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Indie alternatives to Tailscale
3 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Tailscale does, 3 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.
At a glance
| Product | Price | Open source | Self-host | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headscale | Free | Yes | Yes | Self-hosted, Linux |
| NetBird | Free plan | Yes | Yes | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted |
| ZeroTier | Free plan | – | – | Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
The alternatives
Questions
Is there a free alternative to Tailscale?
Yes. 3 of the 3 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: Headscale, NetBird and ZeroTier.
Is there an open-source alternative to Tailscale?
Headscale and NetBird are open source.
Can I self-host an alternative to Tailscale?
Yes: Headscale and NetBird can run on your own server.
Which Tailscale alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?
On Mac: NetBird and ZeroTier. On Windows: NetBird and ZeroTier. On iPhone and iPad: NetBird and ZeroTier. On Android: NetBird and ZeroTier.
What makes these alternatives to Tailscale “indie”?
They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Tailscale.
Ask your AI instead
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