Headscale vs ZeroTier
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Headscale
Open-source self-hosted Tailscale control server
VS
ZeroTier
Global virtual network for connecting devices anywhere
| Feature | Headscale | ZeroTier |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSL-1.1 |
| Language | Go | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary, docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44,077 | ★ 17,125 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Tailscale | Tailscale |
What are Headscale and ZeroTier?
Headscale
Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. It lets you run your own coordination server while using official Tailscale clients.
- Self-hosted Tailscale coordination
- Works with official clients
- Single binary server
- ACL support
ZeroTier
ZeroTier creates secure virtual Ethernet networks that connect devices as if they were on the same LAN. The controller can be self-hosted for full control over your networks.
- Layer 2 virtual networks
- Self-hostable controller
- Cross-platform clients
- Peer-to-peer connectivity
Headscale vs ZeroTier: key differences
Headscale is written in Go, while ZeroTier is built with C++. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Headscale versus BSL-1.1 for ZeroTier. ZeroTier is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Headscale. ZeroTier is the more established project (first released 2014), while Headscale arrived in 2020. Headscale has the considerably larger community, at 44,077 GitHub stars versus 17,125.
Why pick each one
Choose Headscale if…
- Full control of coordination
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- No official GUI
Choose ZeroTier if…
- Easy flat virtual networks
- Clients for every platform
- Self-hostable controller
Watch out for
- BSL license restrictions
- Controller setup involved
Frequently asked questions
Is Headscale or ZeroTier 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 ZeroTier free and open-source?
Yes. Headscale is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and ZeroTier under BSL-1.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Headscale and ZeroTier with Docker?
Headscale: yes. ZeroTier: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Headscale or ZeroTier?
ZeroTier has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Headscale. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.