What does Headscale replace?

Headscale is a free alternative to Tailscale ($96/yr).

Is Headscale open source?

Yes. Headscale is licensed under BSD-3-Clause, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Yes (self-hosted server; web UI).

Yes. Headscale is a server app you run on your own server, and its repository includes Docker files.

A free, open-source alternative to Tailscale. Switching saves $96/yr at list price.

Checked Oct 17, 2026 · How we check

Self-hosted server

Open source · BSD-3-Clause Linux Self-hostable

juanfont/headscale44.4k★last push Oct 7, 2026checked Oct 17, 2026

Self-host

Runs on your own Linux server, with Docker files in the repo. Setup docs are on headscale.net.

What does Headscale replace?: Headscale is a free alternative to Tailscale ($96/yr).
Is Headscale open source?: Yes. Headscale is licensed under BSD-3-Clause, an OSI-approved open-source license.
Does Headscale run on Linux?: Yes (self-hosted server; web UI).
Can you self-host Headscale?: Yes. Headscale is a server app you run on your own server, and its repository includes Docker files.