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NetBird vs Pritunl (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, NetBird grades higher than Pritunl: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.

Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA

NetBird grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

NetBird

Open-source zero trust networking built on WireGuard

Free plan · from €6/mo
Full detailsnetbird.io

Pritunl

Self-hosted open-source VPN server for OpenVPN and WireGuard

Free plan · from $10/mo
Full detailspritunl.com

Which one is for you

Pick NetBird if

  • Fits if you want a private network for a team of up to 5 for free
  • Works for people who want the option of hosting it themselves

Look elsewhere if

  • Tight if you pass 5 users, as the free plan stops there
  • Watch out: extra machines beyond the included amount cost €0.50 each a month on Team and Business
  • Watch out: prices are in euros and the page doesn't say whether they assume monthly or yearly billing
  • Watch out: the self-hosted pricing couldn't be read from the page text

Pick Pritunl if

  • Fits if you can run a Linux server and want your own VPN with no per-user fee
  • Works for teams that sign in through Okta, Google Workspace or Duo

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you don't want to run a server, as the install page lists Linux distributions only
  • Pricey if you need SSO, failover or site-to-site links, which need Enterprise at $70 per host a month
  • Watch out: servers coordinate through MongoDB, which you also have to run
  • Too light for phones without extra work, as the Pritunl Client covers macOS, Windows and Linux only

How we grade them

2.6GPANetBirdGood2.0GPAPritunlFair
Value for money
CTeam is €6 per user a month and Business €12, in the middle of the category's range. The page doesn't say whether that is monthly or yearly billing.
CFree only if you host it yourself, which needs a server, so it sits at C. Premium is $10 per host a month and Enterprise $70.
Free plan and trial
BThe cloud Free plan covers up to 5 users and 100 machines with SSO, MFA, access controls and private DNS.
BThe Community edition is free for one host with unlimited servers, users and devices, and needs no registration or card.
Features
BA peer-to-peer WireGuard network, identity-based policies, SSO, MFA, posture checks, activity logs and a choice of cloud or self-hosting.
COpenVPN and WireGuard clients, a REST API and plugins are listed, but single sign-on, failover and site-to-site links are Enterprise only.
Ease of use
CNo store rating on record. You install clients, connect a sign-in provider and write access policies.
DNo store rating on record. You install the server on Linux and run MongoDB, which is a command-line job.
Platforms and integrations
BWindows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and Android, with Okta, Entra ID, Google and Synology. No web client is listed.
CClient apps for Windows, macOS and Linux, with SSO through Okta, Google Workspace and others. Other devices use OpenVPN profiles.
Best fora private network built on WireGuarda self-run VPN server for companies

The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: NetBird and Pritunl. How we grade

Price against what you get

NetBird starts at about $6.70 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pritunl starts at $10 a month for each person and scores 1.7.

NetBird scores higher and starts $3.30 a month lower. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, 2 score higher than NetBird for less, and 33 score higher than Pritunl for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$0.5$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessNetBirdPritunl

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of remote desktop apps, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceSelf-hostablePublic APIVPN

    At a glance

    NetBirdPritunl
    PricingFree planFree plan
    Starts at€6 per user / month (cloud, billing period not shown)$10 per host / month
    Free planCloud Free plan: up to 5 users and 100 machines, with SSO, MFA, access controls and private DNS.Community edition: free for a single host, with unlimited servers, users and devices.
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    macOS
    Windows
    Linux
    iOS
    Android
    Made byNetBirdPritunl, Inc.
    Price read fromnetbird.iopritunl.com
    CheckedNov 13, 2026Nov 13, 2026

    Worth knowing

    NetBird

    • Prices are in euros, and the page does not say whether they assume monthly or yearly billing.
    • Machines beyond the included amount cost €0.50 each per month on Team and Business.
    • Billing counts only users and machines that connected at least once in the period.
    • The pricing for the Self-Hosted tab could not be read from the page text.

    Pritunl

    • You install and run the server yourself; the install page lists Linux distributions only.
    • Single sign-on, failover and site-to-site links need Enterprise at $70 per host per month.
    • Servers coordinate through MongoDB, which you also need to run.
    • The Pritunl Client is available for macOS, Windows and Linux only; other devices use OpenVPN profiles.

    Key features

    NetBird

    Peer-to-peer WireGuard network
    Devices connect directly over a WireGuard-based network, with no open ports or firewall changes needed, per the vendor.
    Identity-based access policies
    Resources are grouped and access is limited by policy; users and groups can be provisioned from an identity provider.
    SSO and MFA
    Sign-in works with Okta, Microsoft, Google and others, and the identity provider's MFA settings apply.
    Posture checks
    Business plan policies can require a firewall or antivirus, check geo and network location, and use MDM and EDR data.
    Activity logging
    Network configuration changes are logged, and the Business plan adds connection traffic events streamed to SIEM tools.
    Cloud or self-hosted
    The pricing page has Cloud and Self-Hosted tabs, and the homepage offers to run NetBird open source.

    Pritunl

    OpenVPN and WireGuard clients
    The server accepts any OpenVPN client, and the Pritunl Client for macOS, Windows and Linux handles both OpenVPN and WireGuard.
    Site-to-site links
    Pritunl Link joins networks over WireGuard or IPsec, with AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Oracle Cloud and Hetzner named on the homepage.
    Single sign-on
    Enterprise supports SAML, Google, Duo Security and RADIUS; the SSO page also lists Okta and OneLogin.
    Failover and replication
    Servers share state through MongoDB and run as equal peers, so clients move to another node if one fails.
    Device authentication
    TPM and Apple Secure Enclave device authentication is offered, along with TOTP and push two-step sign-in.
    REST API and plugins
    A REST API automates user and server management, and a Python plugin system supports custom authentication.

    Plans

    NetBird

    • Free€0

      per user / month, up to 5 users

      100 machines, peer-to-peer connections, social SSO and MFA, access controls, private DNS and community support.

    • Team€6

      per user / month (billing period not shown)

      Unlimited users, 100 machines plus 10 per user, enterprise IdP SSO, SCIM provisioning and audit logs.

    • Business€12

      per user / month (billing period not shown)

      Adds device approvals, MDM and EDR controls, posture checks and traffic event logging and streaming.

    • EnterpriseCustom

      Unlimited machines, custom invoicing, priority support, solutions engineer help and custom MSAs and SLAs.

    Pritunl

    • Community$0

      Free for a single host with unlimited VPN servers, users and devices. You host it yourself.

    • Premium$10

      per host / month

      Single host. Adds port forwarding, gateway links, Chromebook support, configuration sync and email user keys.

    • Enterprise$70

      per host / month

      Everything in Premium plus single sign-on, automatic failover, replicated servers and site-to-site links.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, NetBird or Pritunl?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, NetBird is cheaper to start with: about $6.70 a month for each person, against $10 a month for each person for Pritunl. NetBird starts at €6 per user / month (cloud, billing period not shown), and Pritunl starts at $10 per host / month.

    Which has a free plan, NetBird or Pritunl?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both NetBird and Pritunl have a free plan.

    Which platforms do NetBird and Pritunl run on?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, only NetBird lists iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.

    More comparisons

    How this page was made

    • The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
    • The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
    • Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
    • The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.
    How we review and grade