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Defguard vs Headscale

The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.

DefguardHeadscale
LanguageRustGo
LicenceOtherBSD-3-Clause
Stars2.9k44k
Latestv2.1.1v0.29.4
Last push2026-10-062026-10-06
Release cadenceabout 31 days between releasesabout 20 days between releases
Active contributors7 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days20 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days
Flagsnonenone

How they relate

  • Both replace Tailscale. Alternatives to Tailscale →

    PartialDefguardWireGuard VPN with MFA and a built-in OpenID provider; clients connect through gateways rather than a mesh.

    PartialHeadscaleA self-hosted Tailscale control server, used with the official Tailscale clients, for a single tailnet.