# Request Tracker vs Tailscale

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

| | Request Tracker | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 65/100 | 84/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 9 in Helpdesk | #1 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 1 164 | 38 280 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +5 | +1 438 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 14 ✓ |
| Latest release | rt-5.0.10 · 1 Jun 2026 | v1.104.4 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | GPL-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | Perl | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Tailscale scores 84/100 against 65/100 for Request Tracker, so it is the safer default.

Tailscale ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for Request Tracker.

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

Tailscale is growing faster right now (+1 438 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Request Tracker](https://selfhost.directory/project/request-tracker) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/request-tracker.md)
- [Tailscale](https://selfhost.directory/project/tailscale) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/tailscale.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/request-tracker-vs-tailscale