Nebula

Active

nebula.defined.net

Country: United States (US)
Founded: 2019
Developer: Defined Networking, Inc
Pricing: Free (open-source)
Open source: Yes
Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Indexes

VPN

Overview

Nebula is a scalable overlay networking tool that creates a secure mesh VPN for connecting computers and devices worldwide, emphasizing performance, simplicity, and security. It uses encryption, security groups, certificates, and tunneling to form a private network overlay, suitable for small groups or large-scale deployments up to tens of thousands of devices. Defined Networking offers a Managed Nebula service for simplified setup and management.

Key Features

Overlay Mesh Networking - Creates a point-to-point mesh VPN connecting devices directly without centralized brokers.
Certificate-based Authentication - Uses cryptographic certificates for secure peer identification and access control.
Security Groups - Defines firewall rules based on groups for fine-grained access control.
High Performance - Optimized for low latency and high throughput in global connections.
Lighthouse Peers - Designated nodes assist in peer discovery without compromising security.
Unsafe Routes - Supports site-to-site VPN configurations with administrator-managed routing.
Managed Service - Cloud-based platform simplifies network configuration and host management.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Open Source	Free	Self-hosted deployment with full source code access.
Managed Nebula	Not specified in sources	Cloud-managed network setup, authentication, and configuration via defined.net.

Platforms & Requirements

Nebula runs on macOS, Windows, Linux desktops/servers, iOS, and Android via native apps. Mobile apps leverage platform VPN services; no IPv6 overlay support currently. Minimum requirements are standard for each OS with no specific hardware noted.

Integrations & Ecosystem

Tailscale-like mesh networking
Zerotier-compatible overlay concepts
IPSec policy customization (in some contexts)
CIDR-based subnet routing
Authenticator apps for 2FA (Managed Nebula)
QR code host configuration

Alternatives

App	Difference
Tailscale	Proprietary with centralized coordination server; Nebula is fully open-source.
Zerotier	Similar mesh VPN but with commercial elements; Nebula emphasizes no commercial control.
WireGuard	Base layer protocol; Nebula builds higher-level overlay with groups and certificates.
OpenVPN	Client-server model; Nebula uses peer-to-peer mesh topology.

Reputation

Nebula is praised for its open-source nature, performance, and simplicity in creating secure overlays without vendor lock-in, distinguishing it from proprietary alternatives. Users appreciate its scalability for both small and large networks, though site-to-site setups require manual routing configuration via unsafe routes. Lacks IPv6 support and managed service pricing details limit broader adoption insights.

Sources (7)