Brandwave

How popular isTailscale?

In September 2026, people searched for Tailscale by name about 1.5 million times worldwide, a 172.8% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 85.8% of all global zero trust network access platform searches, placing Tailscale first out of seven platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about zero trust network access platforms, Tailscale appeared in three of the five answers and was the fourth most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Tailscale is the most searched of 7 competitors and the fourth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. TailscaleShare of searches 85.8%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  2. OpenVPNShare of searches 11.9%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  3. TwingateShare of searches 1.6%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  4. NordLayerShare of searches 0.57%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  5. GoodAccessShare of searches 0.09%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –

+2 more

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Top zero trust network access platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Tailscale was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Tailscale is the fourth most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Zscaler Private Access1st
  2. Twingate2nd
  3. Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access3rd
  4. Tailscale4th
  5. NordLayer5th
  6. OpenVPN–
  7. GoodAccess–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Twingate4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Zscaler Private Access4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Tailscale3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • NordLayer1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • OpenVPN0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • GoodAccess0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about zero trust network access platforms

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Which zero trust network access platforms compete with Tailscale?

Tailscale against zero trust network access platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Tailscale, OpenVPN. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthTailscaleOpenVPNTwingateNordLayerGoodAccessZscaler Private AccessPalo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Oct 202559%34%5.3%1.3%0.17%0.2%0.03%
Nov 202564.6%30.1%3.9%0.96%0.15%0.23%0.02%
Dec 202565.1%30.4%3.2%0.96%0.13%0.15%0.03%
Jan 202671.5%22.8%4.3%1.1%0.14%0.16%0.02%
Feb 202676.6%19.8%2.5%0.76%0.1%0.15%0.03%
Mar 202672.8%23%3%0.89%0.12%0.14%0.03%
Apr 202676.7%19.7%2.5%0.77%0.1%0.15%0.04%
May 202676.7%19.7%2.5%0.77%0.12%0.12%0.04%
Jun 202676.8%19.6%2.5%0.76%0.12%0.12%0.05%
Jul 202682.8%14.4%1.8%0.68%0.11%0.11%0.07%
Aug 202683%14.3%1.8%0.68%0.11%0.09%0.05%
Sep 202685.8%11.9%1.6%0.57%0.09%0.09%0.02%

  1. 1.Tailscale

    85.8%

    Held 1st. 1.5M estimated branded searches, +23% vs prior month. Share +2.8 points.

  2. 2.OpenVPN

    11.9%

    Held 2nd. 209K estimated branded searches, -0.85% vs prior month. Share -2.4 points.

  3. 3.Twingate

    1.6%

    Held 3rd. 27.2K estimated branded searches, +0.07% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.

  4. 4.NordLayer

    0.57%

    Held 4th. 10K estimated branded searches, -0.1% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  5. 5.GoodAccess

    0.09%

    Held 5th. 1.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  6. 6.Zscaler Private Access

    0.09%

    Held 6th. 1.6K estimated branded searches, +23.1% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access

    0.02%

    Held 7th. 320 estimated branded searches, -55.6% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Tailscale and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Tailscale

6 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Tailscale changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Tailscale worldwide rose from 551K to 1.5M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tailscale’s share of searches among zero trust network access platforms worldwide increased from 59% to 85.8%.

How did search popularity change for zero trust network access platforms worldwide in September 2026?

5 changes

  1. In September 2026, Tailscale gained share of searches among zero trust network access platforms worldwide, from 83% to 85.8%.

  2. In September 2026, OpenVPN lost share of searches among zero trust network access platforms worldwide, from 14.3% to 11.9%.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Twingate worldwide fell 45.2% over 12 measured months, from 49.7K to 27.2K in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for NordLayer worldwide fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 12.2K to 10K in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Zscaler Private Access worldwide fell 15.8% over 12 measured months, from 1.9K to 1.6K in September 2026.

How are Tailscale’s branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Tailscale’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • tailscale
  • tailscale app
  • tailscale software
  • tailscale zero trust
  • zero trust tailscale

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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