Headscale
An open source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server
Tailscale
The easiest, most secure way to use WireGuard and 2FA.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Headscale | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Category | VPN & Mesh Networking | VPN & Mesh Networking |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Primary language | Go | Go |
| GitHub stars | ▲45,028 | 38,070 |
| GitHub forks | 2,617 | ▲3,358 |
| Open issues | 137 | 4,776 |
| Docker pulls | 6,522,939 | ▲186,051,917 |
| Latest version | v0.29.6 | v1.104.2 |
| Platforms with an official client | 1 — Web | 1 — iOS |
| Third-party clients | 0 | 0 |
| Deployment methods | 5 | ▲6 |
| Data last verified | Oct 26, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 |
▲ = leads on countable metrics only (stars, forks, Docker pulls, official-client platforms, third-party clients, deployment methods). License, language, latest version, open issues and verification dates are shown side by side without a verdict — they are facts, not scores. Verification state per platform is on each app profile page.
Where each side leads
Where Headscale leads1
- GitHub stars — 45,028
Where Tailscale leads3
- GitHub forks — 3,358
- Docker pulls — 186,051,917
- Deployment methods — 6
Pricing
Headscale
Not documented
The schema has no pricing or paid-tier field, so no price is claimed for this app.
Tailscale
Not documented
The schema has no pricing or paid-tier field, so no price is claimed for this app.
Licence (BSD-3-Clause vs BSD-3-Clause) is the only cost-related field the database records, and it is a fact rather than a price.
Frequently asked questions
Is Headscale open source?
Headscale is licensed under BSD-3-Clause, verified Oct 26, 2026.
Is Tailscale open source?
Tailscale is licensed under BSD-3-Clause, verified Oct 26, 2026.
Which one has more GitHub stars?
Headscale has 45,028 stars and Tailscale has 38,070, both captured Oct 26, 2026.
Does Headscale have an official iOS client?
No first-party iOS client is recorded for Headscale. Tailscale does have one.
Can I run Headscale with Docker?
Yes. 2 Docker images recorded: headscale/headscale, ghcr.io/juanfont/headscale.
Can I run Tailscale with Docker?
Yes. 1 Docker image recorded: tailscale/tailscale.
How much RAM do they need?
Not documented. The database schema has no memory-usage field yet, so this site does not claim a RAM figure for either app.