ArcanevsTailscale
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Arcane | Tailscale | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 84/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 44 in Container Management | #1 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 8 100 | 38 221 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +531 | +1 416 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 | 14 |
| Latest release | v2.17.1 · 25 Oct 2026 | v1.104.4 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | Go | Go |
Which one should you pick?
Tailscale scores 84/100 against 76/100 for Arcane, so it is the safer default.
Arcane ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for Tailscale.
If you want the quickest setup, Arcane is easier to run; Tailscale needs more configuration.
Tailscale is growing faster right now (+1 416 stars in 30 days).
Arcane details →Tailscale details →
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