AnswervsTailscale
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Answer | Tailscale | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 84/100 |
| Rank in category | #5 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #1 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 15 702 | 38 245 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +20 | +1 440 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 14 |
| Latest release | v2.0.3 · 22 Sept 2026 | v1.104.4 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | Go | Go |
Which one should you pick?
Tailscale scores 84/100 against 71/100 for Answer, so it is the safer default.
Tailscale ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Answer.
If you want the quickest setup, Answer is easier to run; Tailscale needs more configuration.
Tailscale is growing faster right now (+1 440 stars in 30 days).
Answer details →Tailscale details →