NetBird
Focus: wireguard, open source and github. Shares vpn and private network with Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.6 (Tailscale: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Desktop App
Tailscale
A secure private network for your devices, free for personal use.
Rating
4.7 / 5
Pricing
Freemium
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
Cross-Platform
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Tailscale?
Tailscale connects your devices into a private network. The Personal plan is free forever for non-commercial use, with up to 6 users and unlimited user devices. It also includes basic roles and up to 3 ACL groups, and basic Tailscale SSH for up to 5 hosts. Paid plans cover business use and larger needs.
Pros: what Tailscale does well
- Free Personal plan with unlimited devices
- Up to 6 users
- Private access to your own devices from anywhere
Cons: where it falls short
- Personal plan is for non-commercial use only
- Some setup knowledge helps
Who Tailscale is for
People who want to reach their home or work machines securely from anywhere.
Who can skip it
People who only need a consumer VPN to change location.
Tailscale alternatives
Not sold on Tailscale? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
OBS Studio
Focus: screen recording, live streaming and open source. Also in Workflows and Remote Work, like Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds Windows, macOS and Linux. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
tmux
Focus: terminal, sessions and multiplexer. Also in Workflows and Remote Work, like Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds macOS and Linux. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
Deskflow
Focus: keyboard and mouse sharing, software kvm and multi-computer. Also in Workflows and Remote Work, like Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds Windows, macOS and Linux. Rated 4.6 (Tailscale: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
RustDesk
Focus: remote desktop, remote support and self-hosted. Also in Remote Work and Workflows, like Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.6 (Tailscale: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Headscale
Focus: self-hosting, tailscale and open source. Shares private network and vpn with Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds Linux. Rated 4.5 (Tailscale: 4.7).
OtherFreeLinux
4.5Visit
Free alternatives to Tailscale
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
handmux
Focus: tmux, mobile and claude code. Also in Remote Work and Workflows, like Tailscale. A mobile app, not a desktop app. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds Android, iOS and Web. Rated 4.4 (Tailscale: 4.7).
Mobile AppFreeAndroid, iOS
4.4Visit
reverse_ssh
Focus: ssh, reverse shell and networking. Shares remote access with Tailscale. A framework, not a desktop app. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds Linux, macOS and Windows. Rated 4.4 (Tailscale: 4.7).
FrameworkFreeLinux, macOS
4.4Visit
Ghostty
Focus: terminal, emulator and gpu. Also in Workflows, like Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds macOS and Linux. Rated 4.9 (Tailscale: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.9Visit
fzf
Focus: fuzzy finder, command line and shell. Also in Workflows, like Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.8 (Tailscale: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
lazygit
Focus: git client, terminal ui and developer tool. Also in Workflows, like Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.8 (Tailscale: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
navi
Focus: terminal, cli and cheatsheet. Also in Workflows, like Tailscale. Free (Tailscale: Freemium). Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.8 (Tailscale: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
Are you the maker of Tailscale?Get a free Featured badge for your site, a share image and ready-to-paste posts. No sign-up.
Free Notion database
1,100+ ways people are making money online
Real online businesses, creators and projects, broken down by how they make money: apps, online stores, AI tools and more. Free on Gumroad.
Get the free databaseFree Notion database
399+ ways to make money online
Hundreds of online income methods in one place, so you can compare options and pick one to try. Free on Gumroad.
Get the free listFor research and ideas only. Results vary and nothing here is a promise of income. See our Disclaimer.
Weekly newsletter
Everything new, every Monday.
One short email every Monday with everything shipped that week: new free tools and websites, new guides, new free browser tools and what's new in my free Gumroad libraries, plus how the site is growing. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Join the newsletterYou sign up on Gumroad, which stores your email to send the newsletter. See our Privacy Policy.