Defguard vs WG-Easy
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
WG-Easy
The easiest way to run WireGuard VPN with a web UI
| Feature | Defguard | WG-Easy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 97 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,847 | ★ 26,989 |
| First released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Replaces | OpenVPN Access Server, Twingate | OpenVPN Access Server |
What are Defguard and WG-Easy?
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
WG-Easy
WG-Easy bundles WireGuard with a simple web interface for managing clients, generating QR codes, and monitoring connections. It deploys as a single Docker container.
- One-container deployment
- Web UI for clients
- QR code generation
- Connection statistics
Defguard vs WG-Easy: key differences
Defguard is written in Rust, while WG-Easy is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Defguard versus AGPL-3.0 for WG-Easy. WG-Easy is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Defguard. WG-Easy is the more established project (first released 2021), while Defguard arrived in 2023. WG-Easy has the considerably larger community, at 26,989 GitHub stars versus 2,847.
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 WG-Easy if…
- Extremely easy setup
- Friendly UI
Watch out for
- Single WireGuard interface only
Frequently asked questions
Is Defguard or WG-Easy better?
WG-Easy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Defguard if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Defguard and WG-Easy free and open-source?
Yes. Defguard is licensed under Apache-2.0 and WG-Easy under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Defguard and WG-Easy with Docker?
Defguard: yes. WG-Easy: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Defguard or WG-Easy?
WG-Easy 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.