6 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Tailscale
The best open-source alternatives to Tailscale are Headscale, NetBird and Firezone.
About Tailscale: A mesh VPN built on WireGuard for connecting devices and servers.
Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Tailscale without giving up the features you rely on.
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Headscale
juanfont/headscale
Open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server.
Proxy & VPNGoDocker - Rank 2:
NetBird
netbirdio/netbird
Zero-config WireGuard-based mesh VPN and secure network access platform.
Proxy & VPNGoDocker - Rank 3:
Firezone
firezone/firezone
Secure remote access gateway that supports the WireGuard protocol. It offers a Web GUI, 1-line install script, multi-factor auth (MFA), and SSO.
Remote AccessElixirDocker
Why switch
Why teams move off Tailscale
Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.
Own your data
Your data lives on a server you control, not on Tailscale's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.
No per-seat pricing
Open-source alternatives to Tailscale are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.
Customize and extend
Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.
Full ranking
All 6 Tailscale alternatives
Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Headscale
Open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server.
Proxy & VPNDocker - 2
NetBird
Zero-config WireGuard-based mesh VPN and secure network access platform.
Proxy & VPNDocker - 3
Firezone
Secure remote access gateway that supports the WireGuard protocol. It offers a Web GUI, 1-line install script, multi-factor auth (MFA), and SSO.
Remote AccessDocker - 4
wg-easy
The easiest way to run WireGuard VPN with a web UI.
Proxy & VPNDocker - 5
OpenZiti
Fully-featured, zero trust, full mesh overlay network. Includes a 2FA support out of the box, clients for all major desktop/mobile OS'es.
Utilities - 6
Pangolin
Identity-aware tunneled reverse proxy with dashboard UI, access control, and WireGuard-based tunnels (alternative to Cloudflare Tunnel, Tailscale).
Web Servers & Reverse ProxiesDocker
What is the best open-source alternative to Tailscale?
Headscale is the most popular open-source alternative to Tailscale, with 44,378 GitHub stars. NetBird and Firezone are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.
Is there a free alternative to Tailscale?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can run a Tailscale replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.
Can I self-host an alternative to Tailscale?
Yes. Headscale, NetBird and Firezone ship a Docker image, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose in a few minutes. Your data then stays on hardware you control.
How do I migrate from Tailscale?
Start by exporting your data from Tailscale, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.