Open Source Tailscale AlternativesVPN Services & VPN Clients like Tailscale

The best open source alternative to Tailscale is WireGuard. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Tailscale and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Tailscale are OpenVPN Connect, NetBird, Rayfish and Headscale.

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Most Tailscale alternatives are VPN Services, but you can also narrow the list to VPN Clients or Virtual LAN Software. Another popular filter is Open Source.
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Alternatives
Tailscale alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. WireGuard icon
     295 likes

    Implements modern cryptographic standards, maintains a small codebase for security auditing, ensures fast cross-platform VPN performance, supports embedded and enterprise environments, offers easy deployment, IPv4/IPv6, secure key exchange, and mobile app support.

    65 WireGuard alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2016

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • FreeBSD
    • Debian
    • Ubuntu
    • Arch Linux
    • OpenBSD
    • openSUSE
    Good alternative?
     
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    2
  2. OpenVPN Connect icon
     794 likes

    OpenVPN Connect provides flexible VPN solutions to secure your data communications, whether it's for Internet privacy, remote access for employees, securing IoT, or for networking Cloud data centers.

    65 OpenVPN Connect alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2009

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    • Cloudron
    • OpenAPK
    Good alternative?
     
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    3
  3. NetBird icon
     46 likes

    NetBird is an open-source Zero Trust networking platform that makes it easy for engineers to create fast, secure, and private networks with simple, decentralized management.

    46 NetBird alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2022

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    • Docker
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  4. Rayfish icon
     20 likes

    A peer-to-peer mesh VPN with zero infrastructure. Create a private network, share a code, and your machines reach each other as if they were on the same LAN. No servers to run, no ports to forward, no static IPs to manage.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Rust
    Good alternative?
     
  5. Headscale icon
     31 likes

    An open source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. HeadScale-ui is a complementary project to have a Web UI for this.

    26 Headscale alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2022

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • OpenBSD
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
    • Cloudron
    • Fedora
    • Docker Hub
    • Nix Package Manager
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  6. Open-source platform enabling secure, seamless remote access via WireGuard tunnels with identity-based controls, a unified dashboard for monitoring and configuration, automatic SSL management, granular policy enforcement, and exposure of private resources behind firewalls.

    69 Fossorial Pangolin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2025

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Docker
    Good alternative?
     
  7. SoftEther VPN icon
     128 likes

    SoftEther VPN ("SoftEther" means "Software Ethernet") is one of the world's most powerful and easy-to-use multi-protocol VPN software. It runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, FreeBSD and Solaris.

    59 SoftEther VPN alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2013

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Good alternative?
     
  8. Outline VPN icon
     41 likes

    Journalists need safe access to information to research issues, communicate with sources, and report the news. Outline lets news organizations easily provide their network safer access to the open internet.

    192 Outline VPN alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2018

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    • AppImageHub
    • Homebrew
    Good alternative?
     
  9. Amnezia VPN icon
     27 likes

    Combines classic VPN, free regional access, and easy self-hosted setup inside one open-source app. Built for censorship-heavy environments, it uses an enhanced WireGuard protocol, supports many platforms, offers region switching, and passed 7ASecurity audits.

    80 Amnezia VPN alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2022

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    • OpenAPK
    Good alternative?
     
  10. WG Tunnel icon
     20 likes

    This is an alternative Android Application for WireGuard and Amnezia VPN with added features. Built using the wireguard-android library and Jetpack Compose, this application was inspired by the...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2024

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    • OpenAPK
    Good alternative?
     
  11. Nostr VPN icon
     12 likes

    Private mesh VPN built on a FIPS-backed data plane, supporting invite-only trusted networks, device and peer approvals, MagicDNS, route advertisement, QR onboarding, Umbrel integration, desktop and mobile shells, WireGuard egress, and Docker coverage.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    Good alternative?
     
  12. Tinc VPN icon
     28 likes

    tinc is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) daemon that uses tunnelling and encryption to create a secure private network between hosts on the Internet.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2010

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
12 of 45 Tailscale alternatives