# headscale vs PairDrop

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

| | headscale | PairDrop |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 31 in Networking | #2 of 86 in File Sharing |
| GitHub stars | 45 138 ✓ | 11 714 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 068 ✓ | +255 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v0.29.6 · 24 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

headscale scores 82/100 against 75/100 for PairDrop, so it is the safer default.

headscale ships more often: 7 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for PairDrop.

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

headscale is growing faster right now (+1 068 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [headscale](https://selfhost.directory/project/headscale) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/headscale.md)
- [PairDrop](https://selfhost.directory/project/pairdrop) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pairdrop.md)

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