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Networking · head to head

Tailscale vs Teleport

Tailscale logo

Tailscale

Networking

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Teleport logo

Teleport

Cybersecurity

Certificate-based access to servers, Kubernetes, databases and apps, replacing shared credentials and VPNs

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Teleport pricing is not published and is described as active users plus protected resources, so an autoscaling estate cannot forecast the bill and finance teams discover the true cost only after the first true-up.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tailscale and Teleport actually diverge.

Attributes where Tailscale and Teleport differ
AttributeTailscaleTeleport
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, API, WebLinux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Cloud
CategoryNetworkingCybersecurity

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

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 Tailscale

Nothing recorded that Teleport does not also cover.

Only in Teleport

  • Short-lived certificates
  • Protocol coverage
  • Session recording and replay
  • Access Requests
  • Device Trust
  • Identity provider integration
  • Machine identity
  • FIPS and FedRAMP builds

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

Teleport

  • Removing long-lived SSH keys and shared database passwords so that offboarding an engineer takes one action in the identity providernot Tailscale
  • Producing session recordings and per-user database audit trails as direct evidence for SOC 2 or FedRAMPnot Tailscale
  • Giving contractors or on-call engineers time-boxed, approved access to production instead of standing admin rightsnot Tailscale
  • Replacing a flat VPN with per-resource authorisation across servers, Kubernetes and internal web appsnot Tailscale

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

Teleport

  • Pricing is not published and is described as active users plus protected resources, so an autoscaling estate cannot forecast the bill and finance teams discover the true cost only after the first true-up.
  • The proxy is a hard dependency on reaching production, so it needs its own high availability deployment and a tested break-glass path or an outage in Teleport becomes an outage in your ability to respond to outages.
  • The open source Community Edition omits Access Requests, Device Trust and the FIPS builds, which are exactly the controls an auditor asks about, so the free tier rarely survives a compliance review.
  • Self-hosting means running and upgrading a certificate authority and its backing store, and Teleport releases frequently enough that upgrade work becomes a standing operational commitment.
  • Coverage across protocols is uneven in depth, so teams with legacy systems, unusual databases or bespoke network appliances find gaps that still require the old VPN to remain in place alongside it.

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

Teleport

On request
  • Teleport Community Edition$undefined/year
    • Open source, self-hosted
    • SSH, Kubernetes, database and app access
    • Session recording
  • Teleport Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Cloud-hosted or self-hosted
    • Access Requests and approval workflow
    • Device Trust and hardware key enforcement

Which should you pick?

Choose Tailscale if

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

Choose Teleport if

  • You need short-lived certificates.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Cloud.
  • You also want protocol coverage.
Teleport review

Questions people ask

Is Tailscale or Teleport better?
Neither clearly leads. Tailscale starts at Free and Teleport at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tailscale or Teleport?
Tailscale has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Tailscale and On request for Teleport.
Does Tailscale or Teleport run on more platforms?
Tailscale runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, API, Web. Teleport runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Kubernetes, Cloud.
Can I use Tailscale for free?
Yes. Tailscale has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Teleport 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 Teleport is typically brought in for.
What can Tailscale do that Teleport cannot?
Teleport covers Short-lived certificates, Protocol coverage, Session recording and replay, Access Requests.

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.

Source
Teleport: Is the open source edition usable in production?

Yes, but it lacks Access Requests, Device Trust and FIPS builds, which most compliance programmes end up requiring.

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
Teleport: How is it priced?

Not publicly. The vendor prices on active users and protected resources and provides a quote after a sales conversation.

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
Teleport: What happens if Teleport goes down?

Nobody reaches the resources behind it, so you need a highly available deployment and a documented break-glass procedure.

Teleport: Does it replace our VPN?

For anything you put behind it, yes. Legacy systems and appliances it does not support will keep the VPN alive.

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