Network & Connectivity · head to head
Tailscale vs Ivanti
Tailscale
Network & Connectivity
Zero-trust mesh VPN built on WireGuard with identity-based access
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Ivanti
Network & Connectivity
Security, service management, and unified endpoint management
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Tailscale has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Tailscale requires active configuration and management; cannot be deployed passively like consumer VPNs; Ivanti no pricing is published on the products page; the only routes are Contact Our Team or the How to Buy page describing the sales process, per ivanti.com, August 2026
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Tailscale and Ivanti actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Network & Connectivity).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Tailscale
- Remote team access to internal services without VPN concentratorsnot Ivanti
- Hybrid cloud connectivity across AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-premises networksnot Ivanti
- CI/CD pipeline access to internal infrastructure (databases, Kubernetes clusters)not Ivanti
- Zero-trust access to SSH, Kubernetes, and databases without bastion hostsnot Ivanti
- Mobile and IoT device management in enterprise environmentsnot Ivanti
- Temporary contractor and third-party access controlnot Ivanti
Ivanti
No use cases recorded yet. See the Ivanti review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Ivanti
- No pricing is published on the products page; the only routes are Contact Our Team or the How to Buy page describing the sales process, per ivanti.com, August 2026
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Ivanti
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Ivanti review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Tailscale if
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, API, Web.
Choose Ivanti if
Nothing in the data separates Ivanti from Tailscale on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Tailscale or Ivanti better?
- Neither clearly leads. Tailscale starts at Free and Ivanti at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Tailscale or Ivanti?
- Tailscale has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Tailscale and On request for Ivanti.
- Does Tailscale or Ivanti run on more platforms?
- Tailscale runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, API, Web. Ivanti runs on Web.
- Can I use Tailscale for free?
- Yes. Tailscale has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ivanti starts at On request.
- What is Tailscale best used for?
- Tailscale is most often used for remote team access to internal services without vpn concentrators, hybrid cloud connectivity across aws, azure, gcp, and on-premises networks, ci/cd pipeline access to internal infrastructure (databases, kubernetes clusters), zero-trust access to ssh, kubernetes, and databases without bastion hosts. Of those, remote team access to internal services without vpn concentrators and hybrid cloud connectivity across aws, azure, gcp, and on-premises networks are not what Ivanti is typically brought in for.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceTailscale: 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.
SourceTailscale: 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