Author: Pavel Onuchin, VPN and network security specialist

12 min read

Updated: October 31, 2026

Radmin VPN alternatives: what to use instead of Radmin for LAN gaming, on Mac and on your phone

The closest alternative to Radmin VPN is ZeroTier: it also imitates an ordinary local network, lets 10 devices into it for free, and works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iPhone. Hamachi is free for 5 computers per network, Tailscale is free for up to 6 users with any number of devices, and for Minecraft Java the Essential mod is often enough, with no virtual network at all. Prices and limits were checked against the official sites on 27.10.2026.

One caveat right away. Radmin VPN and its alternatives build a network between your computers: in normal mode they don't change your IP for websites and don't unblock blocked resources. If what you really need is a VPN for websites and apps, not a "LAN" with friends, we recommend BessyConnect; details below.

What are the alternatives to Radmin VPN: a comparison table

Four programs fit the job Radmin does: ZeroTier, Hamachi, Tailscale and NetBird. The main differences are platforms, the free limit and whether the game finds the server in the list on its own or you have to enter the address manually.

Program	Platforms	Free	Registration	Server discovery in games	Difficulty
Radmin VPN	Windows 7 and later only	Fully, no paid features	Not needed, a network = name and password	As on an ordinary LAN	Low
ZeroTier	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, FreeBSD	10 devices, 1 network	An account for the network creator	As on an ordinary LAN (Ethernet emulation)	Medium
Hamachi (LogMeIn)	Windows, Mac, Linux	Up to 5 computers per network	A LogMeIn account to manage networks via the website	As on an ordinary LAN	Low
Tailscale	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Up to 6 users, unlimited devices	Sign-in via Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Apple, etc.	Often manual, by IP	Medium
NetBird	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, tvOS	Up to 5 users and 100 devices	A cloud account or your own server	Often manual, by IP	Medium
Essential (mod)	Minecraft Java on Windows and macOS	World hosting for free	Installed as a mod on Fabric, Forge or NeoForge	Inviting friends from inside the game	Low

The free plans of ZeroTier and Tailscale are explicitly marked as non-commercial on their pricing pages: that's enough for gaming with friends, but not for an office.

The "server discovery" column matters for games. Many LAN games look for a host with a broadcast packet. Minecraft Java, according to the Minecraft Wiki, sends multicast to the address 224.0.2.60:4445 every 1.5 seconds. ZeroTier, according to its documentation, emulates Ethernet and passes multicast. Tailscale works at the network layer, and its documentation says that broadcast and multicast may behave differently than on an ordinary LAN. So with Tailscale and NetBird the server may not show up in the list, and you have to connect by address.

Hamachi or Radmin: which is better?

For playing with friends on Windows, Radmin is simpler: no registration, no limit on the number of players, and everything is free. Hamachi is needed if someone in the group is on Mac or Linux, but for free it lets only 5 computers into a network.

Hamachi has more modes: the vpn.net site lists an "everyone with everyone" network (mesh), a "star" (hub-and-spoke) and a gateway, with AES-256 encryption. A network for 6–32 computers costs $49 a year, for 33–256 computers $199 a year. Note the date: the vpn.net footer says "2003–2018", and the Linux client version 2.1.0.203 was tested on Ubuntu 16.04 and CentOS 7.2. The site and the Linux version haven't been updated in a long time.

Radmin, according to Famatech on its official site, is completely free, with no ads or paid features, encrypts connections with AES-256 and doesn't limit the number of players. The company cites 60 million users. There is one downside, and it is decisive: Windows only. A detailed breakdown of the program itself, its connection problems and playing Minecraft through Radmin is in our article what Radmin VPN is and why it won't connect.

ZeroTier: the closest Radmin alternative for LAN gaming

In essence, ZeroTier is the closest to Radmin: its documentation describes it as a programmable Ethernet switch, so games see each other just as on a home network. The free Personal plan gives 10 devices and one network for non-commercial use.

How to set up a network:

The network creator registers on the ZeroTier site, clicks "create network" and copies its Network ID, 16 characters like d5e04297a16fa690.
Each participant installs ZeroTier One (the current version on the site is 1.16.2) and enters this ID in the client.
The creator ticks the new participants in the dashboard; without approval they won't get into the network.
From there, it's just like Radmin: the host opens the game to the LAN, and the others find it in the list or connect using the address from ZeroTier.

Keep in mind a discrepancy in the official sources. The pricing page as of 27.10.2026 says 10 devices, while the ZeroTier documentation still contains the old figure of 25. Go by the pricing page.

Tailscale, NetBird and Headscale: a Radmin VPN alternative for phone and Mac

If you need a virtual network with a Mac, Android or iPhone, the most convenient option is Tailscale: free for up to 6 users, with no limit on the number of their devices. To sign in, you need a Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Apple or other supported provider account.

Tailscale is built on WireGuard and connects devices directly. According to the FAQ on the pricing page, the free Personal plan used to fit 3 users and now fits 6. One more detail that is rarely mentioned: Tailscale can route all traffic through an "exit node". But that node is your own computer or server. Servers in other countries are sold by Tailscale only as a separate Mullvad add-on at $5 a month per 5 devices, and this isn't included in the free plan.

NetBird works similarly and also runs on WireGuard. In the cloud it is free for up to 5 users and 100 devices, and according to the documentation there are clients even for Android TV and Apple TV. The code is open, and you can run the server yourself.

Headscale is an open-source implementation of the Tailscale control server that you install on your own server (BSD-3 license). It is an option for those willing to administer a VPS, and for those who can't get through the sign-in to cloud Tailscale. How to rent and set up a server we covered in the article your own VPN on a VPS.

What can replace Radmin VPN for Minecraft?

For Minecraft Java, a virtual network often isn't needed: the Essential mod hosts your world for friends for free, right from your computer. In Bedrock Edition, friends are invited through the Xbox network with a Microsoft account.

Three working methods:

Essential. According to essential.gg, the mod supports Java Edition 1.8, 1.12 and versions from 1.16 to 26.3 on Fabric, Forge and NeoForge, and there is an installer for Windows and macOS. Hosting works peer-to-peer on your PC's resources. All players must have the same mods.
Open to LAN + port forwarding. In the pause menu, choose Open to LAN and set the port manually; otherwise the game will pick a random one and show it in chat. Then forward that port on your router and give your friend your external IP. This method works only with a public IP: if your ISP hands out addresses through a shared NAT, it won't work.
Bedrock via Xbox. The host invites friends from their Xbox list. On consoles, according to the Minecraft Wiki, online play, including LAN, requires an Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

If you want to stay with a virtual network, ZeroTier behaves like Radmin. In Tailscale, enter the host's address in the form 100.x.x.x:порт (port) in Direct Connection, because automatic world discovery may not work. And if the problem isn't the "LAN" but high ping to a game server, read the breakdown when a gaming VPN lowers ping.

Do Radmin VPN alternatives work in Russia?

We found no official decisions by Roskomnadzor to block Radmin VPN, ZeroTier, Hamachi or Tailscale (checked on 27.10.2026). But WireGuard-based programs are vulnerable to protocol filtering, and with some ISPs a direct connection doesn't get established.

What is known, by date:

On August 7–8, 2023, users of MTS, Beeline, MegaFon, Tele2 and other carriers complained about OpenVPN and WireGuard failures (The Moscow Times, 08.08.2023). Roskomnadzor did not comment on the situation. Tailscale and NetBird run on WireGuard.
In a question on Habr Q&A asked more than a year ago, a user wrote that signing in to Tailscale doesn't go through from a MegaFon mobile IP, while it works through other providers. The answers suggested Headscale on your own server.
The Radmin VPN help explains a Relay/TCP connection type like this: the direct connection failed, and the cause is most likely the ISP. The advice is to get a public IP or change ISPs. ZeroTier and Tailscale work on the same principle: without a direct channel, traffic goes through their relays (TCP relay for ZeroTier, DERP servers for Tailscale), and such a route is usually longer.

Famatech itself has a presence in Russia: the Russian version of the Radmin VPN site states that the company's interests in Russia and the CIS are represented by ООО «Фаматек Трейд» (Famatek Trade LLC) in Moscow. If an alternative won't connect over mobile internet, test it over your home connection, and vice versa.

Famatech Radmin VPN Ethernet Adapter: what it is and how to remove it

Famatech Radmin VPN Ethernet Adapter is a virtual network card installed by Radmin VPN. Through it, the computer gets an address from the 26.0.0.0/8 network and "sees" the members of your Radmin network. If you installed Radmin yourself, the adapter is needed for it to work.

Antivirus software treats the adapter as a separate network. That's why the Radmin help advises marking Famatech Radmin VPN Ethernet Adapter specifically as a trusted or private network in Kaspersky, Norton and Avast. More on such conflicts in the article antivirus blocks VPN.

How to remove the adapter completely:

Close Radmin VPN and uninstall it via Control Panel → Programs and Features. The adapter goes away together with the program.
Restart the computer.
If the adapter is still there, open Device Manager → Network adapters, right-click Famatech Radmin VPN Ethernet Adapter → Uninstall device and confirm.
If the program itself won't uninstall, the Radmin help recommends Microsoft's Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter: choose Uninstalling, then Radmin VPN.

According to the help, the "Waiting for adapter response" status is fixed like this: uninstall Radmin, restart, temporarily disable your antivirus and reinstall. If Windows shows device error code 56, Famatech suggests checking the system before reinstalling with the commands DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and sfc /scannow run as administrator.

Why we recommend BessyConnect

If what you need is not a LAN with friends but access to websites and apps over a secure connection, you need a VPN service, and here we recommend BessyConnect. Radmin, ZeroTier, Hamachi and free Tailscale don't solve this task: your IP for websites stays the same.

What BessyConnect gives you:

the VLESS protocol with Reality camouflage: to the network, the traffic looks like ordinary HTTPS;
more than 100 servers;
no logs are kept, registration is optional;
there is a trial period.

Download:

iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV — App Store
Android — Google Play
Android TV — Google Play
All platforms — download page

The honest limit. There is no BessyConnect app for Windows, while Radmin works only on Windows, so on a gaming PC our service won't replace it. BessyConnect doesn't create a virtual local network for Minecraft either: for that, Radmin and the alternatives in the table remain. BessyConnect isn't in the Russian App Store; installing it on an iPhone requires an Apple ID from another country. VPN options for a computer are collected in the article VPN on PC, and how to combine a virtual network and a VPN on one device is covered in the piece two VPNs at once.

The bottom line is simple: for LAN gaming, take Radmin on Windows, ZeroTier for a mixed group, and Essential for Minecraft Java. And if the task is accessing services from a phone, Mac or TV, install BessyConnect from the download page.

Frequently asked questions

Which Radmin VPN alternative should I choose for Minecraft? For Java Edition, the simplest is the Essential mod: it hosts your world for friends for free without a virtual network. If you specifically need a "LAN", ZeroTier works like Radmin, while in Tailscale you'll have to enter the host's address manually.

Is Radmin VPN available on Mac, Android or Linux? No; according to the official site, Radmin VPN is compatible only with Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11. On Mac, Linux and phones it is replaced by ZeroTier, Tailscale or NetBird, and on Mac and Linux also by Hamachi.

How many devices are free in ZeroTier, Hamachi and Tailscale? ZeroTier: 10 devices in one network; Hamachi: up to 5 computers per network; Tailscale: up to 6 users with an unlimited number of devices. Data from the official pricing pages as of 27.10.2026.

Can I remove Famatech Radmin VPN Ethernet Adapter? Yes. Uninstall Radmin VPN via Programs and Features and restart; the adapter goes away together with the program. If it remains, remove it in Device Manager under Network adapters.

Will BessyConnect replace Radmin VPN? No, these are different tasks: BessyConnect is a VPN service for accessing websites and apps, not a virtual local network for games. If you specifically need a VPN on iPhone, Mac, Android or a TV, BessyConnect will do, while for a "LAN" use Radmin or ZeroTier.

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