OpenZiti review: open-source zero-trust networking overlay with SDKs and tunnelers. See features, self-hosting vs NetFoundry Cloud pricing, and alternatives.
OpenZiti is an open-source zero-trust networking platform designed to make network services invisible to anyone who has not been explicitly authenticated and authorized. Instead of relying on IP-based network perimeters, VPNs, or firewall rules, OpenZiti establishes a programmable overlay network where every connection is verified by cryptographic identity and policy before any data path is created.
The project is created and sponsored by NetFoundry, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based networking company founded in 2017. NetFoundry maintains OpenZiti as a fully open-source (Apache 2.0) project while also offering a commercial managed cloud service, NetFoundry Cloud for OpenZiti, for teams that don't want to self-host the control plane.
OpenZiti supports both a zero-code integration path, using lightweight tunnelers that route existing application traffic through the overlay with no code changes, and a deeper embedded path using native SDKs for languages including Go, C, Java/Kotlin, Swift, C#, and NodeJS, giving developers the strongest zero-trust posture by baking identity and encryption directly into the application.
The platform includes a policy-driven controller, distributed edge routers for global reach, and a web-based admin console for managing identities, services, and authorization policies, making it suitable for replacing traditional VPNs, bastion hosts, and firewall-based remote access with fully dark, invisible services.
OpenZiti itself is completely free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license, and can be self-hosted end-to-end with no licensing cost.
For teams that prefer a managed control plane, NetFoundry offers NetFoundry Cloud for OpenZiti with a free 30-day trial (up to 10 endpoints and 1 TB of data). Paid managed-service and enterprise support pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting NetFoundry sales directly.
Yes. OpenZiti is fully open source under the Apache 2.0 license and can be self-hosted at no cost. NetFoundry also offers a paid managed cloud service for teams that prefer not to operate the infrastructure themselves.
OpenZiti was created and is sponsored by NetFoundry, a networking company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Unlike a VPN, which grants broad network access once connected, OpenZiti authenticates and authorizes every individual connection by identity and policy, and keeps services invisible until access is explicitly granted.
Yes. OpenZiti provides zero-code tunnelers that route existing application traffic through the zero-trust overlay. Developers who want the strongest security posture can also use native SDKs to embed zero-trust connectivity directly into their applications.
NetFoundry Cloud for OpenZiti is a commercial, managed version of the OpenZiti control plane and edge router network, offered by NetFoundry for teams that don't want to self-host the infrastructure.
Common alternatives and comparisons include Tailscale, Cloudflare Zero Trust, Twingate, and Zscaler Private Access, though OpenZiti differentiates itself by being fully open source and embeddable directly into application code.
Yes, OpenZiti is commonly used to secure IoT and edge device connectivity by making devices reachable only to authorized identities rather than exposing them on the open network.