head to head · open source
algo vs SoftEtherVPN
algo has 30,388 GitHub stars, 2,366 forks, 77 open issues and last shipped 11 days ago. SoftEtherVPN has 13,571 stars, 2,781 forks, 296 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. algo leads on adoption by 124% (30,388 vs 13,571 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 | 2026-09-09 | 2026-09-13 |
| 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 is a set of Ansible scripts from Trail of Bits, written in Python and released under AGPL 3.0, that turns a fresh cloud virtual machine into a personal WireGuard and IPsec VPN server, and it is aimed at individuals and small teams who want to run their own VPN instead of trusting a hosted provider.
About SoftEtherVPN
SoftEther VPN is an open source, cross platform, multi protocol VPN server and client, written in C and licensed under Apache 2.0, intended for administrators and self hosters who need one program to serve many VPN protocols instead of running several separate daemons.
read the full SoftEtherVPN overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is algo or SoftEtherVPN more popular?
algo has 30,388 GitHub stars and SoftEtherVPN has 13,571. 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 (30,388 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.