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Networking · head to head

Headscale vs MikroTik RouterOS

Headscale logo

Headscale

Networking

Open source reimplementation of the Tailscale coordination server for a single organisation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MikroTik RouterOS logo

MikroTik RouterOS

Networking

Router and network operating system with a one-time perpetual licence rather than a recurring subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Headscale has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Headscale the clients are proprietary software maintained by a company with no obligation to Headscale, so a client update can change protocol behaviour and break your control server until volunteers catch up.; MikroTik RouterOS the management interface and overall polish are less refined than enterprise competitors like Cisco or Juniper, and the learning curve for advanced configuration is real
  • They diverge on capability: Headscale covers Self hosted control server, MikroTik RouterOS covers Full routing and firewall stack.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Headscale and MikroTik RouterOS actually diverge.

Attributes where Headscale and MikroTik RouterOS differ
AttributeHeadscaleMikroTik RouterOS
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeOne-time purchase, per licence level
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, DockerWeb

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 Headscale

  • Self hosted control server
  • Access control policies
  • User separation
  • Pre-authentication keys
  • Subnet routers and exit nodes
  • Own or shared DERP

Only in MikroTik RouterOS

  • Full routing and firewall stack
  • Perpetual licensing
  • Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)
  • Winbox and CLI management
  • Wireless and VLAN support

What people use each for

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

Headscale

  • Running a mesh network where no third party may hold the device registrynot MikroTik RouterOS
  • A homelab or personal fleet where paying per user for a hosted control plane is not worth itnot MikroTik RouterOS
  • Air gapped or restricted environments that cannot reach an external coordination servicenot MikroTik RouterOS
  • Keeping the Tailscale client experience while removing the vendor from the trust pathnot MikroTik RouterOS

MikroTik RouterOS

  • A network engineer or small ISP wanting capable BGP and firewall routing hardware at a lower total cost than Cisco or Juniper equivalentsnot Headscale
  • An organisation that specifically wants to avoid ongoing recurring licence dependency for core routing hardwarenot Headscale
  • A team wanting to run RouterOS as a virtual router in the cloud (CHR) with its own separate perpetual licensing tiersnot Headscale
  • A hobbyist or small business self-managing network infrastructure without a vendor support contractnot Headscale

Where each one falls short

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

Headscale

  • The clients are proprietary software maintained by a company with no obligation to Headscale, so a client update can change protocol behaviour and break your control server until volunteers catch up.
  • Features that live on the vendor side, including the admin console, Funnel and app connectors, do not exist here and cannot be added, so feature comparisons against Tailscale are misleading.
  • There is no official web interface, so day to day administration is a command line tool or one of several unofficial front ends of varying quality and maintenance.
  • It is deliberately single tenant, so a managed service provider cannot use one deployment to serve several customer networks.
  • Upgrades have required database migrations and policy format changes between releases, and with no support contract a failed migration on the control server is your problem alone.

MikroTik RouterOS

  • The management interface and overall polish are less refined than enterprise competitors like Cisco or Juniper, and the learning curve for advanced configuration is real
  • Formal vendor support is thinner than what an enterprise buyer gets from Cisco or Juniper; community forums and documentation are the primary self-support resource
  • Feature and licence-level naming (Level 3 through Level 6, and separately Free/P1/P10/P-Unlimited on CHR) is confusing enough that buyers commonly need to research which level a given deployment actually requires
  • Perpetual licensing on hardware, while avoiding a recurring fee, also means MikroTik has less ongoing incentive to keep pushing free feature updates to a specific licence level indefinitely, and major version jumps sometimes bring new requirements
  • Hardware build quality and long-term reliability at the low end of MikroTik's range is more variable than higher-priced enterprise-grade routing hardware
  • Security patch cadence and past history of vulnerabilities in RouterOS mean patching discipline matters more without vendor-managed cloud updates the way Meraki or Mist provide automatically

Pricing, plan by plan

Headscale

Free
  • HeadscaleFree
    • Full functionality, no node limit
    • Official Tailscale clients on every platform
    • No vendor account required

MikroTik RouterOS

On request
  • RouterOS (bundled with hardware)$undefined/one-time
    • Licence level included with the router purchase price
    • Perpetual, does not expire
  • Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)$undefined/one-time
    • Free tier available with throughput limits
    • P1, P10 and P-Unlimited perpetual licence levels
    • 60-day trial on paid levels

Which should you pick?

Choose Headscale if

  • You need self hosted control server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker.
  • You also want access control policies.
Headscale review

Choose MikroTik RouterOS if

  • You need full routing and firewall stack.
  • You also want perpetual licensing.
MikroTik RouterOS review

Questions people ask

Is Headscale or MikroTik RouterOS better?
Neither clearly leads. Headscale starts at Free and MikroTik RouterOS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Headscale or MikroTik RouterOS?
Headscale has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Headscale and On request for MikroTik RouterOS.
Does Headscale or MikroTik RouterOS run on more platforms?
Headscale runs on Linux, Docker. MikroTik RouterOS runs on Web.
Can I use Headscale for free?
Yes. Headscale has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MikroTik RouterOS starts at On request.
What is Headscale best used for?
Headscale is most often used for running a mesh network where no third party may hold the device registry, a homelab or personal fleet where paying per user for a hosted control plane is not worth it, air gapped or restricted environments that cannot reach an external coordination service, keeping the tailscale client experience while removing the vendor from the trust path. Of those, running a mesh network where no third party may hold the device registry and a homelab or personal fleet where paying per user for a hosted control plane is not worth it are not what MikroTik RouterOS is typically brought in for.
What can Headscale do that MikroTik RouterOS cannot?
Headscale covers Self hosted control server, Access control policies, User separation, Pre-authentication keys. MikroTik RouterOS covers Full routing and firewall stack, Perpetual licensing, Cloud Hosted Router (CHR), Winbox and CLI management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Headscale: Is Headscale made by Tailscale?

No. It is an independent community project. Tailscale acknowledges it but does not support it, and the clients it relies on are the vendor ones.

MikroTik RouterOS: Does a MikroTik router stop working if I stop paying anything?

No, the RouterOS licence bundled with hardware is a one-time purchase and does not expire or require ongoing payment.

Headscale: What do I lose compared with the hosted service?

The admin console, the vendor relay network unless you use the public DERP servers, and hosted only features such as Funnel and app connectors.

MikroTik RouterOS: Is CHR licensed the same way as physical hardware?

It uses its own separate perpetual licence tiers (Free, P1, P10, P-Unlimited) rather than the Level 3-6 scheme used on physical hardware.

Headscale: Can I still use the public relay servers?

Yes, the default configuration can use them, though many self hosters run their own DERP to remove that dependency.

MikroTik RouterOS: Can I upgrade a licence level later?

Yes, upgrading to a higher licence level is possible at the price difference between levels rather than buying a new licence outright.

Headscale: Is it suitable for a company network?

For a technical team, yes. There is no vendor to escalate to, so it needs someone on staff who is willing to own the control server.

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