Headscale
Basic Information
- Company/Brand: Open-source community project (created by Juan Font)
- Country/Region: International
- Official Website: https://github.com/juanfont/headscale
- Type: Self-hosted Tailscale control server
- GitHub: https://github.com/juanfont/headscale
Product Description
Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. It allows users to run Tailscale's coordination server on their own infrastructure, providing full control over network infrastructure and data. Headscale is compatible with the official Tailscale client, ensuring seamless migration. For OpenClaw users who prioritize data sovereignty and complete self-hosting, Headscale offers greater control compared to Tailscale's cloud service.
Core Features/Characteristics
- Fully compatible with the official Tailscale client
- Supports MagicDNS for automatic DNS resolution
- ACL access control policies
- OIDC/OpenID Connect authentication
- SSH policy management
- Tagging system: Devices can be labeled as server/infrastructure types
- PreAuthKeys for pre-authentication
- Single tailnet support
Pricing
- Completely free and open-source (BSD license)
Supported Features
- Basic Tailscale functionality: Mesh VPN, MagicDNS
- OIDC authentication integration
- SSH policies
- ACL policies
- Tagging and device management
- Pre-authentication keys
Unsupported Features
- Funnel and Serve (Beta features)
- Network traffic logging
- Dynamic ACL support
- Use of OIDC groups in ACLs
Target Users
- OpenClaw users requiring fully self-hosted VPN solutions
- Users and organizations with extremely high data privacy requirements
- Technical users unwilling to rely on Tailscale's cloud service
- Enterprises needing compliant, autonomous control
Competitive Advantages
- Fully self-hosted, with no data passing through third parties
- Compatible with the official Tailscale client, no special client required
- Completely free, with no restrictions on the number of users or devices
- Active open-source community and ongoing development
- BSD license, business-friendly
Relationship with the OpenClaw Ecosystem
Headscale provides a fully self-hosted VPN solution for OpenClaw users who prioritize privacy and autonomous control. Users can run Headscale on their own servers to establish a completely private mesh VPN network connecting all OpenClaw nodes. Unlike using Tailscale's cloud service, Headscale ensures that all network control data remains on the user's own infrastructure, aligning closely with OpenClaw's privacy-first philosophy.