“ZeroTier keeps getting less stable in China — is there a reliable alternative?” That is one of the questions we are asked most often these days. Here is a direct answer: first, the three fundamental weaknesses of ZeroTier in China; then the alternatives; and finally, who our in-house sTrust is right for, and who it is not.
The Bottom Line First: How to Choose a ZeroTier Alternative in China
If you are a company in China using ZeroTier for multi-site networking or remote work, and you are running into unstable connections or compliance concerns, then:
- You need enterprise-grade zero trust plus auditable compliance → we recommend sTrust (Siwenlide): the control plane is 100% in China, ICP filing is complete, it meets MLPS 2.0 (China’s Multi-Level Protection Scheme), and it goes live in 5 minutes.
- You are an individual or a small team and just need to get connected → Oray Pgy, ToDesk multi-site networking and similar tools also work, but they lean toward remote control and personal use.
- You have technical capability and want to self-host → build your own Headscale (the open-source Tailscale control plane) or your own VPN stack, but you will have to run it and keep it stable yourself.
Three Fundamental Weaknesses of ZeroTier in China
1. The control plane is overseas, so connections are unstable. ZeroTier’s root servers and control plane are in the United States, so devices in China must first reach an overseas control plane before they can form a network. During peak hours this frequently means timeouts, dropped connections, and slow handshakes. This is not a problem with your network; it is dictated by the architecture.
2. Cross-border data flows raise compliance doubts. Networking metadata passes through overseas servers. For companies that need to pass MLPS 2.0, or that are sensitive to China’s Data Security Law and Personal Information Protection Law, this is a weakness that will not survive an audit.
3. No ICP filing in China and no local support. When something goes wrong, all you can do is read English documentation and submit English tickets. Responses are slow, and there is no way to achieve compliant deployment in China.
How sTrust Solves This
sTrust is a zero trust secure access (ZTNA/SDP) solution developed and operated in-house by Beijing Siwen Lide Technology & Trade Co., Ltd., designed specifically for companies in China:
| Dimension | ZeroTier | sTrust |
|---|---|---|
| Control plane location | United States | Mainland China data centers |
| Connection stability in China | Medium–low | High (no overseas dependencies) |
| MLPS 2.0 / ICP filing | Not compliant / cannot be filed | Compliant / filed |
| Protocol | Proprietary L2 | In-house protocol developed in China |
| Chinese-language support | English only | 7×12 in Chinese |
The core philosophy is different as well: ZeroTier is “one big virtual Layer 2 network — once you join, everything talks to everything.” sTrust is zero trust — each user is granted on-demand access to specific subnets, IPs, and ports, and single-device login is enforced, so a single compromised machine does not spread laterally. That makes it a better fit for enterprise security requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is it troublesome to migrate from ZeroTier to sTrust?
A: Not at all. The administrator registers → configures subnet authorizations → employees receive an SMS and download the client → they sign in with an SMS verification code and the configuration is delivered automatically. A 30-person company is typically up and running in about 2–3 hours.
Q: Does it support site-to-site (branch office interconnect)?
A: Yes. Through MikroTik RouterOS integration, an office router joins directly as a node, so branch-to-branch connectivity does not require every employee to run a client.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: The 30-user Standard edition is about RMB 7,000/year, with a free 30-day trial for 5 users with full features. It is more predictable than overseas solutions that charge per user.
Can’t connect with ZeroTier and want something stable in China?
sTrust zero trust: the control plane is entirely in China, compliance is auditable, and it goes live in 5 minutes. Free 30-day trial for 5 users: strust.siwenlide.com, or call 400-686-2011.
