NetBird
Open-source Zero Trust networking powered by peer-to-peer WireGuard
Tailscale
The easiest, most secure way to use WireGuard and 2FA.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | NetBird | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Category | VPN & Mesh Networking | VPN & Mesh Networking |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Primary language | Go | Go |
| GitHub stars | 30,214 | ▲38,070 |
| GitHub forks | 1,780 | ▲3,358 |
| Open issues | 800 | 4,776 |
| Docker pulls | 6,726,489 | ▲186,051,917 |
| Latest version | v0.81.4 | v1.104.2 |
| Platforms with an official client | 1 — iOS | 1 — iOS |
| Third-party clients | 0 | 0 |
| Deployment methods | 4 | ▲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 NetBird leads0
No countable metric where NetBird is ahead of Tailscale in the database.
Where Tailscale leads4
- GitHub stars — 38,070
- GitHub forks — 3,358
- Docker pulls — 186,051,917
- Deployment methods — 6
Pricing
NetBird
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 NetBird open source?
NetBird 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?
NetBird has 30,214 stars and Tailscale has 38,070, both captured Oct 26, 2026.
Can I run NetBird with Docker?
Yes. 1 Docker image recorded: netbirdio/netbird.
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.