Is Auvik or Tailscale better?

Neither clearly leads. Auvik starts at On request and Tailscale at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Auvik or Tailscale?

Tailscale has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Auvik and Free for Tailscale.

Does Auvik or Tailscale run on more platforms?

Auvik runs on Web. Tailscale runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, API, Web.

Can I use Tailscale for free?

Yes. Tailscale has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Auvik starts at On request.

What is Auvik best used for?

Auvik is most often used for an msp wanting a single saas platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregation, an internal it team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselves, a network team wanting continuous, automatically updated network topology mapping rather than maintaining diagrams manually, an organisation wanting traffic visibility by application without deploying a separate flow collector. Of those, an msp wanting a single saas platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregation and an internal it team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselves are not what Tailscale is typically brought in for.

What can Auvik do that Tailscale cannot?

Auvik covers Automated network mapping, Configuration backup, Multi-tenant MSP view, Traffic insight.

Networking · head to head

Auvik vs Tailscale

Auvik

Networking

Cloud-based network monitoring and management priced by managed device count, quote-only

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

Tailscale

Networking

Zero-trust mesh VPN built on WireGuard with identity-based access

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Tailscale has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Auvik no pricing is published anywhere on the site; every number requires submitting a lead form and speaking to sales, which slows down basic vendor comparison; Tailscale requires active configuration and management; cannot be deployed passively like consumer VPNs
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Auvik and Tailscale actually diverge.

Attributes where Auvik and Tailscale differ
Attribute	Auvik	Tailscale
Starting price	On request	Free
Pricing model	quote, per managed device	freemium
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web	Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, API, Web

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Networking).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Auvik

Automated network mapping
Configuration backup
Multi-tenant MSP view
Traffic insight
Device-based billing with exclusions

Only in Tailscale

Nothing recorded that Auvik does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Auvik

An MSP wanting a single SaaS platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregationnot Tailscale
An internal IT team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselvesnot Tailscale
A network team wanting continuous, automatically updated network topology mapping rather than maintaining diagrams manuallynot Tailscale
An organisation wanting traffic visibility by application without deploying a separate flow collectornot Tailscale

Tailscale

Remote team access to internal services without VPN concentratorsnot Auvik
Hybrid cloud connectivity across AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-premises networksnot Auvik
CI/CD pipeline access to internal infrastructure (databases, Kubernetes clusters)not Auvik
Zero-trust access to SSH, Kubernetes, and databases without bastion hostsnot Auvik
Mobile and IoT device management in enterprise environmentsnot Auvik
Temporary contractor and third-party access controlnot Auvik

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Auvik

No pricing is published anywhere on the site; every number requires submitting a lead form and speaking to sales, which slows down basic vendor comparison
Billing by managed device count means the total cost is not knowable in advance without first running an accurate device count against Auvik's specific inclusion and exclusion rules
As a SaaS-only product with no on-premises option, an organisation loses monitoring visibility if its own internet connection to Auvik's cloud goes down at the same time as the incident it needs to diagnose
MSP-focused multi-tenant packaging may include features an internal IT team monitoring only its own network does not need, while still pricing against that broader feature set
Configuration backup and restore depend on Auvik correctly supporting the specific hardware models on a given network; less common vendors may have thinner support
Volume discounts exist but are also not published, so an MSP scaling client count has no way to model margin impact before negotiating each contract renewal

Tailscale

Requires active configuration and management; cannot be deployed passively like consumer VPNs
Device posture policies and JIT access tiers are locked behind Premium subscription (£18/month), raising per-user costs for enterprises
Limited support for legacy protocols and non-modern operating systems (Windows 7, older Android versions)
Centralised control plane operated by Tailscale (hosted in US); no self-hosted control plane option for air-gapped or sovereign deployments
Cannot replace full VPN functionality for accessing legacy IP-based services; only applicable to modern infrastructure

Pricing, plan by plan

Auvik

On request

Auvik$undefined/month
- Automated network mapping
- Configuration backup
- MSP multi-tenant packages available

Tailscale

Free

PersonalFree
- Up to 6 users
- Unlimited devices per user
- 1,000 ephemeral resource minutes per month
Standard$8/month
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited devices
- 1,000 ephemeral resource minutes per month
Premium$18/month
- Unlimited users and devices
- 10,000 ephemeral resource minutes per month
- 300 ACL groups
EnterpriseFree
- Custom pricing
- Unlimited resources
- Advanced security features

Which should you pick?

Choose Auvik if

You need automated network mapping.
You also want configuration backup.

Auvik review

Choose Tailscale if

You want to start without paying.
You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, API, Web.

Tailscale review

Questions people ask

Is Auvik or Tailscale better?: Neither clearly leads. Auvik starts at On request and Tailscale at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Auvik or Tailscale?: Tailscale has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Auvik and Free for Tailscale.
Does Auvik or Tailscale run on more platforms?: Auvik runs on Web. Tailscale runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, API, Web.
Can I use Tailscale for free?: Yes. Tailscale has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Auvik starts at On request.
What is Auvik best used for?: Auvik is most often used for an msp wanting a single saas platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregation, an internal it team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselves, a network team wanting continuous, automatically updated network topology mapping rather than maintaining diagrams manually, an organisation wanting traffic visibility by application without deploying a separate flow collector. Of those, an msp wanting a single saas platform to monitor and map multiple client networks with per-client segregation and an internal it team wanting automatic, versioned configuration backup for switches and routers without managing that infrastructure themselves are not what Tailscale is typically brought in for.
What can Auvik do that Tailscale cannot?: Auvik covers Automated network mapping, Configuration backup, Multi-tenant MSP view, Traffic insight.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Auvik: Is Auvik priced per network or per device?

Per device, according to Auvik's own FAQ; some device categories like access points and printers are monitored at no additional charge.

Tailscale: Is Tailscale free?

Tailscale Personal tier is free forever for up to 6 users. Standard (£8/month per user) adds team features, Premium (£18/month per user) adds security controls, and Enterprise tiers are custom priced.

Source

Auvik: Is there any published price?

No, all pricing is quote-only through a sales conversation.

Tailscale: Does Tailscale route all traffic through a central gateway?

No. Tailscale creates direct encrypted connections between devices using WireGuard. It only proxies traffic when direct peer connections are not possible (some restrictive NAT scenarios). This reduces latency and eliminates VPN gateway bottlenecks.

Source

Auvik: Does Auvik require an on-premises server?

No, it is SaaS-delivered with a lightweight local collector rather than a full on-premises monitoring server.

Tailscale: Can I host Tailscale on-premises?

No. Tailscale provides a hosted control plane only. For fully self-hosted mesh networking, consider WireGuard with manual key management or Netmaker. Tailscale Enterprise can provide custom deployments for specific requirements.

Source

Auvik vs Tailscale

Auvik

Tailscale

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Auvik

Only in Tailscale

What people use each for

Auvik

Tailscale

Where each one falls short

Auvik

Tailscale

Pricing, plan by plan

Auvik

Tailscale

Which should you pick?

Choose Auvik if

Choose Tailscale if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Auvik

More on Tailscale

Keep looking

Other head to heads