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Best Productivity ResourcesBy Shushant LakhyaniVerified creator

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Headscale

Run your own private network control server for Tailscale clients.

Visit Headscale4.5

  • Rating

    4.5 / 5

  • Pricing

    Free

  • Difficulty

    Advanced

  • Works on

    Linux

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What is Headscale?

Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. Its README says it aims to give self-hosters and hobbyists a way to run a private network of their devices. It needs a Linux or BSD server with a public IP address and some command-line knowledge.

Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.

Pros: what Headscale does well

  • Keep control of your network without a hosted account
  • Connects your devices as if they were on one network
  • Designed for homes, labs and small setups

Cons: where it falls short

  • Needs a server with a public address
  • Narrow scope, aimed at a single private network

Who Headscale is for

Self-hosters who want their own private network for their devices.

Who can skip it

People happy to use Tailscale's hosted control server.

Headscale alternatives

Not sold on Headscale? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.

All Remote Work resources

Homarr

Focus: dashboard, homelab and start page. Shares self-hosting and open source with Headscale. Adds Web and Windows. Rated 4.6 (Headscale: 4.5).

Web AppFreeWeb, Windows
4.6Visit

NetBird

Focus: wireguard and remote access. Shares vpn and private network with Headscale. Adds macOS, Windows and Android. Rated 4.6 (Headscale: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit

Atuin

Focus: shell history, terminal and command line. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Adds macOS and Windows. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit

btop

Focus: system monitor, terminal and processes. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Adds macOS and Offline. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit

Ente

Focus: encrypted photos, 2fa and cloud storage. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Freemium (Headscale: Free). Adds Web, iOS and Android. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Web AppFree planWeb, iOS
4.7Visit

fd

Focus: file search, command line and developer tool. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Adds macOS, Windows and Offline. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit

Free alternatives to Headscale

Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.

Firefly III

Focus: personal finance, budgeting and expenses. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Adds Web. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Web AppFreeWeb
4.7Visit

htop

Focus: process viewer, system monitor and terminal. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Adds macOS. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit

Jellyfin

Focus: media server, streaming and self-hosted. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Web AppFreeCross-Platform
4.7Visit

Navidrome

Focus: music, streaming and self-hosted. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Adds Web, macOS and Windows. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Web AppFreeWeb, macOS
4.7Visit

Paperless-ngx

Focus: documents, ocr and self-hosted. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Adds Web. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Web AppFreeWeb, Linux
4.7Visit

restic

Focus: backup, encryption and snapshots. Shares open source and github with Headscale. Adds macOS and Windows. Rated 4.7 (Headscale: 4.5).

Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
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