Headscale

App in the BluixApps catalog

What it is

Headscale is an open-source implementation of the Tailscale control server — coordinate your own private mesh VPN without Tailscale's cloud control plane. Use Tailscale clients (Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android), but with full control over coordination, keys, and policies.

For privacy-bound orgs wanting Tailscale's UX without trusting Tailscale Inc., Headscale is the official-blessed self-hosted answer.

What it's for

  • Self-hosted mesh VPN coordination — alternative to Tailscale control server
  • Private device network — connect your devices privately
  • Site-to-site VPN — branch office connectivity
  • Privacy-bound networking — VPN coordination on your infrastructure
  • Multi-user network — invite team members to network

Who it's for

  • Privacy-bound orgs wanting Tailscale UX without trusting cloud control
  • DevOps teams building secure inter-service VPN
  • Remote-first companies giving employees secure access
  • Self-hosters building secure personal infrastructure
  • Tailscale power users wanting more control

Why teams pick Headscale over alternatives

  • BSD-3 — fully open
  • Tailscale clients work — official iOS, Android, Linux, macOS, Windows
  • Coordination on your infra — no cloud dependency
  • WireGuard underneath — battle-tested encryption
  • Active development — community-driven
  • Multi-user / multi-namespace — proper team support

Integrations

  • VPN protocols — WireGuard (Tailscale uses)
  • Clients — official Tailscale clients (all platforms)
  • Authentication — OIDC (any provider), HTTP-Basic, manual approval
  • DERP — embedded or external DERP relays
  • DNS — MagicDNS (Tailscale's DNS feature)
  • ACLs — Tailscale-style ACL language for access control
  • API — REST API for programmatic node management

Notable users & community

  • 25k+ GitHub stars
  • Active community on Discord
  • Recognized by Tailscale (compatible with their clients)
  • Featured in self-hosted VPN guides
  • Strong release cadence

Tips & operations

  • OIDC auth recommended — beats local user management
  • DERP relays — embedded fine for small; external for scale
  • Persistent volume — node state + keys + config
  • Backup is critical — lose state = re-onboard all devices
  • ACL discipline — define policies upfront
  • TLS for control endpoint — Headscale needs HTTPS

What we ship in BluixApps

  • Docker compose: Headscale + persistent state volume
  • Pinned headscale/headscale:0.23 (release-tagged)
  • HTTPS via Let's Encrypt
  • Embedded DERP relay enabled
  • Admin user via CLI on first run
  • Persistent volumes for state
  • Backup hook covers config + state
Read this app's deep dive on bluix.app ↗

Get this app — pick a BluixApps plan

Same catalog. Scaling tenant isolation, white-label and support tier.

TierTenantsCatalogSupportWhite-labelMonthly
Stacks119 curated stacksStandard$19/moDetailDeploy
Starter10Full catalogStandard+$15–25/mo$49/moDetailDeploy
Pro25Full catalogPriority bugfix+$15–25/mo$149/moDetailDeploy
Growth100Full catalogPriority bugfix+$15–25/mo$349/moDetailDeploy
Scale500Full catalog7-day window+$15–25/mo$799/moDetailDeploy
EnterpriseUnlimitedFull catalogPriority 7-dayBundled$1,499/moDetailDeploy

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