Algo VPN vs Headscale
Algo VPN
github.comHeadscale
headscale.netSide by side
| Figure | Algo VPN | Headscale |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Virtual Private Network Software | 9.1 (#3) | 8.6 (#16) |
| Spec score · Business VPN Software | 8.4 (#33) | 8.2 (#38) |
| Access model | vpn | vpn |
| Admin control level | basic | standard |
| Purpose | Algo is a set of Ansible scripts for setting up a personal WireGuard and IPsec VPN in the cloud. | Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. |
| Support | The README directs users with further questions to GitHub Discussions and accepts code contributions through pull requests. | The project points users to its Discord server for community support. |
| Supported platforms | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS server; iOS,macOS,Android,Windows,Linux,and OpenWrt clients | Linux,OpenBSD,FreeBSD,Windows,Android,macOS,iOS,tvOS |
Plans
In their own words
Algo VPN
Algo VPN is a set of Ansible scripts for creating a personal WireGuard and IPsec VPN. It can be deployed to listed cloud providers, including DigitalOcean, Amazon Lightsail and EC2, Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine, and others, or to an Ubuntu server managed by an advanced user. The listed server platform is Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Algo supports IKEv2 and WireGuard, and generates WireGuard configuration files and QR codes for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows clients, plus Apple profiles for IPsec. Helper scripts let administrators add or remove users after deployment. Optional features include ad blocking through a local DNS resolver and limited SSH users for tunneling. The project says it minimizes logging by default and automatically rotates and deletes logs after seven days. However, cloud providers may see network traffic metadata, and an ISP can see a connection to the VPN server. Algo does not claim to provide anonymity or censorship avoidance. It is free and distributed under the AGPLv3, but cloud infrastructure costs are separate. Its local installation guide warns that it overwrites firewall rules and has no uninstall option, so deployment is intended for a dedicated VPN server.