Tailscale

KEEP IT

The value is the network, the data or the infrastructure. Keep paying.

A private network between your machines built on WireGuard: devices find each other wherever they are, with the key exchange and NAT traversal handled by a coordination service.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is

Run the coordination server yourself. Do not reimplement it.

WHAT IS ACTUALLY HARD
- NAT traversal, not encryption. WireGuard already does the encryption

THE PRACTICAL ROUTE
- Headscale is an open coordination server the official Tailscale clients talk to
- Run it on a machine with a public address, point your clients at it, keep the apps

IF YOU WANT PLAIN WIREGUARD INSTEAD
- One server with a public address as the hub, every other machine a peer
- All traffic goes through the hub; no direct peer-to-peer, so latency between two clients doubles
- That is the trade you are making, and it is fine for a handful of machines

DOING IT SAFELY
- One key pair per device, never shared
- Keys generated on the device; the private key never leaves it
- A documented procedure for removing a lost device, tested once before you need it

Include the compose file, the client config template and the revocation procedure.

What you lose

NAT traversal that gets two machines behind home routers talking directly, which is genuinely difficult networking
Key distribution, device authorisation and single sign-on across a fleet
Relay servers for the connections that cannot be made direct

If you would rather not build

Plain WireGuard through one public hub

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

Headscale

An open coordination server that the official Tailscale clients connect to.

juanfont/headscalefree · open source

NetBird

An open mesh VPN with its own clients and a self-hosted control plane.

netbirdio/netbirdfree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

30/100

Verdict no at 30. WireGuard is free and easy; the coordination and NAT traversal are the product. Headscale is the honest middle route.

History

tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 days

Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.

Questions about Tailscale

answered from the record above

Is Tailscale free?

No — the plan we track is $6 a month. Personal Plus at around $5 a month and Starter around $6 per user per month; a generous free tier covers individuals.

Can you replace Tailscale by building your own?

KEEP IT. The value is the network, the data or the infrastructure. Keep paying. Replacement score 30 out of 100, build time longer than it saves. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does Tailscale cost?

$6 a month on Starter — $72 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing Tailscale?

NAT traversal that gets two machines behind home routers talking directly, which is genuinely difficult networking; Key distribution, device authorisation and single sign-on across a fleet; Relay servers for the connections that cannot be made direct. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Tailscale?

Yes: Headscale, NetBird. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

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