Radmin VPN vs Tailscale (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Radmin VPN if

• Fits if friends want to play LAN games over the internet
• Works for a small team that needs its PCs on one private network

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a VPN to change your country, because it has no exit servers
• Not for you if you use a Mac, Linux or a phone, as only Windows is supported
• Watch out: full remote control needs Radmin Server, set up separately
• Watch out: some connections fall back to Relay/TCP, which depends on your provider or firewall

Pick Tailscale if

• Fits if you want to reach a home computer, NAS or server from outside without opening ports
• Works for a small team that needs a private link between laptops and servers

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to see and control a remote screen, because it only connects devices and needs a separate remote desktop tool
• Not for you if the network is for work and you want it free, as Personal is non-commercial only
• Tight if you need more than 3 ACL groups on the free plan, since Standard at $8 a user raises that to 10
• Pricey if you need just-in-time access or flow logs, which start on Premium at $18 per user a month
• Watch out: the coordination server is closed source, per Tailscale's own open source page

Radmin VPN

• The download page lists Windows 11, 10, 8 and 7 only, with no Mac, Linux or mobile versions.
• Full remote control needs Radmin Server, installed from the Help menu, and a user set up in it.
• It is a private-network tool for your own computers, not a service that routes traffic through exit servers in other countries.
• Some connections fall back to Relay/TCP, which the help page ties to the internet provider or firewall.

Tailscale

• Tailscale connects devices into a network; it does not show a remote screen by itself, so desktop access still needs a remote desktop or VNC program running over it.
• The Personal plan is for non-commercial use only, and a tailnet on a company domain is treated as business use.
• Just-in-time access, network flow logs and log streaming need Premium at $18 per user / month.
• Tailscale's open source page says the clients and relay servers are open source but the coordination server is closed source; Headscale is a separate community-built alternative.

Radmin VPN

Virtual local network

Create a network with a name and password, then have other computers join it; members appear in the main window and can be pinged from its context menu.

Works behind firewalls

Connects computers behind firewalls. The help page notes a Relay/TCP fallback when a direct connection cannot be made.

Radmin remote control

Install Radmin Server from the Help menu and choose full control from a remote computer's menu to control it through the VPN.

LAN gaming over the internet

The vendor says it does not limit the number of gamers and provides setup instructions for several games.

Encryption and no-log policy

The vendor describes 256-bit AES end-to-end encryption and says it does not track, collect or sell private data.

Tailscale

Private network between devices

Each signed-in device joins a tailnet and can connect to the others directly, so a personal computer or a server can be reached from outside without public-facing ports.

Subnet routers and exit nodes

A subnet router lets devices that cannot run Tailscale be reached through one that can, and an exit node sends internet traffic out through a chosen device.

Tailscale SSH

SSH access to servers is authorized by the same identity and access rules as the rest of the tailnet. Advanced SSH features are on Premium.

Access control with ACL groups

Rules decide which users and tagged resources can reach each other. The number of ACL groups rises from 3 on Personal to 10 on Standard and 300 on Premium.

Admin and identity controls

Paid plans add SCIM user provisioning, MDM configuration and device posture checks; Premium adds just-in-time access, flow logs and log streaming.

Free tier for home use

The Personal plan covers unlimited devices for up to 6 users at no charge, for non-commercial use such as a homelab or a home network.

Radmin VPN

• Free$0

  The whole product is free. Famatech earns its money from a separate commercial product, Radmin.

Tailscale

• Personal$0

  Non-commercial use only. Unlimited user devices, up to 6 users, up to 3 ACL groups, up to 50 tagged resources and 1,000 minutes a month for ephemeral resources.

• Standard$8

  per user / month

  Unlimited users, SCIM, up to 10 ACL groups, MDM configuration, device posture integrations and advanced user roles.

• Premium$18

  per user / month

  Up to 300 ACL groups, 10,000 ephemeral minutes a month, just-in-time access, advanced Tailscale SSH, network flow logs and log streaming.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Custom device limits, a custom MSA, custom tailnet subdomains, solutions engineer help and invoice payment. Sold through sales.

Radmin VPN

No public discounts listed.

Tailscale

• Other savings

  Free for open-source projects

  Tailscale's about page says the service is free for open-source projects.