head to head · open source
frp vs algo
frp has 109,502 GitHub stars, 15,213 forks, 48 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. algo has 30,388 stars, 2,366 forks, 77 open issues and last shipped 10 days ago. frp leads on adoption by 260% (109,502 vs 30,388 stars). frp is written in Go under Apache-2.0; algo is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. frp has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, algo 8%. frp 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
| frp | algo | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 110K | ★ 30K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-09 |
| Forks | ⑂ 15K | ⑂ 2.4K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick frp if
- You weight community size — 110K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick algo if
- You want the algo feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and algo fits your workflow better
About frp
frp is a fast reverse proxy written in Go that exposes a local server behind a NAT or firewall to the internet, built for operators and developers who need inbound access to machines they cannot port forward.
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.
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Frequently asked questions
Is frp or algo more popular?
frp has 109,502 GitHub stars and algo has 30,388. frp has the larger community by that measure.
Are frp and algo free?
Both are open source. frp is licensed under Apache-2.0 and algo under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frp and algo?
frp is written in Go and algo in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, frp or algo?
Choose frp if you want the larger community (109,502 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose algo if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.