February 1, 2026
Bird vs Tail: Feathers Will Fly
Netbird a German Tailscale alternative (P2P WireGuard-based overlay network)
NetBird takes flight as a Tailscale rival — fans cheer, skeptics ask “Where’s the Funnel”
TLDR: NetBird, a German-made alternative to Tailscale, is winning praise for easy, secure access while sparking debate over a missing “Funnel” feature for simple web sharing. Commenters celebrate more choice, shout out friendly founders, plug rival Pangolin, and say it “just works”—but Funnel fans aren’t budging.
Germany’s NetBird just swooped in as a challenger to Tailscale, the popular tool that helps people securely connect their devices and offices. The pitch is loud and proud: simple remote access, “least privilege” rules (only give people what they truly need), extra-login safety checks (MFA), and one-click sign-in (SSO). Big customers are gushing that outages vanished and security soared. But the real action? The comments.
One camp is clapping like seals. “Alternatives!” they cry, thrilled to see competition and a self-hosting option that a user says has “just worked” for nearly a year. Another camp fires back with a single, devastating question: where’s the “Funnel”—the Tailscale feature that makes sharing a home device on the open internet one-click easy? Home automation fans say that missing piece could be a dealbreaker. Cue the meme wars: Team Bird vs Team Funnel.
Adding to the vibes, one commenter gave a glowing shout-out to NetBird’s founders as “great and friendly,” while another name-dropped rival Pangolin (a Y Combinator startup) to remind everyone it’s a crowded sky. The mood: optimistic but cheeky. If NetBird nails an easy web-sharing feature, the flock could grow fast. Until then, expect feathers, funnels, and plenty of friendly fire in the comments.
Key Points
- •NetBird is positioned as a German alternative to Tailscale, providing a WireGuard-based peer‑to‑peer overlay for secure remote access.
- •The platform emphasizes least-privilege access and Zero Trust alignment, with features like posture checks, MFA, SSO, and granular access control.
- •Select Tech Group (55+ sites across the UK & Ireland) reports improved security and access management using NetBird.
- •Axiros cites simplified network management across data centers and cloud, leveraging OpenID and MFA with NetBird as a VPN alternative.
- •netgo reports benefits from WireGuard P2P connectivity, Microsoft Entra integration, Microsoft Defender compliance, and SOC telemetry, reducing legacy VPN burdens.