# free5gc/free5gc

Open source 5G core network based on 3GPP R17

Repository: https://github.com/free5gc/free5gc
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/free5gc
Homepage: https://free5gc.org
Language: Go
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: free5gc, 5g, 3gpp, core-network, release15, 5gc, upf, amf, smf, pcf, n3iwf, nrf, udm, udr, ausf, nssf
Last push: 2026-08-24T05:06:07+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 92/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 78, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2406, "days_push": 9, "days_rel": 64, "gap_med": 68, "n_releases_24m": 10}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2351, forks 753 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:40.345451+00:00)

## What it is
free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G mobile core network (5GC) compliant with 3GPP Release 15/17, developed as a Linux Foundation project in Go. It provides all core network functions (AMF, SMF, UPF, NRF, UDM, UDR, AUSF, PCF, NSSF, N3IWF) with a service-based architecture and supports Docker and Kubernetes deployments.

## Use cases
- run a private 5G core network for research
- test 5G UE registration and PDU sessions in a lab
- deploy a 5G core on Kubernetes for cloud-native experiments
- study 3GPP R15/R17 service-based architecture with real code
- build a campus or industrial private 5G network
- simulate 5G core network functions for development

## When to choose
- you need an open-source, standards-compliant 5G core for research, testing, or private networks
- you want containerized/Kubernetes deployment of 5GC network functions
- you need to experiment with or extend 3GPP R15+ core network functions in Go

## When to avoid
- you need a carrier-grade, certified production 5G core with vendor support
- you need 4G/LTE EPC or 2G/3G core functionality
- you lack Linux networking expertise (UPF requires kernel/GTP setup)

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: networking, self-hosted, microservices, deployment
- domain: networking, cloud-computing, self-hosted
- platform: go, self-hosted
- tags: 5g, 5g-core, 3gpp, sba, amf, smf, upf, nrf, core-network, mobile-network, linux-foundation, telecommunications, containers, linux, docker, kubernetes

## Member repositories
- free5gc/free5gc (main) score 92

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:40.345451+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:36:54.503495+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/free5gc/free5gc (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:40.345451+00:00, sha 9c863f2607ac)
  - homepage: https://free5gc.org (fetched 2026-08-29T10:17:19.215448+00:00, sha 4e74a90905eb)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.