Headscale vs Docker OpenVPN
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
Open-source self-hosted Tailscale control server
VS
Docker OpenVPN
OpenVPN server in a Docker container
| Feature | Headscale | Docker OpenVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Language | Go | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 42,612 | ★ 9,088 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Tailscale | NordVPN |
Why pick each one
Choose Docker OpenVPN if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Shell
Frequently asked questions
Is Headscale or Docker OpenVPN better?
Neither is universally better. Headscale has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Headscale and Docker OpenVPN free and open-source?
Yes. Headscale is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Docker OpenVPN under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Headscale and Docker OpenVPN with Docker?
Headscale: yes. Docker OpenVPN: yes.