# Neko vs Tailscale

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

| | Neko | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 84/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 22 in Remote Desktop | #1 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 22 562 | 38 215 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +187 | +1 410 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 4 | 14 ✓ |
| Latest release | v3.2.0 · 15 Oct 2026 | v1.104.4 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | Go | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Tailscale scores 84/100 against 78/100 for Neko, so it is the safer default.

Tailscale ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for Neko.

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

Tailscale is growing faster right now (+1 410 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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