Tailscale vs ZeroTier

The two meter different things. Tailscale bills per user and lets every plan carry unlimited devices, so cost follows headcount. ZeroTier sells flat monthly plans with a set number of included devices and charges for each extra one, so cost follows the size of the fleet. Tailscale also leans on identity features such as ACL groups, SSH and just-in-time access on its higher tiers, while ZeroTier describes software-defined networking that can run air-gapped. Both name San Francisco entities in their terms, and both cap their free plans at non-commercial use, so a company trial needs a paid route.

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Both are reviewed in full in our mesh VPN software ranking: Tailscale and ZeroTier.

1. 01

   Counting people or counting machines

   Tailscale charges $8 per user per month on Standard and $18 on Premium, with unlimited user devices on every plan, so seats are billed and devices are not. ZeroTier works the other way round: Essential is $18 per month with 10 devices included and $2.00 for each extra, while Scale is $179 per month with 100 included and $1.80 each beyond that. A ten-person team with 200 laptops and servers will see the two bills diverge fast.

   Depends on the buyer

2. 02

   Six users against ten devices on the free plan

   Tailscale's Personal plan is free forever for up to 6 users with unlimited user devices, restricted to non-commercial use, and it includes up to 3 ACL groups and 50 tagged resources. ZeroTier's Personal plan is also non-commercial only, allowing 10 users, 10 devices, 1 network and 1 network admin. A hobbyist with a pile of gadgets gets more devices from Tailscale, while a larger household of people fits ZeroTier's user count better, since Tailscale stops at six people on its free tier.

   Edge: Tailscale

3. 03

   The 14-day Enterprise trial and its cliff

   A Tailscale tailnet created with a custom domain gets a 14-day Enterprise trial with no limits on users, devices or usage. After it ends, new users and devices cannot become active until a plan is chosen, so a pilot needs a decision on day fourteen. ZeroTier shows Start Free buttons on Essential and Scale, yet the pricing page describes no trial length, and no trial is described for Enterprise or Quantum. Tailscale is the one that states its trial terms.

   Edge: Tailscale

4. 04

   Source licences and where the control plane lives

   Tailscale's client is open source under BSD-3-Clause, covering the tailscaled daemon and CLI, though some macOS, iOS and Windows GUI wrappers are not. Its README refers to the hosted service and describes no self-hosted control plane. ZeroTier's core code is under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, with ext/ keeping its original licence and nonfree/ holding source-available material. Self-hosting its controller is not stated on the homepage either, so neither page promises it, and anyone needing that should ask both vendors directly.

   Depends on the buyer

5. 05

   Offline operation and the compliance badges

   ZeroTier's homepage describes software-defined networking on existing servers, routers and devices rather than proprietary appliances, says it can run fully offline (air-gapped), and says each endpoint enforces policy locally. It lists FIPS 140-3, SOC 2 Type II and GDPR. Tailscale describes a zero-trust, identity-based platform, with Premium adding just-in-time access, advanced SSH, network flow logs and up to 300 ACL groups. Buyers with isolated networks or fixed compliance checklists should lean toward ZeroTier here, while identity-heavy teams read the other list.

   Edge: ZeroTier

6. 06

   Entities, governing law and where they sit

   Tailscale's terms say accounts existing on 2 September 2024 contract with Tailscale Inc., a Canadian corporation in Toronto, while newer accounts contract with Tailscale US Inc., a Delaware corporation in San Francisco, and New York law governs most customers. ZeroTier's terms name ZeroTier, Inc. at a San Francisco mailing address under California law, with no country named. Which entity signs your contract can depend on when you opened the account, which is worth checking with Tailscale before you sign. ZeroTier shows a single entity.

   Edge: ZeroTier

Which one gets expensive first as the fleet grows?

ZeroTier does, because each device past the included allowance costs $2.00 on Essential or $1.80 on Scale. Tailscale's cost grows with the number of people, not devices. A server-heavy fleet therefore favours Tailscale.

Can a company use either free plan?

No. Tailscale's Personal plan and ZeroTier's Personal plan are both limited to non-commercial use. A company pilot starts on a paid plan or, for Tailscale, the 14-day trial.

Do the pages publish an Enterprise price?

Neither does. Tailscale lists Enterprise as custom priced with invoice payment, and ZeroTier sells Enterprise and Quantum through its sales team. Quantum is only on ZeroTier's side.

• Tailscale pricing page: seat prices, unlimited devices, free Personal limits, 14-day trial and Premium extras.
• Tailscale terms: which Tailscale entity contracts with which accounts and the governing law.
• Tailscale GitHub repository: BSD-3-Clause client and hosted-service wording.
• Tailscale homepage: identity-based zero-trust positioning.
• ZeroTier pricing page: Essential and Scale allowances, extra device fees and Personal plan limits.
• ZeroTier terms: operator name, San Francisco address and California law.
• ZeroTier homepage: air-gapped operation, local policy enforcement and listed compliance claims.
• ZeroTierOne GitHub repository: Mozilla Public License 2.0 for core code.