This distinction is important: your actual traffic does not flow through the Tailscale control server. Enter HeadscaleHeadscale describes itself as an open source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server intended primarily for self-hosters and hobbyists. Even with this set up, you are still using the public DERP servers, or, at least, you might be. It is possible to run your own DERP server, but that may or may not be a performance problem. Once you are bored, you can work on single sign-on and your own DERP servers, if you like.