Headscale

Create and manage your own private network with this open-source Tailscale control server. Ideal for self-hosters, hobbyists, and small organizations.

Take full control of your private network with this open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. It allows you to run your own coordination server, removing the dependency on the official SaaS offering and giving you complete ownership of your network infrastructure.

The primary design goal is to provide a focused and efficient server for a single Tailscale network (tailnet). This makes it an excellent choice for specific use cases where a large, multi-user enterprise setup is not required.

This tool is particularly well-suited for:

Hobbyists building personal labs and projects.
Self-hosters looking for a private and secure networking solution.
Small open-source organizations needing a simple way to connect their resources.

By implementing a narrow scope, it offers a stable and manageable alternative for creating your own secure, point-to-point mesh network.

Directory Structure

headscale

config

config.yaml

data

.env

docker-compose.yml

services:
  headscale:
    image: headscale/headscale:latest
    container_name: headscale
    restart: unless-stopped
    command: headscale serve
    ports:
      - 8080:8080
      - 9090:9090
    volumes:
      - ./config:/etc/headscale
      - ./data:/var/lib/headscale
    environment:
      - HEADSCALE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET=${HEADSCALE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET}

.env

HEADSCALE_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET=your_super_secret_oidc_client_secret

Categories:

Mesh Networking

Similar to Headscale

View all tools

ZeroTier One (zyclonite)

Build secure global networks in minutes.

Mesh Networking

16.5k

1.6M

Create secure, resilient networks for any device, anywhere. Set up in minutes without hardware and manage everything from a single dashboard with end-to-end encryption.

Nebula

Build your own secure, global overlay network.

Mesh Networking

17.2k

211.0K

Create a fast, secure, and scalable overlay network. Connect hosts across any IP network using encrypted, peer-to-peer tunnels and a group-based firewall.

Firezone

Secure your resources with simple, scalable access policies.

Mesh Networking

8.5k

Replace your VPN with a fast, zero-trust solution built on WireGuard. Create simple access policies and sync users from your identity provider for easy management.

Headscale

Create and manage your own private network with this open-source Tailscale control server. Ideal for self-hosters, hobbyists, and small organizations.

Directory Structure

docker-compose.yml