Software Alternatives & Startups

15Five VS NetBird

Compare 15Five VS NetBird and see what are their differences

15Five

15Five software elevates the performance and engagement of employees by consistently asking questions and starting the right conversations.

Rating
0 reviews
NetBird

Connect your devices into a single secure private WireGuard®-based mesh network with SSO/MFA and manage access with just a few clicks.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Freemium Free trial $5 / Monthly (Per user)
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, NetBird seems to be a lot more popular than 15Five. While we know about 21 links to NetBird, we've tracked only 2 mentions of 15Five.

social mentions
2 vs 21
HR popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 122

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

15Five
NetBird
Website 15five.com netbird.io
Pricing
Open source Freemium Free trial $5 / Monthly (Per user) Official pricing
Platforms
Linux MacOS Windows Android iOS Servers Docker +4
Company Startup from Germany · 10 - 19 employees · 2022
Listed in

About 15Five and NetBird

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

15Five
NetBird

No description of 15Five yet.

NetBird is an open-source Zero Trust Networking platform designed by engineers, for engineers. It radically simplifies how modern organizations deploy and manage secure private networks offering the speed, security, and scalability today’s distributed teams demand. Built on the trusted,...

Read more about NetBird

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

15Five 9 features
NetBird 7 features
  • Employee Feedback
    15Five allows employees to provide regular feedback, fostering open communication and addressing issues promptly.
  • Performance Tracking
    The platform helps track and evaluate employee performance, aiding in goal-setting and performance reviews.
  • Engagement Insights
    15Five offers insights into employee engagement levels, helping leaders to identify and address areas requiring improvement.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software is designed with a user-friendly interface, making it easy for employees and managers to navigate and use the tools available.
  • Integration Capability
    15Five integrates with various tools like Slack, Salesforce, and G Suite, allowing for seamless workflow integration.
  • Employee Engagement
    Emplify helps organizations measure employee engagement through surveys and provides actionable insights to improve workplace culture.
  • Data-Driven Insights
    The platform utilizes data analytics to identify trends and areas for improvement, helping organizations make informed decisions.
  • Customizable Surveys
    Users can tailor feedback surveys to suit their specific needs, ensuring they gather relevant information for their organization.
  • Consultative Support
    Emplify offers expert guidance and support to help organizations interpret data and implement changes effectively.

Possible disadvantages

  • Cost
    The pricing can be high for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
  • Learning Curve
    Some users may find a learning curve initially, especially if they are not familiar with similar performance management tools.
  • Customization Limitations
    There may be limitations in terms of customization to fit specific organizational needs or unique workflows.
  • Reporting Features
    Some users have noted that the reporting features can be limited or less flexible compared to other dedicated reporting tools.
  • Mobile Experience
    The mobile application does not offer all the features available on the desktop version, which might be inconvenient for on-the-go users.
  • Implementation Time
    Setting up and fully utilizing the Emplify platform can take some time, which may be a drawback for organizations looking for quick solutions.
  • Dependence on User Participation
    The effectiveness of the platform heavily relies on employee participation in surveys, which can be variable.
  • Complexity of Data
    For organizations without a dedicated HR or data analytics team, interpreting the detailed data and insights may be challenging.
  • Easy Setup
    NetBird offers a straightforward setup process, which allows users to quickly configure and deploy a secure network without needing extensive technical knowledge.
  • Enhanced Security
    The platform provides robust security features, such as end-to-end encryption and zero-trust architecture, to ensure safe and secure communications across devices and networks.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    NetBird is designed to work across various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and more, providing flexibility and interoperability for users with different devices.
  • Scalability
    NetBird allows for easy scaling to accommodate growing networks or expanding user bases, making it suitable for both small teams and larger enterprises.
  • Open-Source
    As an open-source solution, NetBird invites contributions from the community, which can lead to continuous improvements and transparency of its code base.
  • Zero bottlenecks
    Traffic flows directly between peers, eliminating the latency and bandwidth limits caused by routing through a central gateway.
  • Multi-Tenant Management for MSPs
    Manage all customer networks securely from one unified dashboard

Possible disadvantages

  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    The performance of NetBird can be hindered by poor or unstable internet connections, potentially impacting network speed and reliability.
  • Potential Learning Curve
    While the setup is generally user-friendly, users without prior experience in networking may encounter a learning curve when navigating certain advanced features or integrations.
  • Limited Support Resources
    As a relatively new or niche solution, NetBird might not have an extensive library of support resources, tutorials, or community forums compared to more established networking tools.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Although NetBird is cross-platform, there could be occasional compatibility issues with specific hardware or software configurations that require troubleshooting.
  • Resource Intensity
    Running NetBird's security protocols can consume considerable system resources, which might be a concern for users with older or less powerful devices.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

15Five
NetBird

Overall verdict

  • 15Five is generally considered a strong choice for organizations looking to enhance their performance management processes. Its focus on continuous feedback and alignment with organizational goals makes it beneficial for promoting employee engagement and development.

Why this product is good

  • 15Five is a performance management platform designed to improve employee engagement and productivity through continuous feedback, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), and performance reviews. It's known for its user-friendly interface, comprehensive features, and ability to foster a positive workplace culture. The platform encourages regular check-ins and communication between employees and managers, helping to identify issues early and facilitate personal and professional growth.

Recommended for

  • Small to medium-sized businesses looking to improve their performance review processes.
  • Organizations aiming to create a culture of continuous feedback and communication.
  • Managers seeking tools to set and track goals, support employee development, and increase engagement.
  • Remote or hybrid teams needing a platform to facilitate regular check-ins and updates.

No analysis of NetBird yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

15Five 4 videos + Add
NetBird 3 videos + Add

Emplify Customer Review | Jill Lehman, VP & CPO at Ontario Systems

More videos

  • - How 15Five Soothed the Annual Review Grinch
  • - 15Five Continuous Performance Management Software
  • - 15Five: Employee Engagement Software Overview

Get Started with NetBird: Build your Secure P2P Overlay Network

More videos

  • - NEW Netbird Control Center - Remote Access, Beautifully Visualized
  • - NetBird Explained: Architecture for Simple and Secure Remote Access

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
15Five
NetBird
100% 100%
HR
0% 0%
0% 0%
VPN
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing 15Five and NetBird.

What makes your product unique?

NetBird's answer:

NetBird is unique because it creates direct, peer-to-peer encrypted connections using WireGuard®, removing the bottlenecks of traditional VPNs. It’s open-source and self-hostable, giving full control and transparency to users. With identity-based access control and seamless IdP integration, it fully embraces Zero Trust principles. Its decentralized, high-performance architecture ensures scalability, resilience, and simplicity for modern, distributed teams and for MSPs.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

NetBird's answer:

Choose NetBird for its peer-to-peer WireGuard® architecture that delivers faster, more resilient connections without VPN bottlenecks. It’s open-source and self-hostable, giving you full transparency and control over your network. With built-in Zero Trust, IdP integration, and simple management, NetBird combines security, speed, and ease of use better than traditional VPNs.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

NetBird's answer:

NetBird serves anyone who wants to securely connect devices, users, and applications anywhere in the world without the complexity of traditional VPNs.

It’s built for DevOps engineers, IT and security professionals, and MSPs managing distributed infrastructure across cloud, hybrid, or on-prem environments.

User comments

Share your experience with using 15Five and NetBird. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

15Five no reviews yet
NetBird no reviews yet

View more

  • Self Hosting Like Its 2025
    kiranet.org · Apr 2025

    If you’re familiar with Tailscale, you’ll find yourself at ease with NetBird. It acts as a VPN server that handles a WireGuard network on your behalf, significantly reducing complexity. You have the option to...

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

15Five 2 mentions
NetBird 21 mentions
  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (July 2021)
    15Five | Remote: US, Poland, & Ukraine | Full-time | https://15five.com Multiple engineering and design roles, all fully remote: - Remote: Poland or Ukraine - Backend Engineer:... - Source: Hacker News / about 5 years ago
  • Migrating to Terraform: a retrospective
    At 15Five we migrated to Terraform in 8 months with a 3-person team. It went smoothly and gave us more confidence in our AWS infrastructure. When it came to setup a new VPC for a customer, the hours we invested returned to us in a speedy... - Source: dev.to / over 6 years ago
  • Putting GitHub Actions runners on your private network with NetBird
    NetBird is an overlay network built on WireGuard. Every machine you enrol becomes a peer with a Stable address in the 100.64.0.0/10 range, and peers talk to each other directly. There is a management service that Distributes... - Source: dev.to / 13 days ago
  • Put SSH Behind Tailscale and Close Port 22
    You can own the control plane. If that worries you, run Headscale, an open source implementation of the Tailscale control server, or use NetBird as an alternative mesh. More work, less reliance on one company. - Source: dev.to / 17 days ago
  • How I Ditched Datadog and Built a Self-Hosted Monitoring Stack on a $5 VPS
    NetBird creates a WireGuard mesh between your machines. The key feature is Network Routing — one peer acts as a gateway for a whole subnet. So your monitoring stack lives on 172.19.0.0/16, and any connected peer can reach Grafana at... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago

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Alternatives to 15Five and NetBird

When comparing 15Five and NetBird, you can also consider the following products.