Skip to content

# Features

Headscale aims to implement a self-hosted, open source alternative to the Tailscale control server. Headscale's goal is to provide self-hosters and hobbyists with an open-source server they can use for their projects and labs. This page provides on overview of Headscale's feature and compatibility with the Tailscale control server:

- Full "base" support of Tailscale's features
- Node registration
  - Web authentication
  - Pre authenticated key
- DNS
  - MagicDNS
  - Global and restricted nameservers (split DNS)
  - search domains
  - Extra DNS records (Headscale only)
- File sharing
  - Taildrive
  - Taildrop
- Tags
- Routes
  - Subnet routers
  - Exit nodes
  - Route filtering with Via
- Dual stack (IPv4 and IPv6)
- Ephemeral nodes
- Embedded DERP server
- Peer relays
- Policy (GitHub label "policy")
  - ACLs
  - Grants
  - Some Autogroups
  - Auto approvers for subnet routers and exit nodes
  - Tailscale SSH
  - Node attributes
  - Tests and sshTests
- Node registration using Single-Sign-On (OpenID Connect) (GitHub label "OIDC")
  - Basic registration
  - Update user profile from identity provider
  - OIDC groups cannot be used in ACLs
- Funnel (#1040)
- Serve (#1234)
- Network flow logs (#1687)