Tailscale is an excellent product - but a per-seat subscription with a proprietary control plane in the US. NetBird delivers the same WireGuard foundation as open source on your own infrastructure: built and operated by WZ-IT, at a fixed price instead of per user.
Leading companies worldwide trust WZ-IT
The following are trademarks of their respective owners: NetBird (NetBird GmbH), Tailscale (Tailscale Inc.), Headscale (the Headscale project (Juan Font Alonso)). WZ-IT is an independent service provider and has no business, partnership, or contractual relationship with these companies. We offer independent migration, installation, hosting, and operations services.
Hardly any team leaves Tailscale because of the technology. The three reasons we hear again and again in conversations:
The free plan ends at 6 users. From the 7th user onwards you pay per head: Standard $8, Premium $18 per user per month (as of July 2026). Every new hire raises the VPN bill - at 50 users that is already $400 to $900 per month, without anything changing in the network itself.
The data plane is WireGuard, but the coordination server is closed source and runs exclusively as SaaS operated by Tailscale Inc., a US provider. Device identities, key distribution and policies therefore live in a cloud you can neither audit nor operate yourself - a dealbreaker for many data sovereignty and compliance requirements.
The coordination layer cannot be self-hosted, the fallback relays (DERP) are operated by Tailscale, and Funnel exposes services exclusively under *.ts.net - custom domains are not possible. If you want the entire platform on your own infrastructure, you need a different foundation.
To be fair: Tailscale is an excellent product with an outstanding user experience - the fact that WireGuard mesh networks are this easy today is partly Tailscale's achievement. This page is aimed at teams for whom the pricing model, data sovereignty or self-hosting requirements no longer fit the SaaS model.
Per-seat pricing scales with every hire - a fixed price does not. This is how the monthly bill develops as the team grows:
| Users | WZ-IT VPN Flatrate | Tailscale Standard ($8/user/month) | Tailscale Premium ($18/user/month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | One fixed price, independent of the number of users - on request | $80 per month | $180 per month |
| 25 | $200 per month | $450 per month | |
| 50 | $400 per month | $900 per month | |
| 100 | $800 per month | $1,800 per month |
Calculated honestly: up to 6 users, the Tailscale free plan is often the right choice. The flatrate pays off where teams grow and the per-seat bill grows with them year after year.
Tailscale list prices as of July 2026 per tailscale.com/pricing (pricing model since April 2026: free up to 6 users, Standard $8, Premium $18 per user per month). WZ-IT is an independent service provider; all brand names belong to their respective owners.
There is no single right answer - there are three, depending on your requirements. And we openly state the third one too.
A fully-fledged open-source platform: the client under BSD-3-Clause, management, signal and relay under AGPLv3 - over 26,900 GitHub stars. Its own dashboard, group-based access policies, SSO integration and a Kubernetes operator. Every component runs on your infrastructure.
View NetBird at WZ-ITA community-maintained open-source reimplementation of the Tailscale control server (around 41,300 GitHub stars, currently v0.29.x), not affiliated with Tailscale Inc. The official Tailscale apps connect to your own server. Deliberately narrow scope: a single tailnet, ideal for smaller teams.
View Headscale at WZ-ITBelow 6 users the free plan is hard to beat, and without self-hosting or compliance requirements, Standard is a fair deal for a very good product. Switch because of concrete requirements, not on principle - and if there are none, we will tell you exactly that in the first call.
Four steps, no big bang: your tailnet stays in production until the last device has moved over cleanly.
We capture your tailnet completely: ACLs, tags, subnet routers, exit nodes, MagicDNS names plus users and devices. From this we derive the target design - and an honest statement on whether NetBird, Headscale or staying with Tailscale fits you best.
We build management, signal and relay on your infrastructure, connect your identity provider (SSO) and translate the Tailscale ACLs into group-based access policies with groups and network routes.
Both overlays run at the same time: Tailscale stays in production while the NetBird network is brought up with a separate address range and tested against the current state. No big bang, no time pressure.
Devices and user groups switch one by one in a planned order. Tailscale remains as a rollback layer for each wave - the tailnet is only decommissioned in an orderly fashion after sign-off.
The concepts largely correspond - only the names differ. The most important mappings for your inventory:
| Tailscale | NetBird | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MagicDNS | NetBird DNS | Devices are reachable via names instead of IP addresses. |
| ACLs (HuJSON policy file) | Access Policies | Group-based rules in the dashboard instead of a policy file - the access logic carries over, the syntax does not. |
| Subnet Router | Network Routes | Make entire networks reachable behind a routing peer. |
| Exit Node | Exit Node | Same concept, same name: route internet traffic via a defined peer. |
| Tailscale SSH | Identity-based SSH | Included in current NetBird releases (v0.71+). |
| Funnel | No 1:1 equivalent | You publish services via your own reverse proxy such as Pangolin instead - with your own domains instead of *.ts.net. More about Pangolin |
Documented mappings only, as of July 2026. Each item is configured from scratch in the NetBird setup - we handle that as part of the migration.
The usual objection to any Tailscale alternative is: "Then we have to operate it ourselves." You do not - that is exactly our offering:
Setup, operations and support for your NetBird environment at a fixed monthly price - no matter how many users and devices join over time. We quote the concrete price on request because it depends on setup and infrastructure. And there is no risk: trial it for 7 days, then decide.
In-depth knowledge from our remote access knowledge base.
The software yes, the operations no. The NetBird client is licensed under BSD-3-Clause, the server components (management, signal, relay) under AGPLv3 - you can self-host the entire platform without license costs. To be honest about it: true high availability of the management services is part of the commercial NetBird Enterprise license, and servers, updates and monitoring create operational effort - which is exactly what we take over. NetBird Cloud has its own pricing (free up to 5 users and 100 machines, Team $6, Business $12 per user per month, as of July 2026).
Not necessarily. Below 6 users without self-hosting requirements, the Tailscale free plan is hard to beat, and if you deliberately do not want to run your own infrastructure, the paid plans give you a very good product. Switching pays off when per-seat costs grow with your team, when data sovereignty or compliance requirements demand a self-operated control plane, or when you do not want to be tied to a US SaaS long term.
Conceptually yes, via copy and paste no. Tailscale ACLs are a HuJSON policy file, while NetBird works with group-based access policies in the dashboard or via the API. The access logic - who may access what - can be mapped completely, but the translation is manual work. It is a fixed part of our migration package and is tested against the current state during parallel operation.
Headscale is an excellent choice if you want to keep the official Tailscale clients: a community-maintained open-source reimplementation of the Tailscale control server (around 41,300 GitHub stars, currently v0.29.x), not affiliated with Tailscale Inc. However, the project deliberately keeps its scope narrow: a single tailnet, intended for personal use and smaller organisations. If you need a dashboard of its own, group management and a standalone platform, NetBird is the better fit. We operate both and advise honestly on what suits your environment.
Both have a direct equivalent: MagicDNS corresponds to NetBird DNS (devices remain reachable via names), exit nodes are also called exit nodes in NetBird, and subnet routers become network routes. The concepts move with you - they are, however, configured from scratch in the NetBird setup, which we handle as part of the migration.
That depends on the number of devices, the complexity of your ACLs and the number of subnet routers and exit nodes - a serious number only exists after the inventory, and that is exactly when we give you one. Thanks to running both overlays in parallel there is no time pressure though: every device switches individually, and Tailscale remains fully functional until the last cutover.
Yes. Both are WireGuard-based overlays with their own network interfaces. We configure the NetBird address range so it does not collide with your existing tailnet - then both networks run simultaneously during the migration, and the switch happens device by device instead of as a big-bang cutover.
On your infrastructure. Management, signal and relay services run on your servers - in your own data center or with a European provider of your choice. With Tailscale, by contrast, the coordination layer runs as SaaS operated by a US provider. It is exactly this layer - device identities, key distribution, policies - that you bring back under your own sovereignty with NetBird.
Our VPN flatrate is one fixed price per month, independent of the number of users and devices - there are no per-seat costs. We quote the concrete price on request because it depends on setup and infrastructure. You can trial the offering for 7 days; all details are on our VPN flatrate page.
No. WZ-IT is an independent IT service provider and has no business relationship with Tailscale Inc., NetBird GmbH or the Headscale project. Tailscale is a trademark of Tailscale Inc.; all product names on this page are used solely to identify the respective products. We compare them so you can make an informed decision.
Tell us where you stand - we will get back to you with an honest assessment.
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These solutions are often used together with NetBird
These solutions offer similar functionalities and can be evaluated together
These solutions are direct alternatives with similar use cases
No risk: worst case, you leave with a clearer understanding of your project than before.
“WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.”
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate, UAE
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Managing Director, Aphy B.V., Netherlands
Aphy - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate, UAE
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Managing Director, Aphy B.V., Netherlands
Aphy - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate, UAE
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Managing Director, Aphy B.V., Netherlands
Aphy - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
Whether a specific IT challenge or just an idea - we look forward to the exchange. In a brief conversation, we'll evaluate together if and how your project fits with WZ-IT.
Leading companies trust WZ-IT
Timo Wevelsiep & Robin Zins
Managing Directors of WZ-IT
