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Headscale

DOCS3/5
HE5.5#68of 86
outWindowsoutMacoutLinuxoutAndroidoutiOS

Ranked in Business VPN Software·Free plan

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About

Headscale is ranked #68 of 86 in business VPN software on Inferse. It runs on Android, API, iOS, Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Windows. There is a free plan.

Compared on business VPN software

SSO / SCIM
Yesheadscale.net
Device posture
Noheadscale.net
Site-to-site networking
Yesheadscale.net
Admin control level
standardheadscale.net
Access model
vpnheadscale.net
Supported platforms
Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, tvOSheadscale.net

Facts

Purpose
Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Intended users
The project targets self-hosters and hobbyists, with a single tailnet intended for personal use or a small open-source organisation.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Networking features
Listed features include node registration, MagicDNS, split DNS, Taildrop, tags, subnet routers, exit nodes, IPv4 and IPv6, and embedded DERP.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Access controls
The features page lists access control lists, API-based ACL management, some autogroups, auto approvers, and Tailscale SSH.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Identity integration
Node registration supports OpenID Connect, but OIDC groups cannot be used in ACLs.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Client platforms
The documentation lists Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS as supported client operating systems.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Installation
Official releases are provided as binaries for various platforms and DEB packages for Debian and Ubuntu; supported DEB distributions are Ubuntu 22.04 or newer and Debian 12 or newer.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
API
Headscale provides HTTP REST and gRPC interfaces for web interfaces, remote control, and custom integrations, and both require an API key.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Transport security
The service can expose its web service over TLS and supports certificate configuration or automatic certificate acquisition through Let's Encrypt.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Support
The project points users to its Discord server for community support.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Deployment support
The project says it officially supports binaries and DEB packages, while Docker deployments are not officially supported.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Scaling limitation
The FAQ says Headscale is not enterprise software and performance is not a development focus; many nodes with frequent network changes can keep resource usage high and cause it to fall behind.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Database
The project recommends SQLite and says PostgreSQL is supported but in maintenance mode.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026
Project maintainers
The documentation names Kristoffer Dalby and Juan Font as maintainers.headscale.net · 11 Oct 2026

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Where it ranks on Inferse

Sources