Headscale-Admin vs Sunshine
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Headscale-Admin
Web UI for managing self-hosted Headscale networks
VS
Sunshine
Self-hosted game-stream host for Moonlight clients
| Feature | Headscale-Admin | Sunshine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Svelte | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,104 | ★ 39,962 |
| First released | 2023 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Tailscale Admin Console | NVIDIA GameStream, Parsec |
Why pick each one
Choose Headscale-Admin if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
Choose Sunshine if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 40k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Headscale-Admin or Sunshine better?
Neither is universally better. Sunshine has the larger community, while Headscale-Admin is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Headscale-Admin and Sunshine free and open-source?
Yes. Headscale-Admin is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Sunshine under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Headscale-Admin and Sunshine with Docker?
Headscale-Admin: yes. Sunshine: yes.