Managed Nebula vs NetBird

Managed Nebula and NetBird are both open-source mesh networking tools that create encrypted overlay networks. Both aim to simplify secure connectivity, but we built Nebula with a different protocol, a fully decentralized data plane, and a built-in firewall that most alternatives lack.

Nebula is a fully open-source overlay networking tool that we originally built at Slack and continue to maintain at Defined Networking. It uses its own protocol built on the Noise framework to create peer-to-peer encrypted tunnels between hosts. Managed Nebula is our cloud-hosted management layer that handles certificate authorities, host configuration, and distribution, while you retain full control of your network’s data plane.

NetBird is a WireGuard-based mesh networking platform that combines a management server, identity provider integration, and peer-to-peer connectivity. It adds a control plane on top of WireGuard with a focus on zero-trust access control.

Below, we break down the key differences to help you decide which is right for your network.

	Managed Nebula	NetBird
Protocol	Nebula (Noise IX)	WireGuard (Noise IK)
Architecture	Fully peer-to-peer mesh	WireGuard mesh via control plane
Authentication	Certificate-based (Nebula CA)	Identity provider-based
Firewall	Stateful with security groups	Access control via policies
NAT traversal	Lighthouses (you operate)	STUN/TURN (NetBird-operated)
Open source	Fully (MIT license)	BSD-3-Clause
Infrastructure	You run lighthouses and relays	NetBird-operated relay servers
Free tier	Up to 100 hosts	Up to 5 users
Pricing	$1/host/month	Per-user pricing

Both tools create mesh networks, but with different protocols and different approaches to the data plane.

Nebula uses its own protocol built on the Noise IX handshake pattern. Every host holds a signed certificate from a Nebula Certificate Authority, and hosts establish direct peer-to-peer tunnels without needing a central server to broker connections. The data plane is fully decentralized. If our control plane goes offline, your existing network continues operating normally. Hosts already have their certificates and can establish new tunnels with each other.

NetBird uses WireGuard as its tunnel protocol and adds a management server that handles peer configuration, identity provider integration, and access control policies. The management server coordinates which peers should connect and distributes WireGuard configurations. NetBird uses ICE (Interactive Connectivity Establishment) with STUN and TURN servers for NAT traversal, with relay infrastructure operated by NetBird.

Nebula has a stateful packet firewall built directly into the Nebula process. Because Nebula certificates include group membership information, firewall rules can reference groups rather than individual IP addresses. This works similarly to AWS Security Groups. The firewall runs on every host and enforces rules independently of the control plane.

NetBird manages access control through policies defined in the management server. Policies control which peers can communicate with each other based on groups and rules. NetBird also supports posture checks and integrates with identity providers for user-based access decisions. Access control changes require the management server to be available.

With Managed Nebula, you run your own lighthouses and relays on infrastructure you control. Your network’s data plane is entirely yours. If our management service experiences downtime, your overlay network continues operating. Hosts communicate, tunnels form, and firewalls enforce rules. We handle the certificate authority and configuration distribution, but your operational network does not depend on us.

With NetBird, the relay infrastructure (STUN/TURN servers) is operated by NetBird in their SaaS offering. You can self-host the management server and signal server, but the default deployment depends on NetBird’s infrastructure for NAT traversal and relay.

Nebula is fully open-source under the MIT license. Every component is available for inspection, modification, and self-hosting. You can run a complete Nebula network with zero dependency on us.

NetBird is open-source under the BSD-3-Clause license, which is also a permissive license. The management server, client, and relay components are all available. This is a genuine strength of NetBird compared to many alternatives in this space.

Managed Nebula offers simple per-host pricing:

• Free: Up to 100 hosts, 2 routes, SSO, and a simple management UI. No credit card required.
• Pro: $1/host/month with unlimited hosts, up to 100 routes, priority support, and guaranteed uptime
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with a dedicated Slack support channel and network design assistance

See our pricing page for full details, or contact sales for Enterprise.

NetBird offers a free tier for up to 5 users, with paid plans priced per user per month.

Choose Managed Nebula if you want:

• Full control over your network infrastructure, including lighthouses and relays
• A fully decentralized data plane that works independently of the control plane
• Certificate-based authentication with built-in group-based firewall rules
• Consistent, predictable performance with low memory overhead
• A generous free tier supporting up to 100 hosts
• Simple, transparent per-host pricing

Choose NetBird if you want:

• A WireGuard-based mesh with identity provider integration
• Zero-trust access policies with device posture checks
• A self-hostable management server with a modern web UI
• Per-user pricing that may suit smaller teams