Headscale

Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted networking platform designed to provide users with a self-hosted alternative to the Tailscale control server for secure private networking and device connectivity. They allow developers, self-hosters, and small organizations to create and manage their own private mesh networking infrastructure without relying on centralized hosted control servers. The platform focuses on delivering a lightweight, open-source, and self-managed VPN coordination solution suitable for personal labs, development environments, and small-scale deployments. Headscale is built specifically for users who want more control over their networking stack while maintaining compatibility with the Tailscale ecosystem and workflows.

They are designed for self-hosting environments, private infrastructure projects, and developer-focused networking setups where users require secure device connectivity and centralized network coordination under their own control. Headscale maintains a narrow and focused scope, supporting a single private tailnet for personal or small organizational use cases. The project is community-driven and actively maintained as an open-source initiative, making it useful for hobbyists, infrastructure enthusiasts, and teams that prefer transparent and customizable networking infrastructure over fully managed proprietary alternatives.

And the best part? They offer the platform as a free and open-source self-hosted project, allowing users to deploy and manage their own networking control server without licensing costs.