TL;DR
Looking for free alternatives to ZeroTier? Here are the best open source and free options for Mac.
What is the best free alternative to ZeroTier?
The best free alternative to ZeroTier ($18/month) is Tailscale. Install it with: brew install --cask tailscale-app.
Free Alternative to ZeroTier
Save $18/month with these 1 free alternatives that work great on macOS.
Our Top Pick
Quick Comparison
| App | Price | Open Source | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZeroTier | $18/month | No | — |
| Tailscale | Free | No | Security & Privacy |
Best Free Alternatives to ZeroTier for Mac
ZeroTier has long been the go-to solution for creating software-defined mesh networks without complex configuration, but their 2025 pricing changes have pushed many users to seek alternatives. The Essential plan now starts at $18 per month for just 10 devices, with additional devices billed at $2 each monthly—a significant jump from their historically generous free tier that once allowed 50 devices. For Mac users building homelabs, connecting remote teams, or securing IoT deployments, these costs accumulate quickly. The good news is that mature alternatives now exist that match or exceed ZeroTier's capabilities without the subscription tax. Tailscale, in particular, has emerged as the dominant challenger—offering a genuinely free tier for personal use with unlimited devices and up to 6 users, while running on the industry-standard WireGuard protocol. Unlike ZeroTier's proprietary networking stack, WireGuard has been formally verified, extensively audited, and integrated directly into the Linux kernel. For Mac users specifically, both Tailscale and ZeroTier offer native Apple Silicon apps that perform excellently on M1, M2, and M3 chips. The choice between them often comes down to trust model preferences: Tailscale uses your existing SSO provider for authentication, while ZeroTier manages its own cryptographic identities. In this guide, we break down the exact free alternatives that can replace ZeroTier for personal projects, remote work setups, and even small business deployments without costing a cent.
Detailed Alternative Reviews
Tailscale
WireGuard-based mesh VPN with generous free tier
brew install tailscaleTailscale has become the leading alternative to ZeroTier by building atop the WireGuard protocol—widely considered the gold standard for modern VPN technology. I tested Tailscale extensively on an M3 MacBook Pro, connecting a heterogeneous network of Macs, Linux servers, iPhones, and even a Raspberry Pi. The setup is genuinely effortless: install the app, sign in with Google/GitHub/Microsoft SSO, and your devices discover each other automatically within seconds. Unlike ZeroTier, Tailscale's free Personal plan supports unlimited devices for up to 6 users—a dramatically more generous offering that makes it viable for actual production use by small teams and serious homelab enthusiasts. Performance is exceptional because WireGuard's minimal codebase (just 4,000 lines versus OpenVPN's 600,000+) means less attack surface and faster throughput. On my 1Gbps fiber connection, Tailscale saturated the line with just 15% CPU usage. The MagicDNS feature eliminates the need to remember IP addresses, assigning human-readable hostnames like "macbook.tail1234.ts.net" to each device. Exit nodes let you route all traffic through a specific device, effectively creating a secure VPN gateway for untrusted networks. ACL policies allow granular access control between devices, and the built-in SSH feature means you can drop insecure port-forwarding entirely. The limitation? The free tier lacks admin console features like user management at scale and SAML SSO—these require upgrading to Standard at $8/user/month. For personal use and small teams, however, Tailscale completely eliminates the need for ZeroTier's $18/month Essential plan.
Key Features:
- Truly free Personal plan: unlimited devices for up to 6 users
- Built on WireGuard protocol for excellent performance and security
- MagicDNS gives human-readable hostnames to all connected devices
- Exit nodes route traffic through any device as a secure gateway
- Built-in SSH replaces insecure port-forwarding for remote access
- Native Apple Silicon app with excellent M-series performance
- Seamless NAT traversal without manual firewall configuration
- SSO authentication via Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Okta, and more
Limitations:
- • Free tier limited to 6 users—teams requiring more need paid plans
- • No self-hosted control plane option in free tier (enterprise feature)
- • Dependency on Tailscale's coordination servers (though traffic is peer-to-peer)
- • MagicDNS requires trusting Tailscale's DNS infrastructure
Best for: Users seeking a completely free, high-performance mesh VPN for personal use, homelabs, remote access to home servers, and small teams of up to 6 people who want seamless multi-device connectivity without monthly costs
Which Alternative is Right for You?
Personal Homelab with Multiple Devices
→ Tailscale is the clear winner here. The free Personal plan handles unlimited devices across up to 6 users, while ZeroTier's paid plans start at $18/month. Connect your Mac, NAS, Raspberry Pi, and cloud VPS instances under one secure mesh without spending anything.
Remote Access to Home Network While Traveling
→ Both work well, but Tailscale's exit node feature lets you route all traffic through your home network—effectively creating a secure VPN for untrusted hotel WiFi. ZeroTier requires additional configuration to achieve the same. Tailscale's free tier handles this perfectly.
Small Team of Developers (7+ people)
→ At this scale, both require paid plans. Tailscale Standard at $8/user/month becomes more cost-effective than ZeroTier's per-device pricing if your team has many devices each. Calculate based on total device count versus user count.
Gaming Network for Friends
→ Tailscale's free tier supports up to 6 users—perfect for most gaming groups. The lower latency from WireGuard means better gaming performance compared to ZeroTier's protocol. No port forwarding required for most games.
IoT Device Deployment (50+ devices)
→ Tailscale free tier handles unlimited devices—ideal for IoT scenarios. ZeroTier would require the Business plan at $216/month for this many devices, making Tailscale essentially $2,500/year cheaper for this use case.
Enterprise with Strict Compliance Requirements
→ Evaluate both paid tiers. Tailscale offers enterprise features like device posture checking, audit logging, and SAML SSO. ZeroTier's Enterprise plan provides sovereign network control. Both require custom pricing at this tier—pilot both and compare.
Migration Tips
Exporting ZeroTier Network Configuration
Before migrating, document your ZeroTier network settings. Log into ZeroTier Central and export your network member list with their assigned IP addresses. You'll want to replicate this IP scheme in Tailscale or prepare for reconfiguration. Screenshots of your network rules and flow rules will help recreate equivalent ACL policies.
Setting Up Tailscale Exit Nodes
If you currently use ZeroTier to route traffic through a specific device (like a home router or VPS), configure Tailscale's exit node feature. On the machine you want to use as a gateway, run `tailscale up --advertise-exit-node`. Then from any other device, use `tailscale up --exit-node=<hostname>` to route all traffic through it. This replaces ZeroTier's default gateway configuration.
Migrating DNS Dependencies
ZeroTier provides IP-based connectivity, but if you've memorized ZeroTier-assigned IPs (like 192.168.192.x), Tailscale's MagicDNS will be a welcome upgrade. Hostnames like `macbook.tail1234.ts.net` replace cryptic IPs. Update any scripts or bookmarks that reference ZeroTier IPs to use MagicDNS hostnames instead—they remain stable even when IPs change.
Handling ACL Policy Migration
ZeroTier's flow rules (if you configured them) don't directly translate to Tailscale's ACL syntax. Tailscale uses a JSON-based policy format that's more readable. Start with the default 'permit all' policy, then gradually restrict using Tailscale's ACL testing tool in the admin console. The HuJSON format supports comments—document your intent as you build policies.
Device-by-Device Cutover Strategy
Don't migrate everything at once. Install Tailscale alongside ZeroTier initially—both can coexist without conflict since they use different virtual network interfaces. Verify connectivity works through Tailscale, then disable ZeroTier on that device. This staged approach prevents network outages during migration.
Quick comparison
| Feature | ZeroTier | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier Devices | Limited (network restrictions apply) | Unlimited |
| Free Tier Users | 1 | Up to 6 |
| Base Protocol | Proprietary | WireGuard |
| Starting Paid Price | $18/month (10 devices) | $8/user/month |
| SSO/MFA Support | Limited | Full (SAML, OIDC) |
| Apple Silicon Native | Yes | Yes |
| Self-Hosting Option | Yes (open source core) | Enterprise only |
| Magic DNS | No | Yes |
| Built-in SSH | No | Yes |
The verdict
Tailscale
The most compelling free alternative with unlimited devices, up to 6 users, and WireGuard's superior performance. Eliminates ZeroTier's $18/month cost for most personal and small-team use cases while providing additional features like MagicDNS and built-in SSH.
Full reviewNone (Tailscale dominates this category)
There is no credible second-place free alternative to ZeroTier in 2026. Tailscale has effectively captured the market with a genuinely free tier that matches or exceeds ZeroTier's paid offerings. Other alternatives like Netmaker exist but lack the polish, ecosystem, and generous free tier of Tailscale.
Bottom line
ZeroTier's 2025 pricing changes made Tailscale the obvious choice for cost-conscious users. Tailscale's free Personal plan eliminates the $18/month cost for unlimited devices and up to 6 users, while providing WireGuard's superior performance, MagicDNS convenience, and built-in SSH security. For anyone feeling squeezed by ZeroTier's new device-based pricing, switching to Tailscale is the clear path forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
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About the Author
Security & Privacy Researcher
Sam Patel is a cybersecurity professional specializing in application security, privacy tools, and secure software practices. With over 9 years in information security—including roles at security firms and as an independent consultant—Sam evaluates applications for security vulnerabilities, data handling practices, and privacy implications.