EasyTier vs n2n
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
| Feature | EasyTier | n2n |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,019 | ★ 6,994 |
| First released | 2024 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Tailscale, ZeroTier | ZeroTier, Hamachi |
Why pick each one
Choose EasyTier if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 13k GitHub stars
- Written in Rust
Choose n2n if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 7k GitHub stars
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is EasyTier or n2n better?
Neither is universally better. EasyTier has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are EasyTier and n2n free and open-source?
Yes. EasyTier is licensed under Apache-2.0 and n2n under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EasyTier and n2n with Docker?
EasyTier: yes. n2n: check the project docs for container support.