head to head · open source
algo vs SoftEtherVPN
algo has 30,448 GitHub stars, 2,373 forks, 77 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. SoftEtherVPN has 13,705 stars, 2,804 forks, 296 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. algo leads on adoption by 122% (30,448 vs 13,705 stars). algo is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; SoftEtherVPN is written in C under Apache-2.0. algo has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, SoftEtherVPN 20%. SoftEtherVPN was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ipsec, vpn), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | SoftEtherVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 30K | ★ 14K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | C |
| Last push | 2026-10-28 | 2026-10-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.4K | ⑂ 2.8K |
| 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 SoftEtherVPN if
- You want the SoftEtherVPN feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You evaluated both and SoftEtherVPN 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 SoftEtherVPN
SoftEther VPN SoftEther VPN BOARD MEMBERS OF THIS REPOSITORY SOFTETHER VPN ADVANTAGES Installation For FreeBSD For Windows From binary installers (stable channel) Build from Source code Antivirus False Positive Detection About HTML5 based Modern Admin Console and JSON RPC API Suite Built in SoftEther VPN Server HTML5 Ajax based Web Administration Console Built in SoftEther Server VPN JSON RPC API Suite TO CIRCUMVENT YOUR GOVERNMENT'S FIREWALL RESTRICTION SOURCE CODE CONTRIBUTION DEAR SECURITY EXPERTS SoftEther VPN (Developer Edition Master Repository) An Open Source Cross platform Multi protocol VPN Program This…
read the full SoftEtherVPN overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is algo or SoftEtherVPN more popular?
algo has 30,448 GitHub stars and SoftEtherVPN has 13,705. algo has the larger community by that measure.
Are algo and SoftEtherVPN free?
Both are open source. algo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SoftEtherVPN under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between algo and SoftEtherVPN?
algo is written in Python and SoftEtherVPN in C. 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 SoftEtherVPN?
Choose algo if you want the larger community (30,448 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose SoftEtherVPN if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.