# headscale vs MeshLAN

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

| | headscale | MeshLAN |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 44/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 31 in Networking | #45 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 45 143 ✓ | 238 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 073 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 ✓ | 1 |
| Latest release | v0.29.6 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ | v1.14.10 · 24 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

headscale scores 82/100 against 44/100 for MeshLAN, so it is the safer default.

headscale ships more often: 7 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for MeshLAN.

If you want the quickest setup, headscale is easier to run; MeshLAN needs more configuration.

headscale is growing faster right now (+1 073 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [headscale](https://selfhost.directory/project/headscale) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/headscale.md)
- [MeshLAN](https://selfhost.directory/project/meshlan) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/meshlan.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/headscale-vs-meshlan