Tailscale vs VShell Server
Tailscale
tailscale.comVShell Server
vandyke.comSide by side
| Figure | Tailscale | VShell Server |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 9 |
| Spec score · SSH Server Software | 8.8 (#4) | 8.5 (#7) |
| Encryption | Tailscale says its WireGuard-based connections are end-to-end encrypted and that it cannot read users’ traffic. | Supported ciphers include ChaCha20/Poly1305, AES-GCM, AES-CTR, AES and Twofish; legacy 3DES is disabled by default. |
| Founded | 2019 | 1995 |
| Integrations | Official integration documentation covers cloud servers, containers and virtual machines, serverless apps, databases, code environments, firewalls, web servers, NAS devices and MDM. | VShell integrates with Windows user accounts and groups and can authenticate users against an external LDAP server. |
| Monitoring | Features include configuration audit logs, network flow logs, webhooks, and log streaming to SIEM integration partners. | VShell Monitor displays active server connections in real time on Windows. |
| Product | Tailscale describes itself as a zero-config VPN that works with almost anything. | VShell is a secure, multi-protocol file transfer server for remote access and administration. |
| Public API | The Tailscale API is available on every plan, uses expiring access tokens or delegated trust credentials, and automates tailnet administration. | VRALib exposes Windows COM scripting for SSH2 sessions, commands, tunneling, SFTP transfers and host-key management. |
| Support | Tailscale provides documentation, a support request form, community channels, and plan-dependent support levels; Premium lists priority support. | Purchases include a perpetual license plus one or three years of software updates and email technical support depending on the order. |
| System requirements | The iOS app requires iOS 16.6 or later, iPadOS 16.6 or later, visionOS 1.0 or later, and tvOS 17.0 or later. | Windows support lists Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025; Linux lists 64-bit Ubuntu/Kubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS; macOS lists versions 15 and 26. |
| What it does | Tailscale is an identity-based secure-connectivity platform built on WireGuard that links teams, clouds, CI/CD, IoT, Kubernetes, AI workloads and personal devices. | VShell is a multi-protocol secure file-transfer server for remote access and administration. |
Plans
Tailscale
- PersonalFree
- Standard$8 a month
- Premium$18 a month
- Additional tagged resources$1 a month
- Add more tagged resources$1 a month
- Mullvad$5 a month
- Mullvad add-on$5 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
VShell Server
- VShell Workgroup Edition$599, paid once
- VShell Enterprise Edition$999, paid once
- VShell Enterprise Edition with HTTPSPriced on request
- VShell Workgroup Edition$599, paid once
- VShell Workgroup Edition$599, paid once
- VShell Enterprise Edition$999, paid once
- VShell Enterprise Edition$999, paid once
- VShell Enterprise Edition with HTTPS$1,499, paid once
- VShell Enterprise Edition with HTTPS$1,499, paid once
In their own words
Tailscale
Tailscale is a zero-config VPN for connecting users and devices across a network. It uses WireGuard to form low-latency peer-to-peer connections, which Tailscale says are end-to-end encrypted so it cannot read users’ traffic. Administrators can use access control lists to specify which users may connect to which devices. Supported identity providers handle authentication, and SCIM supports user and group provisioning. Monitoring features include configuration audit logs, network flow logs, webhooks, and log streaming to SIEM partners. Device posture information can be used in connectivity rules. Taildrop transfers files between devices, while node sharing lets users share a node without exposing it to the public internet. The service runs on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. Personal is free forever for non-commercial use and supports up to six users; Standard costs $8 per user per month. Premium costs $18 per user per month and includes priority support.
VShell Server
VShell Server has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.