A scalable overlay networking tool with a focus on performance, simplicity and security
⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourcenebula is nebula is an open-source project written in Go: A scalable overlay networking tool with a focus on performance, simplicity and security.. It provides a free, self-hosted open-source alternative to Slack.
| Repository | slackhq/nebula ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | developer tools |
| Language & Stack | Go |
| Software License | MIT |
| Community Traction | ★ 18.4K stars · ⑂ 1.2K forks · #792 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Oct 7, 2026) · 117 open issues |
| Replaces SaaS | Open Source Slack Alternative ($8.75–$15/user/month) → |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with Go, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
Star History
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+460
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
15
PER DAY
#108
MOST-STARRED Go
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +0 | +460 | +1.4K |
| Per day | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Forks gained | +0 | +24 | +60 |
nebula gained 460 stars in the last 30 days, about 15 a day, and now has 18.4K. It is about 7 years old and has averaged roughly 2.6K stars a year. It ranks #108 among Go repositories and #792 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
13
DAYS ON TRENDING
#3500
BEST RANK
Oct 7, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
nebula has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #3500. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
nebula is an open-source project written in Go: A scalable overlay networking tool with a focus on performance, simplicity and security.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in Go. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in Go for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ go install github.com/slackhq/nebula@latest⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
Go >= 1.21 runtime environment
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
nebula coordinates its core functionality through a modular Go pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Production System Integration
Embed nebula into Go backend services to handle core application logic.
CI/CD Automated Pipelines
Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.
Developer Tooling & Workflows
Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.
Open Source Extension
Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open MIT license.
🚀 Getting Started
Install nebula using your package manager: `go install github.com/slackhq/nebula@latest`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for nebula.
Import nebula into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `nebula --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with Go, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
slackhq/nebula is currently ranked #792 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #787 | NVIDIA-NeMo/Speech | Python | ★ 18.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #788 | nukeop/nuclear | TypeScript | ★ 18.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #789 | ether/etherpad | TypeScript | ★ 18.6K | Compare ↗ |
| #790 | keploy/keploy | Go | ★ 18.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #791 | lexmount/moli | Rust | ★ 18.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #792 | slackhq/nebula This Project | Go | ★ 18.4K | |
| #793 | sqlc-dev/sqlc | Go | ★ 18.4K | Compare ↗ |
| #794 | dotnet/runtime | C# | ★ 18.4K | Compare ↗ |
| #795 | plotly/plotly.js | JavaScript | ★ 18.4K | Compare ↗ |
| #796 | bluesky-social/social-app | TypeScript | ★ 18.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #797 | arc53/DocsGPT | Python | ★ 18.3K | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does nebula do? +
A scalable overlay networking tool with a focus on performance, simplicity and security
What language is nebula written in? +
The primary language is Go. Topics include: software.
Is nebula actively maintained? +
Yes, the last recorded push was on Oct 7, 2026 with 117 open issues being tracked.
How many stars does nebula have? +
nebula has 18,417 stars and 1,193 forks on GitHub.
How does nebula rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 18,417 stars, slackhq/nebula is ranked #792 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #108 among Go projects.
What license is nebula distributed under? +
The repository reports a MIT license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
