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Karadul
What Karadul is
Karadul is a free, MIT-licensed, self-hosted mesh VPN for peer-to-peer connections across NAT boundaries. It is WireGuard-compatible and runs without a SaaS dependency: one Go binary can act as a node, coordination server, or DERP relay. You operate the coordination server and relays yourself and control your keys. Networking includes STUN discovery, UDP hole punching, DERP fallback, subnet routing, and exit nodes. MagicDNS resolves mesh names to virtual IP addresses, with optional DNS-over-HTTPS for upstream queries. The built-in web interface provides a dashboard, topology graph, node and peer management, settings, and live WebSocket updates. Karadul supports Linux, macOS, and Windows, with self-hosted and web access. The project describes Noise IK, X25519, ChaCha20-Poly1305, and BLAKE2s cryptography, while stating it does not implement its own cryptography. Its security policy labels the project beta and notes basic ACL controls, no built-in rate limiting, and no audit logging.
Who it suits
Karadul suits people who want to self-host VPN coordination, relays, infrastructure, and keys. It is also relevant to users needing NAT traversal, subnet routing, or exit nodes on Linux, macOS, or Windows.
What it does well
- Free and MIT licensed
- Single binary deployment
- Peer-to-peer NAT traversal
- Built-in topology and node dashboard
- MagicDNS and optional DNS-over-HTTPS
What to know first
- Beta project
- No built-in rate limiting
- Basic ACL controls
- No audit logging
Verdict
Karadul offers self-hosted mesh networking with a single-binary architecture and several NAT traversal options. Its beta status and listed security limitations should be considered before production deployment.
Facts from Karadul's own pages
- Access model
- vpn · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Admin control level
- basic · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Architecture
- A single Go binary can run as a node, coordination server, or DERP relay, with no SaaS dependency. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Audit logs
- No · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- DNS
- MagicDNS resolves mesh hostnames to virtual IPs, and upstream DNS queries can optionally use DNS-over-HTTPS. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The README recommends Karadul for people seeking self-hosting, a single binary without database dependencies, and control of their infrastructure and keys. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository identifies Karadul as MIT licensed. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Mobile support
- The README marks mobile support as planned. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Network features
- The README lists STUN and hole-punching NAT traversal, MagicDNS, ACL support, and exit nodes. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Networking
- Features include STUN discovery, UDP hole punching, DERP relay fallback, subnet routing, and exit nodes. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Platforms
- The README provides installation instructions for macOS, Linux, Windows, and Docker; it says mobile support is planned. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Product
- Karadul is a self-hosted, WireGuard-compatible mesh VPN for peer-to-peer connections across NAT boundaries. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Security
- The project describes Noise IK, X25519, ChaCha20-Poly1305, and BLAKE2s cryptography, and says it does not implement its own cryptography. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Security limitation
- The security policy identifies the project as beta and lists no built-in rate limiting, basic ACL controls, and no audit logging as limitations. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Security reporting
- The security policy asks users to report vulnerabilities privately by email rather than opening a public issue. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Self-hosting
- The project says users operate their own coordination server and DERP relays and control their keys, without relying on SaaS. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Site-to-site networking
- Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- SSO / SCIM
- No · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Support
- The project directs users to report bugs, test beta releases, or contribute through its GitHub repository. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- Linux,macOS,Windows · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Vulnerability reports
- The security policy asks researchers to email [email protected] and says it aims to acknowledge reports within 48 hours. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Web interface
- The built-in web UI provides a dashboard, mesh topology graph, node and peer management, settings, and live WebSocket updates. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where Karadul stands on Freedom251
- Business VPN Software#40 of 94