Get started

Ownscale is a self-hosted control plane and web console for Tailscale clients. It is built on Headscale, the open-source implementation of the Tailscale coordination server, and ships as a single Go binary containing the server, Headscale, the console and this documentation.

Tailscale, Headscale and Ownscale

• Tailscale is a VPN built on WireGuard. Its clients (the tailscale app on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, etc.) connect your devices directly to each other. The company Tailscale also runs the coordination server that tells clients about each other, and it’s closed source.
• Headscale is an open-source coordination server that the unmodified Tailscale clients can use instead. One Headscale instance serves one private network (one tailnet), and is configured with files and a CLI.
• ownscale runs many Headscale instances in a single process, one per organization, and adds a web console, single sign-on, passkeys, roles, invites and funnels.

Your traffic never goes through Ownscale. Machines talk to each other directly, or through a DERP relay when a direct path isn’t possible. See How it works.

Where to start