ForestVPN vs Tailscale: checked, Oct 2026
ForestVPN and Tailscale side by side on the same rows: what each connects, who can be an exit, sign-in, price, and where Tailscale is the better fit.
Last updated October 8, 2026
How we compared. We measured nothing about Tailscale, so this page has no performance claim about it. Everything about Tailscale is quoted from its own pages, with the date we read them; everything about ForestVPN is a design fact with a page of its own. They overlap in one place: connecting your own devices and using one of them as an exit. They differ in who they are for.
Comparison matrix
| Feature | ForestVPN | Tailscale | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A VPN service that also joins your own devices into one private network | A private network, a tailnet, of your devices and servers [3] | 2026-10-08 [3] |
| Data plane | Quantum, on an unmodified WireGuard handshake | The open-source WireGuard protocol [3] | 2026-10-08 [3] |
| Your own device as an exit | Yes; see devices for which devices can host one | A Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS or tvOS device [2] | 2026-10-08 [2] |
| Sharing an exit | With a named person, invite-only and revocable; see sharing | By default any user in your tailnet can use a configured exit node [2] | 2026-10-08 [2] |
| Sign-in | An account number; no email and no password | Authentication through your identity provider [4] | 2026-10-08 [4] |
| Free plan | Free, no card and no expiry (pricing) | Personal: up to 6 users and unlimited user devices; subnet routers and exit nodes are included [1] | 2026-10-08 [1] |
| Paid plans | Premium from $7.99 a month | Standard $8 and Premium $18 per user per month [1] | 2026-10-08 [1] |
| What is kept | An itemised list on the security page | Not stated on the pages we read | 2026-10-08 |
Architecture and performance
Both put a WireGuard-family tunnel between devices. Tailscale describes its network as a peer-to-peer mesh [3]; ForestVPN's devices reach each other the same way and also use our exits and a backup route when the direct path is blocked. We did not measure Tailscale, so we make no claim about its speed.
Encryption and security
Tailscale's data plane is WireGuard [3]. ForestVPN keeps the WireGuard handshake unmodified. Beyond that, we compare only what we can cite, and Tailscale's own security pages are the place to read about its coordination server and keys.
Sign-in and accounts
The largest difference. Tailscale signs a device in through an identity provider [4], which is how teams control who is on the network. ForestVPN has no identity provider and no email: an account number is the account. That suits one person with their own devices and does not suit an organisation that must say who a device belongs to.
Setup and platforms
Tailscale lets Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS and tvOS devices act as exit nodes [2]. ForestVPN's apps cover phones, computers, TVs and a router container, and which of them can host an exit is stated on the devices page, not here, because it changes release by release.
Cost
Tailscale's Personal plan is free for up to 6 users with unlimited user devices; its paid plans are priced per user per month [1]. ForestVPN is priced per account: Free, and Premium on the pricing page. It has no per-user team plan.
Where Tailscale is better
- It is built for teams. Identity-provider sign-in [4], per-user plans [1] and grants that control who may use an exit node [2] are the tools an organisation needs. ForestVPN has none of them.
- More kinds of device can host an exit on its list [2], tvOS included.
- A free plan with a published user and device allowance [1].
The bottom line
If you run a network for a team, use Tailscale. If you are one person who wants a VPN, your own devices reachable by name, and one of them as your exit, with no account to create, that is what ForestVPN does.
Sources
- Tailscale pricing, read 2026-10-08.
- Tailscale exit nodes, read 2026-10-08.
- What is Tailscale, read 2026-10-08.
- Tailscale identity providers, read 2026-10-08.
Corrections
None so far. If something on this page about Tailscale is wrong, write to support@fvpn.net with the source and we will check it within three working days and fix it or reply with ours.