# headscale vs NetworkOptimizer

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

| | headscale | NetworkOptimizer |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 56/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 31 in Networking | #17 of 48 in Network Monitoring |
| GitHub stars | 45 144 ✓ | 1 210 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 074 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 | 22 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.29.6 · 24 Oct 2026 | v2.10.2 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Other |
| Main language | Go | C# |

## Which one should you pick?

headscale scores 82/100 against 56/100 for NetworkOptimizer, so it is the safer default.

NetworkOptimizer ships more often: 22 stable releases in the past year, against 7 for headscale.

headscale is growing faster right now (+1 074 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [headscale](https://selfhost.directory/project/headscale) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/headscale.md)
- [NetworkOptimizer](https://selfhost.directory/project/networkoptimizer) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/networkoptimizer.md)

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