# Tailscale vs Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

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

| | Tailscale | Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 ✓ | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 56 in VPN | #4 of 78 in Security |
| GitHub stars | 38 221 ✓ | 16 059 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 416 ✓ | +244 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.104.4 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | w2026-10-23 · 23 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Tailscale scores 84/100 against 80/100 for Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP), so it is the safer default.

Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for Tailscale.

If you want the quickest setup, Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is easier to run; Tailscale needs more configuration.

Tailscale is growing faster right now (+1 416 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Tailscale](https://selfhost.directory/project/tailscale) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/tailscale.md)
- [Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)](https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zed-attack-proxy-zap.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/tailscale-vs-zed-attack-proxy-zap