compare
Headscale vs tinc
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | Headscale | tinc |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | C |
| Licence | BSD-3-Clause | Other |
| Stars | 44k | 2.3k |
| Latest | v0.29.4 | release-1.0.37 |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-06-27 |
| Release cadence | about 20 days between releases | too few releases |
| Active contributors | 20 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 0 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.
PartialtincMesh VPN daemon configured by files, without a coordination server or SSO.
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
tinc
- latest2026-06-27Development releasepre-release
Headscale
unsigned The latest release, v0.29.4, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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tinc
unsigned The latest release, release-1.0.37, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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