NetBirdConnect devices in a private WireGuard network with central access management.
100% free self-hosted open source (BSD-3-Clause) with unlimited peers, or free cloud tier (up to 100 peers).
Developer tools
Headscale
Free softwareOpen sourceLocal
Coordinate a private network for compatible Tailscale clients on your own server.
What you can use it for
Coordinate a private network for compatible Tailscale clients on your own server.
- 100% compatible with official Tailscale desktop and mobile apps across all platforms.
- Unlimited users, devices, routes, and namespaces on your own server.
- Total control over private keys, network topology, and node access control lists.
Workflow coverage and comparison notes
Self-host an open-source control server for secure peer-to-peer mesh networking using Headscale instead of ZeroTier Enterprise per-node plans.
Before you switch
Self-hosted binary written in Go requiring your own publicly routable VPS or server with HTTPS domain setup. Lacks Tailscale’s proprietary automated global DERP relay infrastructure and polished SaaS web admin console unless paired with community web UIs.
Alternatives to these paid apps
Each comparison covers the workflow described above, rather than every paid feature.
More for the same workflow
See alternatives →NetBird