ZeroTier review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Peer-to-peer virtual networks for devices, servers and sites
Black Friday: is there a ZeroTier sale?
ZeroTier report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for peer-to-peer virtual networks for devices
ZeroTier joins devices into a virtual network, with a free Personal plan for non-commercial use. It shows no remote screen, Personal stops at 10 devices and one network, and business use starts at $18 a month for 10 devices with only community support.
Who ZeroTier is for
- Fits if you have up to 10 devices at home and want them on one virtual network
- Works for developers who want an API and CLI to manage the network
Who ZeroTier is not for
- Skip it if you want to see and control a remote screen, since it only connects devices
- Tight if you have more than 10 devices on the free plan, or want it for work, which needs a paid plan
- Pricey if you want a support ticket, as that starts at Scale, $179 a month, and Essential has community support only
- Watch out: devices past the included count cost $2.00 each on Essential and $1.80 on Scale every month
Why ZeroTier gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyEssential is $18 a month for 10 devices, then $2.00 a device, which is in the upper half of what remote access tools charge ($4.17 to $28). Scale is $179 a month.
- BFree plan and trialPersonal is free for non-commercial use with 10 devices, one network and one admin. One person could live on it, until the device count or work use gets in the way.
- CFeaturesVirtual networks, peer-to-peer links, access control, UI, CLI and API. The listing says it does not share a remote screen, so desktop access needs another tool on top.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. You create a network, join each device and manage rules, which takes some setting up.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with an API on Essential and above. No web client is listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from ZeroTier's own pages on 12 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/zerotier#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/zerotier.svg" alt="ZeroTier: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where ZeroTier stands among remote desktop apps
ZeroTier's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 35 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 19 of 35) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $18 a month, against a middle price of $8.33 for the category: 14 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 10 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 36 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. ZeroTier’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 35, level with 19
- BFree plan and trialAbove 19 of 35, level with 9
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 35, level with 24
- CEase of useAbove 2 of 35, level with 19
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 8 of 35, level with 22
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 29 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 ZeroTier, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace ZeroTier 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.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 16 of the 35 other remote desktop apps grade higher. It costs $216 a year.
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.
- An API that other software can build on.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
What this rests on. ZeroTier’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 ZeroTier?
ZeroTier builds private virtual networks on top of existing infrastructure. Devices join a network with a cryptographic identity and connect to each other peer-to-peer where possible, which suits reaching home machines, linking servers across clouds and running small VPN or SD-WAN setups. A free Personal plan covers 10 devices, and paid plans add a commercial license.
Worth knowing
- ZeroTier connects devices into a network; it does not share a remote screen, so desktop access needs a separate remote desktop or VNC tool on top.
- The Personal plan is limited to 10 devices, one network and non-commercial use.
- Essential includes community support only; ticketed support with an SLA starts at Scale, $179 per month.
- Devices beyond the included count are billed monthly, $2.00 each on Essential and $1.80 each on Scale.
Key features
- Virtual networks across sites and clouds
- Private networks that span public clouds, data centers, on-premises machines and remote devices, without proprietary hardware.
- Peer-to-peer connections
- Devices connect directly to each other whenever possible, with traffic encrypted end to end and policy enforced at every endpoint.
- Identity-based access control
- Network behavior is set by policy tied to each node's cryptographic identity, with custom flow rules on the Scale plan.
- Management through UI, CLI and API
- Personal includes a CLI, a UI and webhooks. API access and OIDC single sign-on start on Essential.
- Broad client coverage
- The download page lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Docker, FreeBSD and NAS packages.
- Post-quantum option
- ZeroTier Quantum is a separate platform for regulated and air-gapped environments, scoped per deployment through sales.
ZeroTier pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, ZeroTier has a free plan, and paid plans start at $18 per month for 10 devices.
- Starts at
- $18 per month for 10 devices
- Free plan
- Personal plan: free for non-commercial use, with 10 devices, one network and one network admin.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $0 | Non-commercial use only. 10 devices, one network, one network admin, CLI, UI and webhooks, community support. |
| Essential | $18per month for 10 included devices, then $2.00 per extra device | Commercial license, 10 networks, five admins, API access, OIDC single sign-on and 30-day audit logs. Community support only. |
| Scale | $179per month for 100 included devices, then $1.80 per extra device | Everything in Essential plus unlimited networks, 10 network admins, custom flow rules and ticketed support with an SLA. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Sized for 500 or more devices, with self-hosted and air-gapped options, 90-day audit logs and priority support. Sold through sales. |
Read from zerotier.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with ZeroTier before you buy.
ZeroTier alternatives
- ZeroTier vs Tailscale
Free plan · from $8/mo
- ZeroTier vs NoMachine
Free trial · from $24.50/yr
- ZeroTier vs RustDesk
Free plan · from $11.88/mo
- ZeroTier vs TeamViewer
Free plan · from $619.99/yr
Common questions
Is ZeroTier open source?
ZeroTier is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Is ZeroTier end-to-end encrypted?
ZeroTier describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Does ZeroTier have an API?
Yes. ZeroTier 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 12, 2026.