Tailscale
A WireGuard-based mesh VPN that connects your devices into a private network with almost no setup.
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About Tailscale
Tailscale builds a private network, called a tailnet, between your laptops, phones, servers and cloud machines. Each device runs the client, signs in with an existing identity provider such as Google, Microsoft or GitHub, and gets direct encrypted WireGuard connections to the others, with relays when a direct path is blocked. It is not a VPN for hiding your location, though it can route traffic through an exit node you run or through partner Mullvad servers. Features include access control policies, MagicDNS, subnet routers, SSH, file sharing between devices and funnels that expose a local service to the internet. The client is open source, while the coordination service is hosted; Headscale is a popular self-hosted replacement for that part. The Personal plan is free for individuals and small groups, with paid plans for teams and enterprises. Clients run on macOS, iOS, Windows, Linux, Android and many NAS devices. It suits home-lab users, developers and teams replacing traditional VPNs.
Best for: Developers, home-labbers and teams who want private access between their own devices.
Pros and cons
What works
- Works through NAT and firewalls with almost no setup
- Generous free plan for personal use
- Fine-grained access controls and built-in SSH
Why people leave
- Coordination server is hosted unless you run Headscale
- Not a location-changing VPN by default
- Team pricing adds up per user
Top Tailscale alternatives
See all 6- 1
Headscale66.5Self-hosted control server that keeps the Tailscale clients but removes the hosted dependency.
- 2
NetBird62.6Similar WireGuard mesh that is fully open source and self-hostable.
- 3
ZeroTier59.6Long-standing mesh network with layer-2 networking and a free tier.
- 4
Twingate57.2Zero-trust remote access aimed more at company resources than personal meshes.
- 5
Nebula55.3Open-source overlay network you run yourself, with certificate-based trust.
Why people left Tailscale
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Tailscale: common questions
Is Tailscale free?
Tailscale has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Yes, Personal plan (checked on Tailscale's own site).
Is Tailscale open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at tailscale/tailscale.
What platforms does Tailscale run on?
Tailscale is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Tailscale?
The highest-ranked Tailscale alternatives right now are Headscale, NetBird and ZeroTier. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.