The Bottom Line
- Price
- Free plan available, paid tiers above. Compare plans
Key facts
- ZeroTier is a software-defined networking tool for virtual networks
- It creates secure, private networks connecting devices anywhere
- Free for up to 25 devices, paid plans for more
Pros
- Software-defined networking
- Easy setup
- Cross-platform
- Good for mesh networks
- Free for small networks
Cons
- Performance overhead
- Less proven than alternatives
- Some complexity
- Paid for larger networks
- Documentation could improve
What is Zerotier?
Available on: Web
Ratings Across the Web
Zerotier holds an aggregate rating of 4.2 out of 5 from 25 reviews across G2, Capterra and Trustpilot, last checked September 17, 2026.
Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more
Key Features
- SDN
- Virtual network
- Peer-to-peer
- Cross-platform
- Self-hosted option
- Open source core
Pricing
Zerotier offers a generous free tier with optional paid upgrades for advanced features.
Is Zerotier worth the price?
ZeroTier Free tier (10 devices, 1 network) is genuinely useful for personal VPN and home lab use.
The per-device pricing model means costs scale linearly with fleet size, which becomes expensive at 200+ devices compared to flat-rate alternatives. The new Quantum tier offers post-quantum cryptography for mission-critical infrastructure, a unique differentiator no competitor matches yet.
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Per-device pricing on paid plans scales linearly.
Free tier was reduced from 25 devices to 10 devices and from unlimited networks to 1 network. Existing free users may have been grandfathered, but new signups get the reduced limits
Network admin seats are limited per tier
1 (Personal), 5 (Essential), 10 (Scale). Additional admin seats require upgrading to a higher tier, you cannot add admins a la carte
Self-hosted controllers are possible (open source) but eliminate central management features, audit logging, and support. Running your own controller saves money but adds operational burden
Audit logs are only available on Essential and above (30-day retention). Scale gets extended retention. Compliance-focused organizations may need Scale tier purely for audit requirements
Bandwidth is not metered, but ZeroTier relies on peer-to-peer connections. If direct connections fail, traffic routes through ZeroTier relays, which may introduce latency and are capacity-limited on free/lower tiers
Reviews
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Across 25 verified user reviews on Capterra, Trustpilot, G2
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Zerotier FAQ
How does ZeroTier facilitate secure connections between devices?
Which teams would benefit most from using ZeroTier?
How is ZeroTier priced?
What kind of trade-offs should users consider when choosing ZeroTier?
Can ZeroTier be used to connect cloud resources with on-premise infrastructure?
How does ZeroTier compare to Tailscale for virtual networking?
Does ZeroTier support cross-platform compatibility for connected devices?
Source: zerotier.com