NordVPN vs Tailscale
NordVPN vs Tailscale, compared side by side on 20 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: NordVPN is on 71/100 and Tailscale on 72/100.
Where each one leads
NordVPN
Leads on none of the measures we hold for both companies.
Tailscale
- headcount: 321 against 119
- funding raised: $505M against $100M
- LinkedIn following: 35,857 against 22,389
At a glance
| Measure | NordVPN | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | NordVPN provides cutting-edge security for data traffic, complete online privacy, and unrestricted internet access. | Secure, identity-based connectivity platform replacing VPNs, SASE, and PAM for modern teams and workloads. |
| Category | Cybersecurity, Privacy, VPN, Network Security | Cybersecurity, Software-defined networking, VPN, Zero Trust Networking |
| Sells toBusiness model | B2C | B2B |
| Offering | Software | Software |
| Founded | 2022 | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Panama City, Panama | San Francisco, United States |
| Status | Inactive | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | NordVPN | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 119 | 321 |
| Total funding | $100M | $505M |
| Latest round | Not published | Series B |
| Valuation | $3.0M | $2.0B |
| LinkedIn followers | 22,389 | 35,857 |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | NordVPN | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 71/100 | 72/100 |
| Traction | 60/100 | 75/100 |
| Team | 60/100 | 70/100 |
| Search visibility | 34/100 | 44/100 |
| Quality | 86/100 | 78/100 |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (44/100) | D (41/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 88/100 | 84/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | NordVPN | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Not detected | Vercel |
| CDN | Cloudflare | Vercel |
| Frameworks | Not detected | Next.js, Tailwind CSS |
| Open source | No | Yes, 3,875 GitHub stars |
Product and pricing
| Measure | NordVPN | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Key features | Data Traffic Security, Online Privacy, Unrestricted Internet Access, Public Wi-Fi Security, Post-Quantum Encryption, Threat Protection Pro™ | Not published |
NordVPN vs Tailscale: common questions
Which is better, NordVPN or Tailscale?
On our 0-100 score Tailscale rates higher (72/100 against 71/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 20 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do NordVPN and Tailscale compare on the numbers?
Tailscale leads on headcount (321 against 119), funding raised ($505M against $100M), LinkedIn following (35,857 against 22,389).
Read the full NordVPN review and pricing or the Tailscale review and pricing. You can also browse other NordVPN alternatives we track.