n2n vs tinc
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 | n2n | tinc |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,994 | ★ 2,233 |
| First released | 2008 | 2003 |
| Replaces | ZeroTier, Hamachi | Hamachi, ZeroTier |
Why pick each one
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
Choose tinc if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is n2n or tinc better?
Neither is universally better. n2n has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are n2n and tinc free and open-source?
Yes. n2n is licensed under GPL-3.0 and tinc under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run n2n and tinc with Docker?
n2n: check the project docs for container support. tinc: check the project docs for container support.