# Tailscale vs Apple Configurator

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tailscale at 61% against Apple Configurator's 17%. Tailscale also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.9) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). Apple Configurator's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Tailscale holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 747 and 234 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Tailscale's written reviews are positive against 17% of Apple Configurator's.

Tailscale ships an update fortnightly, Apple Configurator every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tailscale | Apple Configurator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (747 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tailscale/id1470499037/reviews)** | [2.9 (234 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-configurator/id1588794674/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **747** | 234 |
| Positive reviews | **60.9% of reviews** | 16.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#66** | — |
| Size | 29 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tailscale Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470499035) | [Apple Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Tailscale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tailscale/id1470499037)

**Currently charting:** #66 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

Securely connect devices, users, and workloads with a mesh VPN built on WireGuard. It brings identity to network access, enabling Zero Trust principles across diverse environments. Modernize your network for homelabs, businesses, and cloud infrastructure.

**Highlights:** Secure mesh networking, Identity-based access control, Zero Trust security, WireGuard-based VPN, Homelab and business VPN, Cloud and workload connectivity, Hardware-agnostic overlay network

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to set up and use
- 🔒 Secure remote access
- 👍 Convenient for accessing home network
- 👍 Seamless connectivity between devices
- 🚀 Powerful networking features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Significant battery drain
- 🐛 Connectivity issues and bugs
- 🐛 Unreliable performance
- 🐛 Broken functionality after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to connect or authenticate
- Exit node feature not working as expected
- Inconsistent behavior when switching networks
- App getting stuck in a loading state

**Requested features**

- On-demand VPN connection
- Ability to switch between multiple accounts
- More granular control over exit nodes
- Integration with other networking tools
- Dark mode option


### Apple Configurator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-configurator/id1588794674)

Streamline the onboarding of iOS devices and Macs into your organization's management system. Easily add devices to Apple School Manager, Apple Business Manager, or Apple Business Essentials for automated enrollment. Configure network settings and assign devices to MDM servers.

**Highlights:** Add iOS devices and Macs to organization, Automated Device Enrollment setup, Provide network configuration, Install configuration profiles, Scan device setup for enrollment, Assign devices to MDM servers

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Easy to manage ABM
- 🚀 So easy to add devices
- 👍 It works

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🤯 Doesn't work on iPads
- 🤔 Confusing and buggy
- 🚫 Useless, doesn't connect
- 💔 Terrible piece of software

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to sign in
- Crashes on launch
- Incompatible with iOS 16+
- Doesn't detect devices
- Terms not accepted

**Requested features**

- Support for iPads
- Option to assign devices to MDM servers
- Multiple ABM account support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tailscale free?

Tailscale is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Apple Configurator free?

Apple Configurator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tailscale or Apple Configurator?

Tailscale is rated higher. Tailscale averages 4.4 out of 5 from 747 ratings, while Apple Configurator averages 2.9 from 234 ratings.

### Do Tailscale or Apple Configurator have ads?

Neither Tailscale nor Apple Configurator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tailscale or Apple Configurator?

Tailscale ships an update fortnightly, and Apple Configurator every 5 months. Most recently, Tailscale was updated on October 18, 2026 and Apple Configurator on October 18, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*