Tailcat is an open-source project built for developers and network administrators.

Yes — Tailcat is open source under the Open Source license and free to use.

What platforms does Tailcat run on?

Tailcat runs on the command line. It can also be self-hosted.

Is Tailcat still active?

Unverified. Tailcat has not been re-checked since it entered the index, so there is no finding either way — and only a positive finding would say otherwise.

What projects are similar to Tailcat?

Similar projects tracked by PulseGate include tailkitty, tailctl, and caddytail.

Who develops Tailcat?

Tailcat is developed by Tailscale.

Back to the index

Tailcat

Name: Tailcat
Author: Tailscale

github.comInfrastructure

Tailcat is an open-source command-line utility modeled after netcat that transfers data over Tailscale’s encrypted data plane. It is intended for developers and network administrators who need direct device-to-device connectivity without using Tailscale’s control plane.

Open SourceCLISelf-hosted

Visit github.com

Overview

5 features

Tailcat is a CLI tools & terminal project. It focuses on sending data securely between devices without relying on Tailscale’s control plane. It is built as an open-source project for developers and network administrators. Tailcat is open source under the Open Source license. Tailcat is available on the command line, and it can be self-hosted.

Tailscale builds and maintains Tailcat. Key capabilities include TCP connections, data transfer, and tailscale networking.

Summary written by a language model from the project’s public pages.

TCP connections
Data transfer
Tailscale networking
Netcat compatibility
Command-line interface

Built with & integrations

Runs on

CLISelf-hosted

Trust & compliance

License

Open Source

Verified signals

HTTPSOpen SourceFree tier

Indexing history

What PulseGate has recorded for this listing

Indexed26 Aug · 18:06 UTC
Tailcat: Secure Tunnels in Seconds (Tailscale) verified via Hacker News firehose (Algolia)
Source: Hacker News firehose (Algolia) · Open

Frequently asked questions about Tailcat

What does Tailcat do?: Tailcat focuses on sending data securely between devices without relying on Tailscale’s control plane. It is catalogued under CLI tools & terminal on PulseGate.
Who is Tailcat for?: Tailcat is an open-source project built for developers and network administrators.
Is Tailcat free?: Yes — Tailcat is open source under the Open Source license and free to use.
What platforms does Tailcat run on?: Tailcat runs on the command line. It can also be self-hosted.
Is Tailcat still active?: Unverified. Tailcat has not been re-checked since it entered the index, so there is no finding either way — and only a positive finding would say otherwise.
What projects are similar to Tailcat?: Similar projects tracked by PulseGate include tailkitty, tailctl, and caddytail.tailkitty tailctl caddytail
Who develops Tailcat?: Tailcat is developed by Tailscale.
Is Tailcat open source?: Yes — Tailcat is open source under the Open Source license.

At a glance

Pricing: Open Source
Platforms: CLI
Languages: English
License: Open Source
First seen: 26 Aug 2026
Built for: developers and network administrators
Model: Open source
Solves: Sending data securely between devices without relying on Tailscale’s control plane.

Developer

Tailscale

Index record

Indexed: 26 Aug 2026
Lifecycle: Alive
First seen: Aug 2026
Last seen: 26 Aug 2026

Identity audit (13)

Slug: tailcat-secure-tunnels-in-seconds-tailscale-github-com
Lifecycle last checked: 8 Sept 2026
Verification state: Indexed for public listing
Listing state: Listed: yes
Index status: Included in index
Latest evidence snapshot: 26 Aug 2026
Timeline basis: Indexed-at chronology (no inferred launch/funding milestones).
Name from: Written by a language model from the project's public pages.
Category from: Assigned by a language model.
Summary from: Written by a language model from public pages.
Languages from: Detected by a language model, checked against the page's own declaration.
Last updated: 26 Aug 2026
Canonical URL: https://github.com/tailscale/tailcat

Ship this? Send a correction — no account, and you get a link to follow it.

Similar projects

Closest matches by what these projects do