# Kutt vs Tailscale

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

| | Kutt | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 69/100 | 84/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #4 of 23 in URL Shortener | #1 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 11 183 | 38 263 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +64 | +1 421 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 14 ✓ |
| Latest release | v3.2.6 · 5 Jul 2026 | v1.104.4 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | JavaScript | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Tailscale scores 84/100 against 69/100 for Kutt, so it is the safer default.

Tailscale ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Kutt.

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

Tailscale is growing faster right now (+1 421 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Kutt](https://selfhost.directory/project/kutt) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/kutt.md)
- [Tailscale](https://selfhost.directory/project/tailscale) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/tailscale.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/kutt-vs-tailscale