Netmaker 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.
Tailscale
Zero-config mesh VPN built on WireGuard
| Feature | Netmaker | 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 | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,800 | ★ 36,807 |
| First released | 2021 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Tailscale, ZeroTier | ZeroTier |
What are Netmaker and Tailscale?
Netmaker
Netmaker is an open-source platform for building and managing fast WireGuard-based virtual networks. It provides a self-hosted server and dashboard for connecting devices across locations.
- WireGuard mesh networks
- Self-hosted control server
- Web dashboard
- Site-to-site VPN
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
Netmaker vs Tailscale: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Netmaker versus BSD-3-Clause for Tailscale. Tailscale is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Netmaker. Tailscale is the more established project (first released 2019), while Netmaker arrived in 2021. Tailscale has the considerably larger community, at 36,807 GitHub stars versus 11,800. Netmaker lists first-class Docker deployment; Tailscale does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Netmaker if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 11.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
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 Netmaker or Tailscale better?
Tailscale is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Netmaker if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Netmaker and Tailscale free and open-source?
Yes. Netmaker is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Tailscale under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Netmaker and Tailscale with Docker?
Netmaker: yes. Tailscale: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Netmaker or Tailscale?
Tailscale has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Netmaker. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.