compare
Headscale vs Netmaker
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | Headscale | Netmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Go |
| Licence | BSD-3-Clause | Other |
| Stars | 44k | 12k |
| Latest | v0.29.4 | v1.7.0 |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-06 |
| Release cadence | about 20 days between releases | about 62 days between releases |
| Active contributors | 20 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 2 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Both replace Tailscale. Alternatives to Tailscale →
PartialHeadscaleA self-hosted Tailscale control server, used with the official Tailscale clients, for a single tailnet.
Full replacementNetmakerWireGuard mesh with its own clients, a management server and access controls.
Headscale
- v0.29.42026-09-23Minimum supported Tailscale client version: v1.80.0
- v0.29.32026-07-29Minimum supported Tailscale client version: v1.80.0
- v0.29.22026-07-01Fix map generation serializing on the policy lock, so a mass reconnect on autogroup:self, via or relay policies no long…
- v0.29.12026-06-18Minimum supported Tailscale client version: v1.80.0
- v0.29.02026-06-17Minimum supported Tailscale client version: v1.80.0
Netmaker
- v1.7.02026-08-31Run multiple customer environments from a single Netmaker server.
- v1.6.02026-06-12Using Netmaker's Egress function at local sites, paired with local routing rules, you can bridge entire networks (site-…
- v1.5.12026-03-31These changes may impact existing deployments. Please review carefully before upgrading.
- v1.5.02026-02-11Time-limited, on-demand network access: users request access, admins approve or deny, and grants expire automatically.
- v1.4.02025-12-22Security feature that validates device compliance against configured policies based on device attributes such as OS, OS…
Headscale
unsigned The latest release, v0.29.4, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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Netmaker
✓ signed The latest release, v1.7.0, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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