Many companies write comparisons which make their product far superior to other technology. On every feature line, their product is a full green circle, or 5 stars, while any competition is benchmarked as inferior. Funnily, their competitors say the same thing about them. So let’s compare Tailscale based on open source Wireguard versus NetFoundry based on open source OpenZiti.
We strive to focus on the strengths of each tool and have thus tried to write this from an unbiased perspective (but we obviously do have a bias). In our opinion, Tailscale and Wireguard shine in smaller, straight forward and internet-based deployments. NetFoundry and OpenZiti offer a robust, enterprise-grade solution for zero trust networking across a vast array of simple and complex use cases. Let’s look at that in depth.
Tailscale
Tailscale is based on Wireguard and well-suited for home labs, smaller organizations, and lightweight implementations of zero trust networking. There is plenty written about Tailscale versus Wireguard. Its peer-to-peer, mesh-based VPN solution is simple to set up and maintain, making it an ideal choice for these specific use cases:
Home Labs
Tailscale provides an easy, reliable way to secure connections within home labs or small-scale network environments. The low-maintenance configuration and open-by-default connectivity make it accessible for hobbyists and tech enthusiasts looking to add a secure networking layer to their home or small network setups. This includes Tailscale Funnel (in public preview), supporting easy public sharing of resources on the public internet. Honestly, go to Reddit, and you will see many people saying something like “it was stupidly easy to set up”.
VPN Replacement for Smaller Organizations
For small teams or organizations that need secure, straightforward connectivity, Tailscale serves as an excellent VPN alternative. These use cases tend to focus on user connectivity, shared resources, and third-party access – i.e., predominately client-server, across the WAN using internet connectivity and Tailscale as a cloud-delivered SaaS. It facilitates secure access to shared resources with minimal ACL management, which “just works” due to its host-based, open-by-default connectivity. Smaller businesses can set up and maintain their networks without needing a full IT department.
Partial Zero Trust Networking
Tailscale supports some Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) principles by connecting users securely to resources without exposing the entire network. Its outbound connections via DERP servers protect from external network attacks and its posture checks help ensure higher device security. For smaller-scale environments that don’t require comprehensive ZTN, Tailscale can be an effective and affordable solution for adding basic zero trust capabilities.
NetFoundry
NetFoundry (and its open-source counterpart, OpenZiti) is purpose-built for large-scale, complex zero trust networking requirements. It is highly versatile, offering a range of robust tools and features, making it well-suited for these advanced use cases:
Embedded Use Cases for MSPs and Product/Software Companies:
NetFoundry excels in environments requiring secure connectivity embedded within applications and services. It provides fine-grained control over access, supports multi-tenancy, RBAC, white-labeling, billing, extensive automation/APIs, reporting, and enables comprehensive identity management. It also includes a wider variety of endpoints, including app embedded, ‘clientless’, constrained resources (edge and IIoT), and serverless. This makes it ideal for MSPs and product companies that need to integrate secure, zero-trust connectivity directly into their products and/or service offerings.
Large-Scale Zero Trust Networking for any use case
NetFoundry is designed with zero trust networking at its core, supporting granular, identity-based access and micro-segmentation, which is closed by default. It also enables ZTN across diverse scenarios across IT, OT and IoT, from multi-cloud to remote access, machine-to-machine and even serverless applications. It supports constrained-resource devices, complex edge environments, and clientless connections, ensuring secure connectivity for any device or network setup. Its independent PKI system allows for private key management and end-to-end encryption, allowing it to operate in environments where third-party decryption is not feasible or desirable. This makes NetFoundry ideal for enterprises needing detailed access controls, scalable policy enforcement, and the flexibility to manage secure access across large, complex environments, including air-gapped networks and hybrid cloud setups.
For a deeper understanding of TailScale versus NetFoundry, check out this white paper: NetFoundry OpenZiti vs. TailScale, a Technical Comparison.
