head to head · open source
algo vs cloudflared
algo has 30,450 GitHub stars, 2,373 forks, 77 open issues and last shipped today. cloudflared has 16,454 stars, 1,521 forks, 545 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. algo leads on adoption by 85% (30,450 vs 16,454 stars). algo is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; cloudflared is written in Go under Apache-2.0. algo has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, cloudflared 9%. algo was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| algo | cloudflared | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 30K | ★ 16K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-06 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.4K | ⑂ 1.5K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick algo if
- You weight community size — 30K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick cloudflared if
- You want the cloudflared feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and cloudflared fits your workflow better
About algo
Algo VPN Algo VPN is a set of Ansible scripts that simplify the setup of a personal WireGuard and IPsec VPN. It uses the most secure defaults available and works with common cloud providers. See our release announcement for more information. Features Supports only IKEv2 with strong crypto (AES GCM, SHA2, and P 256) for iOS, MacOS, and Linux Supports WireGuard for all of the above, in addition to Android and Windows 11 Generates .conf files and QR codes for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows WireGuard clients Generates Apple profiles to auto configure iOS and macOS devices for IPsec no client software required…
About cloudflared
Cloudflare Tunnel client Contains the command line client for Cloudflare Tunnel, a tunneling daemon that proxies traffic from the Cloudflare network to your origins. This daemon sits between Cloudflare network and your origin (e.g. a webserver). Cloudflare attracts client requests and sends them to you via this daemon, without requiring you to poke holes on your firewall your origin can remain as closed as possible. Extensive documentation can be found in the Cloudflare Tunnel section of the Cloudflare Docs. All usages related with proxying to your origins are available under cloudflared tunnel help . You can…
read the full cloudflared overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is algo or cloudflared more popular?
algo has 30,450 GitHub stars and cloudflared has 16,454. algo has the larger community by that measure.
Are algo and cloudflared free?
Both are open source. algo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and cloudflared under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between algo and cloudflared?
algo is written in Python and cloudflared in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, algo or cloudflared?
Choose algo if you want the larger community (30,450 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose cloudflared if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.