Defguard vs WireGuard Portal
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
WireGuard Portal
Web-based configuration portal for WireGuard
| Feature | Defguard | WireGuard Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Rust | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,847 | ★ 1,823 |
| First released | 2023 | 2020 |
| Replaces | OpenVPN Access Server, Twingate | OpenVPN Access Server |
What are Defguard and WireGuard Portal?
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
WireGuard Portal
WireGuard Portal is a web management interface for WireGuard servers that supports multiple interfaces, LDAP, and OAuth authentication. It is aimed at organizational deployments.
- Multi-interface management
- LDAP and OAuth login
- Per-user peer config
- Email config delivery
Defguard vs WireGuard Portal: key differences
Defguard is written in Rust, while WireGuard Portal is built with Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Defguard versus MIT for WireGuard Portal. WireGuard Portal is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Defguard. WireGuard Portal is the more established project (first released 2020), 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 WireGuard Portal if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Defguard or WireGuard Portal better?
Neither is universally better. Defguard has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Defguard and WireGuard Portal free and open-source?
Yes. Defguard is licensed under Apache-2.0 and WireGuard Portal under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Defguard and WireGuard Portal with Docker?
Defguard: yes. WireGuard Portal: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Defguard or WireGuard Portal?
WireGuard Portal 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.