted for secure remote access.
- WireGuard VPN management
- Built-in MFA
- OpenID Connect provider
- LDAP synchronization
Subspace
Subspace is an open-source, self-hosted WireGuard VPN server with a clean web dashboard for managing devices. It is designed to make running a personal or team VPN simple.
- WireGuard-based VPN
- Web device management
- QR code provisioning
- SSO support
Defguard vs Subspace: key differences
Defguard is written in Rust, while Subspace is built with HTML. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Defguard versus MIT for Subspace. Subspace is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Defguard. Subspace is the more established project (first released 2019), while Defguard arrived in 2023.
Why pick each one
Choose Defguard if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Rust
Choose Subspace if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Defguard or Subspace better?
Neither is universally better. Defguard has the larger community, while Subspace is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Defguard and Subspace free and open-source?
Yes. Defguard is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Subspace under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Defguard and Subspace with Docker?
Defguard: yes. Subspace: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Defguard or Subspace?
Subspace has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Defguard. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.