Tailscale vs Defguard: privacy compared
Tailscale and Defguard are both rated in mesh VPNs and private networks against the same 7 public criteria. Defguard does better on open source, no ads or data sales, independent audit, self-hosted coordination server and no connection logs by default. Tailscale is based in Canada (Five Eyes); Defguard is based in Poland.
| Criterion | Tailscale Our pick | Defguard |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | Grade D D (50/100) | Grade B B (82/100) |
| Jurisdiction | Canada Five Eyes | Poland Outside Eyes |
| Open source Is all the source code needed to run the product public? | Partial source | Yes source |
| No trackers or telemetry Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default? | No source | No source |
| No ads or data sales Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data? | Partial source | Yes source |
| Independent audit Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years? | Partial source | Yes source |
| Keys stay on devices Is traffic encrypted between devices with private keys created on each device, so the coordination server and relays cannot read it? | Yes source | Yes source |
| Self-hosted coordination server Can the coordination or control server be self-hosted with open-source software? | Partial source | Yes source |
| No connection logs by default Are connection logs and client diagnostic logs kept off the vendor's servers unless a user or admin turns them on? | Partial source | Yes source |
Summaries
Tailscale. Tailscale scores 50 out of 100 (grade D) on the mesh VPNs and private networks criteria. It meets 1 of 7 criteria: keys stay on devices. It partly meets open source, no ads or data sales, independent audit, self-hosted coordination server and no connection logs by default. It does not meet no trackers or telemetry. It is based in Canada: Five Eyes member.
Defguard. Defguard scores 82 out of 100 (grade B) on the mesh VPNs and private networks criteria. It meets 6 of 7 criteria: open source, no ads or data sales, independent audit, keys stay on devices, self-hosted coordination server and no connection logs by default. It does not meet no trackers or telemetry. It is based in Poland: Not in the Five, Nine or Fourteen Eyes; EU member (GDPR).