docker-duckdnsvsheadscale
Two self-hosted Networking projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| docker-duckdns | headscale | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 60/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #6 of 31 in Networking | #1 of 31 in Networking |
| GitHub stars | 376 | 45 144 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +1 074 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 20 | 7 |
| Latest release | 8aabc87c-ls95 · 26 Oct 2026 | v0.29.6 · 24 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | Shell | Go |
Which one should you pick?
headscale scores 82/100 against 60/100 for docker-duckdns, so it is the safer default.
docker-duckdns ships more often: 20 stable releases in the past year, against 7 for headscale.
If you want the quickest setup, docker-duckdns is easier to run; headscale needs more configuration.
headscale is growing faster right now (+1 074 stars in 30 days).
docker-duckdns details →headscale details →All Networking projects →