Tailscale aims to make secure connections between machines as simple as having them on the same local network. The Canadian company serves developers, IT teams and organizations whose resources are spread across offices, remote work environments, data centers and clouds. Its solution creates a logical private network, called a “tailnet,” without requiring all traffic to be centralized through a traditional VPN gateway.
A company born out of the limitations of traditional VPNs
Founded in 2019 by Avery Pennarun, David Crawshaw and David Carney, Tailscale was built around an observation: corporate networks are increasingly moving beyond a single physical perimeter. Applications are becoming more dispersed, while users need to access resources from a variety of environments. Configuring tunnels, managing keys and maintaining network rules then become complex tasks.
The company relies on WireGuard, an open-source VPN protocol, to which it adds the mechanisms needed for day-to-day use by teams. Its growth is driven in particular by adoption among technical users, with a free offering and paid plans designed for professional needs. Several components of its software are open source, but its hosted coordination service remains proprietary.
Connecting resources, controlling access
In practice, Tailscale installs software on the devices to be connected, then relies on an identity provider to authenticate users. The service coordinates machine discovery and the distribution of the information needed to establish connections. Whenever possible, data travels directly between devices. When network constraints prevent this, relays can carry the traffic without decrypting its contents.
This architecture makes it possible to connect computers, servers or cloud environments without routinely opening inbound ports on the Internet. Subnet routers also provide access to equipment on which the software cannot be installed. Exit nodes, meanwhile, allow Internet traffic to be routed through a chosen machine.
Beyond the encrypted tunnel, the key issue is authorization. Administrators can define which identities have access to which resources, rather than granting blanket trust to every connected device. Tailscale also offers SSH access features and, depending on the plan, logging and control tools tailored to enterprise requirements.
What comes next?
Tailscale’s trajectory will depend on its ability to maintain this simplicity while meeting the requirements of large organizations: access governance, auditing, integration with security tools and management of technical dependencies. The company competes with established VPNs and zero trust network access platforms, known as ZTNA.
Its approach is well suited to hybrid infrastructure and distributed teams. However, it does not eliminate the need to secure endpoints or design rigorous access policies. The challenge will be to turn adoption often initiated by developers into lasting deployments, approved by IT and security leaders.