# headscale vs shinysdr

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

| | headscale | shinysdr |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 48/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 31 in Networking | #3 of 4 in Amateur Radio |
| GitHub stars | 45 148 ✓ | 1 144 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 078 ✓ | +4 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v0.29.6 · 24 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

headscale scores 82/100 against 48/100 for shinysdr, so it is the safer default.

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

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

headscale is growing faster right now (+1 078 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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