Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
DefGuard Server is a commercial vpn tool by Defguard. NetBird Connect is a commercial vpn tool by NetBird. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best vpn fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, integrations, company size fit, here is our conclusion:
SMB and mid-market teams needing a self-hosted VPN with actual device trust will find DefGuard Server's zero-touch enrollment via Active Directory and pre-logon VPN mode genuinely useful; it solves the "how do we authenticate before the user even logs in" problem that most commercial VPN vendors ignore. Native Windows and macOS clients plus WireGuard's performance backbone mean you're not fighting bloated legacy protocols. Skip this if you need vendor-managed cloud infrastructure or expect hands-off support from a large vendor; DefGuard's seven-person team means you're buying into self-sufficiency.
Startup and SMB security teams building multi-cloud infrastructure will get the most from NetBird Connect because peer-to-peer WireGuard encryption eliminates the need for expensive hub-and-spoke VPN appliances and centralizes access control without centralized gatekeeping. The self-hosted deployment option and native SSO integration mean you control your own key distribution and can tie network access directly to your identity provider, hitting both PR.AA and PR.IR on NIST CSF 2.0. Skip this if you need granular application-layer visibility or encrypted traffic inspection; NetBird operates at the network layer and won't give you payload inspection that traditional firewalls provide.
Self-hosted WireGuard VPN control-plane with enterprise management features
WireGuard-based peer-to-peer overlay network for secure connectivity
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Common questions about comparing DefGuard Server vs NetBird Connect for your vpn needs.
DefGuard Server: Self-hosted WireGuard VPN control-plane with enterprise management features. built by Defguard. Core capabilities include WireGuard VPN control-plane management, Pre-logon VPN for Active Directory, Zero-touch enrollment via MSI, App Store, and AD/Entra ID..
NetBird Connect: WireGuard-based peer-to-peer overlay network for secure connectivity. built by NetBird. Core capabilities include Peer-to-peer overlay network with WireGuard encryption, Automatic WireGuard key distribution and IP assignment, DNS management with automatic domain name assignment..
Both serve the VPN market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.
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