innernet vs ZeroTier
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
ZeroTier
Global virtual network for connecting devices anywhere
| Feature | innernet | ZeroTier |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | MIT | BSL-1.1 |
| Language | Rust | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | binary, docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,553 | ★ 17,125 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Tailscale | Tailscale |
What are innernet and ZeroTier?
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
ZeroTier
ZeroTier creates secure virtual Ethernet networks that connect devices as if they were on the same LAN. The controller can be self-hosted for full control over your networks.
- Layer 2 virtual networks
- Self-hostable controller
- Cross-platform clients
- Peer-to-peer connectivity
innernet vs ZeroTier: key differences
Innernet is written in Rust, while ZeroTier is built with C++. Licensing differs — MIT for innernet versus BSL-1.1 for ZeroTier. ZeroTier is the more established project (first released 2014), while innernet arrived in 2021. ZeroTier has the considerably larger community, at 17,125 GitHub stars versus 5,553. ZeroTier lists first-class Docker deployment; innernet does not.
Why pick each one
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
Choose ZeroTier if…
- Easy flat virtual networks
- Clients for every platform
- Self-hostable controller
Watch out for
- BSL license restrictions
- Controller setup involved
Frequently asked questions
Is innernet or ZeroTier better?
ZeroTier 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 innernet and ZeroTier free and open-source?
Yes. innernet is licensed under MIT and ZeroTier under BSL-1.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run innernet and ZeroTier with Docker?
innernet: check the project docs for container support. ZeroTier: yes.