Audience
System administrators and hobbyist self-hosters wanting a tool to build and control a secure, self-managed VPN/mesh network using Tailscale clients
About Headscale
Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted implementation of the control server used by the Tailscale network, enabling users to keep full ownership of their private tailnets while using Tailscale clients. It supports registering users and nodes, issuing pre-authentication keys, advertising subnet-routes and exit-node capabilities, enforcing access-control lists, and integrating with OIDC/SAML identity providers for user authentication. The server is deployable via Debian/Ubuntu packages or standalone binaries, configurable through a YAML file, and managed via its CLI or REST API. Headscale tracks each node, route, and user in its database, supports route approval workflows, and enables features such as subnet routing, exit node designation, and node-to-node mesh within the tailnet. Being self-hosted, it gives organizations and hobbyists full control over their private network endpoints, encryption keys, and traffic flows, rather than depending on a commercial control plane.
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Pricing
Starting Price:
Free
Free Version:
Free Version available.
Company Information
Juan Font
Netherlands
headscale.net/stable/
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Product Details
Platforms Supported
Cloud
Training
Documentation
Support
Online
Headscale Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What kinds of users and organization types does Headscale work with?
Headscale works with these users and organization types: Mid Size Business, Small Business, Enterprise, Freelance, Nonprofit, Government, and Startup.
Q: What languages does Headscale support in their product?
Headscale supports these languages: English.
Q: What kind of support options does Headscale offer?
Headscale offers support via online.
Q: What other applications or services does Headscale integrate with?
Headscale integrates with: Debian, Ubuntu, and YAML.
Q: Does Headscale have an API?
Yes, Headscale has an API.
Q: What type of training does Headscale provide?
Headscale provides training in the form of documentation.
Q: How much does Headscale cost?
Pricing for Headscale starts at Free.
