NetBird review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Open-source zero trust networking built on WireGuard
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NetBird report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a private network built on WireGuard
NetBird builds a private network between your machines using WireGuard, and its cloud plan is free for up to 5 users and 100 machines. Prices are in euros with no billing period stated, and extra machines cost €0.50 each on paid plans.
Who NetBird is for
- 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
Who NetBird is not for
- 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
Why NetBird gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyTeam 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.
- BFree plan and trialThe cloud Free plan covers up to 5 users and 100 machines with SSO, MFA, access controls and private DNS.
- BFeaturesA peer-to-peer WireGuard network, identity-based policies, SSO, MFA, posture checks, activity logs and a choice of cloud or self-hosting.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You install clients, connect a sign-in provider and write access policies.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and Android, with Okta, Entra ID, Google and Synology. No web client is listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from NetBird's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/netbird#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/netbird.svg" alt="NetBird: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where NetBird stands among remote desktop apps
NetBird's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 49 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 19.
It stands best on features (B, above 55 of 85) and worst on value for money (C, above 7).
Its paid plans start at about $6.70 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.33 for the category: 17 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 86 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. NetBird’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 7 of 85, level with 46
- BFree plan and trialAbove 48 of 85, level with 22
- BFeaturesAbove 55 of 85, level with 30
- CEase of useAbove 10 of 85, level with 48
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 85, level with 50
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
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
Keep NetBird, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace NetBird you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $80.44 a year. NetBird is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID and Google among them, and has an API.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. NetBird’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is NetBird?
NetBird is an open-source secure access platform that links remote users, servers, clouds and sites into one private network using WireGuard-based peer-to-peer connections. Access is set by groups and policies tied to a company identity provider. It runs as a cloud service or on your own infrastructure.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
NetBird pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, NetBird has a free plan, and paid plans start at €6 per user / month (cloud, billing period not shown).
- Starts at
- €6 per user / month (cloud, billing period not shown)
- Free plan
- Cloud Free plan: up to 5 users and 100 machines, with SSO, MFA, access controls and private DNS.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | €0per user / month, up to 5 users | 100 machines, peer-to-peer connections, social SSO and MFA, access controls, private DNS and community support. |
| Team | €6per user / month (billing period not shown) | Unlimited users, 100 machines plus 10 per user, enterprise IdP SSO, SCIM provisioning and audit logs. |
| Business | €12per user / month (billing period not shown) | Adds device approvals, MDM and EDR controls, posture checks and traffic event logging and streaming. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited machines, custom invoicing, priority support, solutions engineer help and custom MSAs and SLAs. |
Read from netbird.io on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with NetBird before you buy.
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Common questions
Is NetBird open source?
Yes. NetBird is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does NetBird have an API?
Yes. NetBird offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.