EasyTier vs Tailscale
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | EasyTier | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Rust | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,772 | ★ 36,776 |
| First released | 2024 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Tailscale, ZeroTier | ZeroTier |
What are EasyTier and Tailscale?
EasyTier
EasyTier is an open-source, decentralized mesh VPN that connects devices across NATs without a central server. It supports multiple protocols and is fully self-hosted for private networking.
- Decentralized mesh
- NAT traversal
- Multi-protocol transport
- No central server
Tailscale
Tailscale is a mesh VPN that connects your devices into a secure private network using WireGuard. The client is open source and can be paired with a self-hosted control server.
- Zero-config mesh networking
- WireGuard-based encryption
- NAT traversal
- MagicDNS
EasyTier vs Tailscale: key differences
EasyTier is written in Rust, while Tailscale is built with Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for EasyTier versus BSD-3-Clause for Tailscale. Tailscale is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for EasyTier. Tailscale is the more established project (first released 2019), while EasyTier arrived in 2024. Tailscale has the considerably larger community, at 36,776 GitHub stars versus 13,772. EasyTier lists first-class Docker deployment; Tailscale does not.
Why pick each one
Choose EasyTier if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 13.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Rust
Choose Tailscale if…
- Effortless zero-config setup
- NAT traversal just works
- Free personal tier
Watch out for
- Hosted coordination server
- Full self-host needs Headscale
Frequently asked questions
Is EasyTier or Tailscale better?
Tailscale is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider EasyTier if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are EasyTier and Tailscale free and open-source?
Yes. EasyTier is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Tailscale under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EasyTier and Tailscale with Docker?
EasyTier: yes. Tailscale: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, EasyTier or Tailscale?
Tailscale has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for EasyTier. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.