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69 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
# Self-hosted vs. Cloud-hosted NetBird
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NetBird can be used in two ways: self-hosted and cloud-hosted (SaaS). The self-hosted version is a standalone version
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that can be installed on your own servers while the cloud-hosted version is a SaaS (Software as a Service) that is hosted
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on our servers.
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Often times, the question arises: what is the difference between the two? This post gives a short overview of the
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differences between the two versions.
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## Before Choosing to Self-Host NetBird in Production
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When we first created NetBird, our goal was to simplify network administration — freeing admins from the headaches of
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configuring firewalls, opening ports, managing VPN gateways, handling certificates, and so on. We wanted to provide a
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tool that lets teams completely close off their network from the outside world, while still enabling devices to seamlessly
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discover and connect to internal resources just by installing the client apps. However, as is often the case with easy-to-use tools,
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a lot happens behind the scenes. NetBird relies on a range of interconnected components that work together to ensure secure
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peer-to-peer connectivity, fallback relayed connections through a network of geographically distributed relay servers,
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and overall system reliability and availability. It is not an easy task to deploy and maintain such infrastructure in
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a reliable manner. NetBird is not just one VPN server. You can read more about how NetBird works [here](/about-netbird/how-netbird-works).
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## Installation and Maintenance
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NetBird platform is a combination of [multiple components](/about-netbird/how-netbird-works) that make it possible for
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machines to establish direct point-to-point connections and for network administrators to manage the network,
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e.g., control network access.
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When running the self-hosted version, you are responsible for installing and maintaining all the components as well as backing up
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and securing the data.
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The cloud-hosted NetBird only requires you to install the client software (NetBird agent) on your machines and log them in to the network.
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The cloud-hosted version is more suitable for organizations that want a hassle-free solution that is easy to set up and maintain.
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## Features
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While the self-hosted and cloud-hosted versions share the same core connectivity features, the cloud-hosted version has
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some additional features that are targeted at business customers and help with network automation and management. These features include:
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- **[Users and groups provisioning](/manage/team/idp-sync)** from your identity provider (IdP).
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- **[Traffic events logging](/manage/activity/traffic-events-logging)** of connections to internal resources for audit and analysis.
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- **[Event streaming](/manage/activity/event-streaming)** to 3rd party platforms and SIEM systems.
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- **[Integrations with EDR](/manage/access-control/endpoint-detection-and-response)** like CrowdStrike and others.
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- **[Peer approval](/manage/peers/approve-peers)** to join the network.
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- **[User invites](/manage/team/add-users-to-your-network#direct-user-invites)**.
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- **[MSP functionality](/manage/for-partners/msp-portal)** for managing multiple tenant networks from a single account.
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## Geo Distributed Relay Servers
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NetBird uses relay servers to establish connections between machines when a direct point-to-point connections isn't possible.
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When using the cloud-hosted version, you benefit from the geo-distributed relay server clusters that are located in multiple regions
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around the world ensuring that your machines can always establish a connection. The NetBird agents pick the closest relay server.
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When using the self-hosted version, you need to set up your own relay servers. This a complex task and requires additional
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maintenance effort.
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## Highly Available Management Layer
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When using the cloud-hosted version, you benefit from highly available control plane servers (Management) providing stability for
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your critical network infrastructure.
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## Get started
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<p float="center" >
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<Button name="button" className="button-5" onClick={() => window.open("https://netbird.io/pricing")}>Use NetBird</Button>
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</p>
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- Make sure to [star us on GitHub](https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird)
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- Follow us [on X](https://x.com/netbird)
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- Join our [Slack Channel](/slack-url)
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- NetBird [latest release](https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/releases) on GitHub
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