About Headscale
Headscale is a self-hosted server that works as the control plane for a Tailscale network. It is open source and lets you run that coordination part on your own hardware.
What it does
Headscale takes the role of the Tailscale control server. Your devices connect to it to find each other and set up private links, so you decide where that coordination runs. The project keeps a narrow scope on purpose: one Tailscale network, aimed at personal use or a small open-source group.
Key features
- Runs the control server for one tailnet
- Keeps the coordination service on your own machines
- Open source under the BSD-3-Clause licence
- Maintained documentation with setup and usage guides
- Community chat for help and questions
Who it's for
Homelab users and hobbyists who already run Tailscale clients and want to host the control side themselves. It also suits a small open-source team that needs one private network.
Pricing and good to know
The software is free to use under its open-source licence. You need your own server to run it, and the scope is one network rather than many. Check the current docs for the latest version before you upgrade.
Highlights
- Runs the control server for one Tailscale network
- Keeps the coordination service on your own machines
- Open source under the BSD-3-Clause licence
- Setup and usage documentation for each release
- Community chat for help and questions
