# docker-duckdns vs headscale

> Two self-hosted [Networking projects](https://selfhost.directory/networking), 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).

## Details

- [docker-duckdns](https://selfhost.directory/project/docker-duckdns) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/docker-duckdns.md)
- [headscale](https://selfhost.directory/project/headscale) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/headscale.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/docker-duckdns-vs-headscale