Source: https://seerepo.com/compare/gravitl/netmaker/vs/juanfont/headscale
Markdown source: https://seerepo.com/compare/gravitl/netmaker/vs/juanfont/headscale.md
Description: netmaker and headscale share 5 technologies: Postgres, SQLite, gorm.io/gorm, golang.org/x/oauth2, and github.com/coreos/go-oidc/v3. Both are written in Go.

# netmaker vs headscale

netmaker and headscale share 5 technologies: Postgres, SQLite, gorm.io/gorm, golang.org/x/oauth2, and github.com/coreos/go-oidc/v3. Both are written in Go.

- [gravitl/netmaker](https://seerepo.com/r/gravitl/netmaker): Netmaker makes networks with WireGuard. Netmaker automates fast, secure, and distributed virtual networks.
- [juanfont/headscale](https://seerepo.com/r/juanfont/headscale): An open source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server

## What they share and what sets them apart

- In common: Postgres, SQLite, gorm.io/gorm, golang.org/x/oauth2, github.com/coreos/go-oidc/v3
- Only in netmaker: Gorilla, github.com/eclipse/paho.mqtt.golang, ClickHouse, Google, PostHog, gorm.io/datatypes, github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v4, github.com/pquerna/otp, github.com/skip2/go-qrcode, gopkg.in/mail.v2, github.com/go-playground/validator/v10
- Only in headscale: chi, github.com/tailscale/squibble, HashiCorp, github.com/glebarez/sqlite, github.com/danielgtaylor/huma/v2, github.com/chasefleming/elem-go, github.com/pterm/pterm, github.com/go-gormigrate/gormigrate/v2, github.com/tailscale/hujson, github.com/rs/zerolog, Prometheus, Docker, github.com/go-chi/metrics, github.com/libdns/cloudflare, github.com/libdns/hetzner/v2, github.com/libdns/powerdns, go.uber.org/zap

## Side by side

| | netmaker | headscale |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 107,004 lines written, 414 code files | 238,989 lines written, 185 code files |
| Who writes it | 0% of its commits signed by AI. With Cursor | 0.3% of its commits signed by AI. With Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and CodeRabbit |
| Activity | Last push November 11, 2026, 5,736 commits, 11,867 stars | Last push November 13, 2026, 4,476 commits, 45,660 stars |
| Tests | 102 test files. 32.9% of its code files have a test that imports them | 276 test files. 75.7% of its code files have a test that imports them |

- Size: Lines written by people and agents, without generated ones; code files, without tests.
- Who writes it: A commit counts as AI's when it carries its signature: a Co-Authored-By line, its author name or the merge of its branch.
- Activity: From GitHub and its history, on the day SeeRepo read it.
- Tests: The files that test the code, and the share of code files a test imports.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is bigger, netmaker or headscale?

headscale, with 238,989 lines written; netmaker has 107,004.

The proof: [juanfont/headscale's code at commit 520eb6f](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/tree/520eb6f9c7f90bad7a5358ea818267edf4d0b4de)

### Which has more GitHub stars, netmaker or headscale?

headscale, with 45,660 stars; netmaker has 11,867.

The proof: [juanfont/headscale on GitHub](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale)

### Which has more tests, netmaker or headscale?

headscale, with 276 test files; netmaker has 102.

The proof: [juanfont/headscale's code at commit 520eb6f](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/tree/520eb6f9c7f90bad7a5358ea818267edf4d0b4de)

### Which was updated more recently, netmaker or headscale?

headscale: its last push was on November 13, 2026, and netmaker's on November 11, 2026.

The proof: [juanfont/headscale's commits on GitHub](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/commits)

### Which has more commits signed by AI, netmaker or headscale?

headscale: an AI signed 0.3% of its commits, with Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and CodeRabbit.

## Sources

- gravitl/netmaker: Read on November 11, 2026, at commit 4d495c6 (https://github.com/gravitl/netmaker/tree/4d495c64feb2c32a85f4e5e28d68e0a0ab33ab29)
- juanfont/headscale: Read on November 13, 2026, at commit 520eb6f (https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/tree/520eb6f9c7f90bad7a5358ea818267edf4d0b4de)

## What is your repo built with?

Any public repo, with no account: https://seerepo.com/r/owner/repo/built, with the owner and name it has on GitHub.