headscalevsYT Zero
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| headscale | YT Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 52/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 31 in Networking | #53 of 118 in Media Server |
| GitHub stars | 45 162 | 669 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 055 | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 | 9 |
| Latest release | v0.29.6 · 24 Oct 2026 | 2026.09.9 · 28 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Unlicense |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
headscale scores 82/100 against 52/100 for YT Zero, so it is the safer default.
YT Zero ships more often: 9 stable releases in the past year, against 7 for headscale.
If you want the quickest setup, YT Zero is easier to run; headscale needs more configuration.
headscale is growing faster right now (+1 055 stars in 30 days).
headscale details →YT Zero details →