Top 11 Alternatives Hamachi for Virtual LAN/Coop Gaming

Many online PC games are designed with the idea of local multiplayer (be it a split-screen game or something else) in mind. When you connect it to the Internet, you simply need to get together with your friends, connect this system to an incoming LAN, and then do it in a multiplayer game of your choice. Unfortunately, if you’re not with your friends, the only option is to connect to a public online service. There is always an option to create your own server, but it requires port forwarding on your router, which may not be for everyone. Like valley, the creators of virtual LAN come to mind and the name Hamachi is the first to appear. Hamachi has been around for quite some time and is the preferred choice of many gamers.
That said, Alternatives Hamachi has its own downsides. The biggest one is that with a free account, a given virtual LAN can have a maximum of 5 clients including the host. Additionally, users have experienced a lot of lag and latency spikes. It really destroys the gaming experience. In my experience, when I host my own server with port forwarding, my friends want a 20-30ms ping, while their Hamachi pings are easily over 100ms. Therefore, it is necessary to resort to increasingly effective alternatives to Hamachi. If you are interested in Virtual LAN gaming and hard on Hamachi, you can move on to the following list of top 12 alternatives on Hamachi to use in 2022.

The Best LogMeIn Alternatives Hamachi in 2023

1. ZeroTier

ZeroTier might be a name you may not have heard of, but it’s one of the best Hamachi alternatives for creating your own virtual LAN. With support for virtually all operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux, ZeroTier is everywhere. ZeroTier is an open source app and comes with free Android and iOS apps. The software offers the functions of the best VPN, SDN and SD-WAN services with a single system. Also, the software is super easy to use and no port forwarding is required.

Because it’s open source, you get a lot of support from the community. You can always pay for the advanced plan for additional support and other benefits. Honestly, ZeroTier is one of the simplest yet most advanced virtual LAN builders that promises low ping, simple user interface, and is great for gaming and other VLAN functions.

Download (Free, Professional Plan – $49/month)

2. PlayHide VPN

Other software like Hamachi, PlayHide VPN is a basic service in OpenVPN that does not require to be configured for the future in Port. An attractive aspect of PlayHide is the fact that you can get started without creating your own account. The client application is light and simple. To ensure the security of the app, PlayHide VPN also allows you to disable the SMB function. It’s worth noting that PlayHide is open source and YOU can check out the app’s source code on GitHub (website). To do this, PlayHide VPN is the most you need in an easy-to-use application.

Download PlayHide VPN (Free)

3. GameRanger

What started as a project for macOS in 1999 and then expanded to PC gaming in the fall of 2008, GameRanger is one of the most reliable LAN gaming solutions available to users and one of the best alternatives to Hamachi. . While the customer may be shy about the sheer number of features offered compared to its competitors, GameRanger’s level of security and stability is second to none. This is because, unlike other virtual LAN game clients that use multiple drivers to emulate LAN games, GameRanger does it internally through their client. The advantage is that there are very low pings and high security.

One thing to keep in mind is the fact that while Hamachi can be used to play any LAN game over the internet, GameRanger will only work with the list of supported games. This is because support for each game needs to be added to the GameRanger client. All in all, if your game is compatible and you’re looking for a simple alternative, you won’t find anything better than GameRanger.

Download (Free, Silver Membership – $19.95/year, Gold Membership – $39.95/year)

4. NetOverNet

If YOU are looking for the easiest to use Hamachi alternative to create a virtual LAN to host private gaming sessions, then NetOverNet is the place for YOU. This simple yet powerful tool allows you to connect multiple devices over the Internet. While most of the software mentioned above in the list is geared towards gaming, NetOverNet goes by the name of a simpler VPN emulator that can also be used for gaming.

With NetOverNet, each device has its own username/password for a connection and is accessible in the user’s virtual network via an IP address defined in the private area. And while not developed from the player’s perspective, the client works quite well for gaming purposes.

Also, one can use this client to gain access to remote computers that are part of the virtual network, thus one can use the client to share data across systems. In other words, it is an alternative to a Hamachi to create your own VPN. Of these, instead, the maximum number of clients they will get is only 16 in the prepaid plan. In general, it doesn’t work for in public, but it works quite well for anyone looking to host private LAN Gaming sessions.

Download (Free, Base – $5/month, Advanced – $10/month, XXL – $150/month)

5. Wippien

Another great hamachi alternative to try is wippien. If you’re a gamer who doesn’t like installing a lot of necessary stuff on your systems, Wippien is for you. Don’t let the strange name fool you, the tool itself is very easy to use. YOU use the WodVPN component of WeOnlyDo to use a P2P connection with each of the clients to establish a VPN connection. In addition, the app is not only completely free, but also open source. However, the app only works properly with Gmail or Jabber accounts and does not support other email services for registration.

In terms of gaming usage, you can use directly for any game that uses a local network for multiplayer gaming. And the best? At only 2MB, the software is one of the lightest VPN builders out there that trust me works very well.

Download (Free)

6. Parsec

Parsec is another Hamachi alternative that has redefined the way we play video games together. While it may seem at first that Parsec is all about arcade games, it’s much more than that. Parsec allows you to create a virtual LAN game server using the local cooperative feature.

Use peer-to-peer connections with NAT traversal techniques to optimally connect different computers on the Internet. On the Parsec platform, you can play multiplayer games with anyone in the world with significantly less lag. The company uses its proprietary technology to allow users to play games at 60 FPS on a wide variety of devices.

I can assure you that Parsec does not have latency issues like Hamachi. Other than that, YOU can find players on the internet and play various arcade games together through matchmaking service. Basic, play with anyone, anywhere in the world. If you are also looking for the greatest hamachi alternative, be sure to check out Parsec.

Download (Free, Hourly charge depending on usage; Generally starts at $0.50/hour)

7. FreeLAN

Next is the generic VPN maker FreeLAN. Most of you will already know the name since FreeLAN is one of the most famous and easiest to use application to create your own virtual private network. The good thing about this software is that it is completely open source and can be customized to create a network with different topologies such as client-server, peer-to-peer or hybrid.

You can customize everything to your liking. However, the software does not provide a GUI and YOU must manually configure the FreeLAN configuration file to run the application, instructions for this can be found here. Also, the community behind this project is very active, so YOU will never be without support.

On the gaming front, games run smoothly, with no lag, and there are no sudden ping spikes. Overall, it’s one of the most comprehensive and user-friendly VPN builders out there, and works well as a free Hamachi alternative.