How Lattice Compares
Overview
| Feature | Lattice | Tailscale | NetBird | Nebula |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | ✅ Any infra | ❌ Cloud-dependent* | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open-core | ✅ Apache 2.0 | ❌ Proprietary | ✅ BSD | ✅ MIT |
| WireGuard mesh | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (custom proto) |
| NAT traversal | ICE + relay | DERP | STUN/TURN | UDP punching |
| K8s native | CRD operator | Operator | — | — |
| Policy engine | ACL + eBPF (Pro) | ACLs | ACLs | Firewall groups |
| AI operations | MCP + intent engine | — | — | — |
| Compliance reports | ✅ (Pro) | — | — | — |
| Multi-tenant | Workspaces + RBAC | Tailnet ACLs | Groups | — |
| Relay protocol | LRP over QUIC | DERP over HTTPS | TURN | Lighthouse |
| Dashboard UI | ✅ | ✅ Web | ✅ Web | ❌ CLI only |
| Audit logging | ✅ (basic: CE, full: Pro) | ✅ | ✅ | — |
| Device support | Linux, macOS, K8s | Most platforms | Most platforms | Most platforms |
| Community size | Growing | Large | Medium | Small |
* Tailscale offers self-hosted "Headscale" but it's a separate community project, not officially supported.
When to Choose Lattice
- You want full control — deploy the control plane on your own infrastructure
- You need Kubernetes-native networking — CRD operator, pod-level policies
- You want AI integration — MCP Server, natural language management, compliance automation
- You're budget-conscious — Community edition is free, Pro adds enterprise features
- You need multi-tenant isolation — Workspaces with independent RBAC
When to Choose Alternatives
- Tailscale if you want managed infrastructure (no ops) and broadest device support
- NetBird if you want open-source with a polished managed cloud option
- Nebula if you're a Slack engineer and want a battle-tested custom protocol