SoftEther VPN vs ZeroTier
SoftEther VPN
softether.org
ZeroTier
zerotier.comSide by side
| Figure | SoftEther VPN | ZeroTier |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $18/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 5 |
| Spec score · Business VPN Software | 8.3 (#35) | 9.2 (#8) |
| Spec score · Virtual Private Network Software | 8.1 (#25) | 8.6 (#18) |
| Spec score · Connectivity Solutions | 8.2 (#14) | 8.6 (#10) |
| Founded | 2013 | LinkedIn lists 2013 as the founding year, matching the maker’s history of its open-source release in 2013. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | The download page lists Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, and Solaris; the project also describes built-in L2TP client compatibility for iOS and Android. | Downloads are listed for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Docker, FreeBSD, OpenWRT, and NAS. |
| Product | SoftEther VPN is open-source, cross-platform, multiprotocol VPN software distributed under the Apache License 2.0. | ZeroTier describes its platform as secure software-defined networking that connects people, devices, and clouds worldwide. |
| Security | The project lists AES 256-bit and RSA 4096-bit encryption, security logging, and firewall features. | The platform uses cryptographic device identity, end-to-end traffic encryption, peer-to-peer connections when possible, and centrally defined policy enforced globally. |
| Support | Users can ask questions on the official forum, where project members say they will respond; posting requires registration and login. | Personal and Essential include community support, Scale includes ticketed support with SLA, and Enterprise includes priority support with enhanced SLA. |
Plans
ZeroTier
- Essential$18 a month
- Scale$179 a month
- QuantumPriced on request
- PersonalFree
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
SoftEther VPN
SoftEther VPN has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
ZeroTier
ZeroTier is a software-defined networking platform for connecting people, devices and cloud environments through secure virtual networks. Its overlays can span public clouds, private data centers, on-premises environments, remote devices and edge systems. Security measures include cryptographic device identity, end-to-end traffic encryption, peer-to-peer connections when possible, and centrally defined policies enforced globally. Capabilities include cloud-to-cloud networking, global device fleets, identity-based access control, Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking, and programmable management. The platform supports hybrid deployment and lists coverage for DigitalOcean, Amazon Web Services, Google Compute Engine, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Alibaba Cloud, IBM Cloud, Vultr and Equinix Metal. Documentation includes API guides and tutorials for Docker, code-server, Terraform, webhooks, and Prometheus/Grafana monitoring. The free Personal plan is limited to non-commercial use and includes 10 devices, one network and one admin. Essential costs $18 a month; Scale costs $179 a month. Platforms include Android, API, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web and Windows.