Pangolin vs Tailscale
Learn how Pangolin and Tailscale differ in their key features, development activity, technology
stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these vpn & secure access tools is best for you.
Learn how Pangolin and Tailscale differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these vpn & secure access tools is best for you.
Pangolin
Stars
20,369Forks
653Last commit
2 hours agoRepository age
2 yearsSelf-hosted
Yes
Auto-fetched .
Tailscale
Stars
30,787Forks
2,481Last commit
47 minutes agoRepository age
6 yearsLicense
BSD-3-Clause
Auto-fetched .
Detailed Comparison
Tailscale appears to have several advantages over Pangolin, particularly in popularity, maturity and licensing. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.
Tailscale appears to have several advantages over Pangolin, particularly in popularity, maturity and licensing. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.
Community & Popularity
Tailscale leads in popularity with 30,787 stars vs 20,369 stars for Pangolin. The 51% higher star count indicates stronger community adoption. In terms of developer contributions, Tailscale has 2,481 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.
Development Activity
Both projects show recent activity, with Pangolin last updated 2 hours ago and Tailscale 47 minutes ago.
Technology Stack
Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, Bash, Typescript, JSX, Golang. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Pangolin uses Python, Next.js while Tailscale leverages C, Objective-C, Swift, Lua.
Project Maturity
Tailscale has been in development longer, starting 6 years ago, compared to Pangolin which began 2 years ago. This 4.7-year head start suggests Tailscale may have more mature features and established processes.
Licensing
Tailscale is licensed under BSD-3-Clause, while Pangolin's license terms are not publicly specified.
Use Cases & Features
Both tools serve similar use cases in VPN & Secure Access, VPN & Secure Tunnels.
Hosting & Deployment
Pangolin provides self-hosting options for complete data control and customization, while Tailscale may be primarily cloud-based or require different deployment approaches.
Efficient App – Not all Open Source alternatives are equal — Narrow down the best, without the bullsh*t.