Tailscale vs Headscale

Fit:

Migration notes

Use compatible Tailscale clients configured for a new Headscale control-server URL; re-register nodes and recreate policy, DNS and routes. One tailnet, small-organisation focus; no built-in web UI or promised enterprise-service parity.

Sources: headscale.net, headscale.net, headscale.net, tailscale.com · checked 2026-10-21

TailscalePaid incumbent

Entry priceUSD 8 / seat / month

Pricing modelmixed, billed monthly

OwnerTailscale Inc.

Standard $8/seat/month. Resource and platform add-ons extra; Personal free plan is non-commercial. Monthly seat billing documented. Source

Tailscale plans reviewed
Personal	entry	Free
Standard	popular	USD 8 / seat / mo
Premium	business	USD 18 / seat / mo
Enterprise	enterprise	Quote only

HeadscaleOpen-source alternative

Fit for Tailscale

License

BSD 3-Clause "New" or "Revised" License A permissive license similar to the <a href="/licenses/bsd-2-clause/">BSD 2-Clause License</a>, but with a 3rd clause that prohibits others from using the name of the copyright holder or its contributors to promote derived products without written consent. May Commercial useModificationDistributionPrivate use Must License and copyright notice No LiabilityWarranty Summary from GitHub's choosealicense.com

Paid-feature tier A

Self-host

Paid-feature limitsNone established

Headscale plans reviewed
Headscale	free self-hosted core	Free

What you may give up

No paid-feature limits established for this edition.

Narrow single-tailnet Tailscale-compatible control-server scope; personal/lab/small-organisation focus.
Requires separately distributed compatible Tailscale clients; community web interfaces are separate projects.
No first-party hosted service identified in official project documentation.

Tier A: BSD-3-Clause self-hosted control server with no commercial edition or paid software gate found in official project docs. A applies to this narrow server, not enterprise Tailscale platform parity. No built-in web interface; clients are separate. License source

What running it takes

Headscale binary
Compatible Tailscale clients
Public IP/domain and HTTPS443

Hover or focus an icon for its name. Dashed means not established; struck through means no; grouped icons are alternatives.

Official Debian/Ubuntu packages and standalone binaries; manual install. Single-tailnet scope; no first-party web interface included. Separate relay topology and Tailscale client installation required. Infrastructure and staff time are not priced here; this page does not compare total cost.