EasyTier vs innernet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | EasyTier | innernet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Rust | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,789 | ★ 5,553 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Tailscale, ZeroTier | Tailscale |
What are EasyTier and innernet?
EasyTier
EasyTier is an open-source, decentralized mesh VPN that connects devices across NATs without a central server. It supports multiple protocols and is fully self-hosted for private networking.
- Decentralized mesh
- NAT traversal
- Multi-protocol transport
- No central server
innernet
innernet is a private mesh network system built on WireGuard with a focus on simplicity and security. It uses a server to coordinate peers organized into networks and CIDRs.
- WireGuard-based mesh
- CIDR-organized peers
- Simple coordination server
- Lightweight Rust implementation
EasyTier vs innernet: key differences
Both projects are written in Rust. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for EasyTier versus MIT for innernet. Innernet is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for EasyTier. Innernet is the more established project (first released 2021), while EasyTier arrived in 2024. EasyTier has the considerably larger community, at 13,789 GitHub stars versus 5,553. EasyTier lists first-class Docker deployment; innernet does not.
Why pick each one
Choose EasyTier if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 13.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Rust
Choose innernet if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Mature project with 5.6k GitHub stars
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is EasyTier or innernet better?
EasyTier is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider innernet if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are EasyTier and innernet free and open-source?
Yes. EasyTier is licensed under Apache-2.0 and innernet under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EasyTier and innernet with Docker?
EasyTier: yes. innernet: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, EasyTier or innernet?
innernet has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for EasyTier. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.