Firezone 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.
Firezone
Open-source secure remote access platform
VS
innernet
Private network system using WireGuard
| Feature | Firezone | innernet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Elixir | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,103 | ★ 5,553 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Cisco AnyConnect, Tailscale | Tailscale |
What are Firezone and innernet?
Firezone
Firezone is a self-hosted secure remote access platform built on WireGuard, offering zero-trust network access with policy-based controls. It replaces traditional corporate VPNs.
- Zero-trust access policies
- WireGuard under the hood
- SSO integration
- Web admin portal
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
Firezone vs innernet: key differences
Firezone is written in Elixir, while innernet is built with Rust. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Firezone versus MIT for innernet. Innernet is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Firezone. Firezone lists first-class Docker deployment; innernet does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Firezone if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Elixir
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 Firezone or innernet better?
Firezone 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 Firezone and innernet free and open-source?
Yes. Firezone is licensed under Apache-2.0 and innernet under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Firezone and innernet with Docker?
Firezone: yes. innernet: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Firezone or innernet?
innernet has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Firezone. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.