head to head · open source

algo vs docktail

algo has 30,431 GitHub stars, 2,368 forks, 77 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. docktail has 1,287 stars, 49 forks, 5 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. algo leads on adoption by 2,264% (30,431 vs 1,287 stars). algo is written in Python under AGPL-3.0; docktail is written in Go under AGPL-3.0. algo has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, docktail 4%. algo was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.

Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.

algo ★ 30K docktail ★ 1.3K category Infrastructure & Operations

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Side by side

algo docktail
GitHub stars ★ 30K ★ 1.3K
License AGPL-3.0 AGPL-3.0
Written in Python Go
Last push 2026-10-14 2026-10-14
Forks ⑂ 2.4K ⑂ 49
Self-hosting Yes Yes
Data ownership Your server Your server

pick algo if

  • You weight community size — 30K stars and counting
  • You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
  • Your stack matches Python
  • You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance

full algo profile →

pick docktail if

  • You want the docktail feature set and don't need the biggest community
  • You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
  • Your stack matches Go
  • You evaluated both and docktail fits your workflow better

full docktail profile →

About algo

Algo VPN Algo VPN is a set of Ansible scripts that simplify the setup of a personal WireGuard and IPsec VPN. It uses the most secure defaults available and works with common cloud providers. See our release announcement for more information. Features Supports only IKEv2 with strong crypto (AES GCM, SHA2, and P 256) for iOS, MacOS, and Linux Supports WireGuard for all of the above, in addition to Android and Windows 11 Generates .conf files and QR codes for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows WireGuard clients Generates Apple profiles to auto configure iOS and macOS devices for IPsec no client software required…

read the full algo overview →

About docktail

🍸 DockTail Unleash your containers as Tailscale Services. DockTail watches Docker containers, reads docktail. labels, and exposes matching containers as Tailscale Services. App containers do not need published Docker ports by default; DockTail proxies directly to their Docker network IPs. Why DockTail? DockTail uses native Tailscale Services, not per container Tailscale devices. ¹ Depends on proxy and Docker network setup. ² Depends on the sidecar template and app network setup. ³ You configure how the service host reaches the backend yourself. ⁴ ScaleTail is template based, so each app usually starts from its…

read the full docktail overview →

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Frequently asked questions

Is algo or docktail more popular?

algo has 30,431 GitHub stars and docktail has 1,287. algo has the larger community by that measure.

Are algo and docktail free?

Both are open source. algo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and docktail under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.

What is the difference between algo and docktail?

algo is written in Python and docktail in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.

Which should I choose, algo or docktail?

Choose algo if you want the larger community (30,431 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose docktail if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.