headscalevstextpod
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| headscale | textpod | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 45/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 31 in Networking | #54 of 81 in Notes & Editors |
| GitHub stars | 45 165 | 322 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 058 | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 | 3 |
| Latest release | v0.29.6 · 24 Oct 2026 | 0.1.8 · 29 May 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
headscale scores 82/100 against 45/100 for textpod, so it is the safer default.
headscale ships more often: 7 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for textpod.
If you want the quickest setup, textpod is easier to run; headscale needs more configuration.
headscale is growing faster right now (+1 058 stars in 30 days).
headscale details →textpod details →