# Element vs Tailscale

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Element | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 84/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #1 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 13 621 | 38 241 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +119 | +1 436 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 14 |
| Latest release | v1.12.33 · 27 Oct 2026 | v1.104.4 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | Typescript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Tailscale scores 84/100 against 76/100 for Element, so it is the safer default.

Element ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for Tailscale.

Tailscale is growing faster right now (+1 436 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Element](https://selfhost.directory/project/element) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/element.md)
- [Tailscale](https://selfhost.directory/project/tailscale) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/tailscale.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/element-vs-tailscale