Networking

4 open source tools compared. Sorted by stars — scroll down for our analysis.

Tool	Stars	Velocity	Language	License	Score
Headscale Self-hosted Tailscale control server	36.8k	+260/wk	Go	BSD 3-Clause "New" or "Revised" License	79
Tailscale Easiest way to use WireGuard	29.8k	+293/wk	Go	BSD 3-Clause "New" or "Revised" License	79
Nebula Scalable overlay networking	17.1k	+43/wk	Go	MIT License	79
ZeroTier Peer-to-peer virtual networking	16.6k	+18/wk	C++	—	69

Our Analysis

Headscale36.8k★

Headscale is Tailscale without Tailscale's servers. A self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control plane that lets you run your own mesh VPN network with zero vendor dependency. Same WireGuard magic, your infrastructure. If you love Tailscale's simplicity but don't want your network topology stored on someone else's servers, Headscale is the answer. Tailscale itself is the benchmark — easier to set up, better clients, but their servers control your network. ZeroTier is peer-to-peer but a different protocol. Netbird is another open source mesh VPN with more built-in features but less maturity. Best for privacy-conscious developers and homelab enthusiasts who want Tailscale's developer experience with full ownership. The Tailscale clients work directly with Headscale — no custom software needed. The catch: you're responsible for uptime of the control server (if it goes down, new connections can't be established). The admin UI is community-maintained, not official. Some Tailscale features (Funnel, MagicDNS with HTTPS) don't work with Headscale. And running it means you need a publicly accessible server.

Tailscale29.8k★

Tailscale makes networking between machines embarrassingly easy. It builds a WireGuard mesh VPN where every device gets a stable IP, NAT traversal just works, and you're connected in minutes instead of days of VPN configuration. It's what VPNs should have been from the start. If you need to connect servers, dev machines, or home devices into a private network, Tailscale is the fastest path. Headscale is the self-hosted open-source implementation of Tailscale's control plane. Netmaker offers similar WireGuard mesh networking with more configuration options. NetBird is the fully open-source alternative with peer-to-peer focus. Commercially, traditional VPNs (OpenVPN, Cisco AnyConnect) are what Tailscale replaces. MagicDNS gives every device a hostname. SSH over Tailscale eliminates key management. ACLs control who reaches what. The UX is "install, sign in, done." The catch: the client is open source (BSD-3) but the control server is proprietary — you're trusting Tailscale Inc. with your network coordination. Headscale is the escape hatch but lacks feature parity. The free tier limits to 3 users. And if you're routing all traffic through Tailscale as an exit node, you're adding a hop that increases latency.

Nebula17.1k★

Nebula is the overlay networking tool Slack built to connect their global infrastructure — then open-sourced it for everyone. It creates encrypted mesh networks across machines anywhere, using a certificate-based identity system that's more secure than most VPN setups. Think WireGuard but with built-in service discovery and fine-grained firewall rules per host. If you're connecting servers across cloud providers or offices and want full control, Nebula is the power tool. Tailscale is the managed alternative — dramatically easier to set up, with SSO and a web dashboard, but you're trusting their coordination servers. WireGuard is the lower-level primitive Tailscale builds on. ZeroTier is another mesh option with a free tier. The catch: Nebula is self-hosted everything. You run your own certificate authority, distribute keys to machines, and manage lighthouse nodes for discovery. There's no web UI, no SSO integration, no user management. For a team of two, Tailscale's free tier saves you hours. Nebula makes sense when you need Tailscale's capabilities but can't send coordination data through a third party.

ZeroTier16.6k★

ZeroTier creates virtual networks that make your devices think they're on the same LAN, no matter where they are. Peer-to-peer, encrypted, and works through NATs and firewalls without port forwarding. Think VPN but without the VPN server bottleneck. If you need to connect home servers, cloud VMs, and your laptop into one flat network, ZeroTier does it with one command per device. Tailscale is the slicker alternative — better UI, easier ACLs, built on WireGuard. Nebula (from Slack) is lighter but requires more manual setup. Traditional VPNs like WireGuard work but need a central server. Best for homelab enthusiasts and indie hackers who self-host services across multiple locations. The free tier covers 25 devices — plenty for personal use. The catch: the control plane is hosted by ZeroTier Inc. by default. You can self-host it, but it's more work than Tailscale's Headscale equivalent. Performance is slightly behind WireGuard in raw throughput. And the licensing is a custom BSL-style — check it if you're embedding it in a product.