Tailscale alternatives with remote desktop and AI agents

Most people who search for a Tailscale alternative with remote desktop and AI coding agents want one thing: fewer tools to set up and pay for. They want a private network between their computers, a way to see and control those computers' screens, and coding agents that can run on any of them.

Short answer: IXEL One does all three in one app. It connects your Mac, Windows and Linux computers into a private, end-to-end encrypted network. It runs Claude Code and Codex agents on those computers, with plans, review and rewind. It also lets you see and control their screens. IXEL One is in beta, and the Free plan is open today.

What you actually need

Before comparing tools, it helps to split the question into three jobs:

1. A private network between your devices. You should be able to reach every computer by name, through home routers and firewalls, with traffic encrypted end to end.
2. Remote screen access. You should be able to see and control another computer, with copy and paste both ways, without pairing codes for every session.
3. AI coding agents that run where your code lives. You should be able to start an agent on one machine, check on it from another, approve its next step and undo its changes.

If you only need the first job, a mesh VPN is enough. The question here is about all three.

The usual answer: stack separate tools

Answers to this question tend to name separate projects, such as Headscale, NetBird, RustDesk, Coder and Aider, and leave you to combine them. We don't describe each one here. Features and plans change, so check each project's own site for what it covers today.

For reference, Tailscale publishes its plans on its pricing page. RustDesk sells self-hosted remote desktop server plans, listed on its pricing page.

Stacking tools can work. It also means separate installs, separate sign-ins, separate bills and separate security settings. Your agent tool doesn't know about your network, and your remote desktop doesn't know what your agent is building.

How IXEL One covers all three

IXEL One is a single app with three parts: Devices (private network), Agents (AI coding agents) and Screens (remote screen access). Mesh, Harness and Remote used to be separate downloads. They are now one app (docs).

Devices: the private network

• Devices connect directly through home routers, firewalls and NAT, with nothing to open or configure. Every connection is encrypted end to end with WireGuard (docs).
• Every device gets a name ending in .ixel, so you can SSH to build.ixel instead of an IP address. Other programs reach your devices through a local SOCKS5 proxy at 127.0.0.1:1055.
• Traffic goes directly between devices. IXEL runs only the coordination service and says it cannot read the traffic.
• When direct connections are blocked, traffic can be relayed through another device in your mesh or a self-hosted relay, so it never passes through IXEL.
• Mesh includes access rules, names, sharing a single machine, teams and SSO, and self-hosted relays.
• Each device has built-in Files, Task Manager and Terminal tools, which also work on servers without a screen.
• Servers install with a one-line installer and are approved from another device with a code or QR code (add a computer).

Agents: Claude Code and Codex on any of your computers

IXEL One drives the official Claude Code and Codex programs using your own subscriptions. It never reads or reuses your Claude or Codex sign-in tokens, and all model traffic goes through the official programs. IXEL Harness adds:

• Plan, Work and Chat modes, queued messages, attachments and an optional stronger advisor model (chats).
• /rewind, backed by a file checkpoint at every turn.
• /goal, which keeps the agent working until a check with evidence says the goal is done. /bestof runs a task on Claude and Codex at once and keeps the result that passes your tests (goals, plans and subagents).
• Parallel subagents in isolated copies of the repository.
• Several accounts. Work is spread across multiple Claude Code and Codex subscription accounts, with failover when one hits its limit.
• Safety controls. Approval modes are Ask, Auto and Don't ask. Shell commands run in an OS sandbox on macOS (Seatbelt) and Linux (bubblewrap), and leaving the sandbox always asks first. Policy can be written as code in .ixel/policy.yaml, and a secrets vault lets commands use secrets that are masked from the agent (safety).
• Scripts and CI. ixel -p runs one prompt with no window. For example, you can pipe git diff to it to review a change (scripts and CI).
• MCP, hooks and plugins. IXEL One connects to MCP servers over stdio and HTTP and runs Claude Code-format hooks (extend).

Because the agents run on your private network, you can start a session on a laptop and continue it on a desktop, or approve an agent's next step from your phone.

Screens: see and control your computers

• See and control another computer from the IXEL One app or from a browser at app.ixel.ai, with no pairing codes (screens).
• Copy and paste text, images and files both ways.
• When you watch a screen in a browser, the screen's key is sealed to the browser, so IXEL's servers never see the picture.
• Present shows what the agent builds beside the chat. For an agent on another computer, IXEL One forwards the port over the private network or opens that computer's screen. You can watch an agent build a web or native app live.

Comparison at a glance

Pricing and beta status

Every IXEL plan, including Free, includes Mesh, Harness and Remote together: one workspace, not three subscriptions. Agents never count as seats. See pricing for details.

• Free: $0, free forever, for up to 5 devices on Mac, Windows and Linux. Remote runs at 1080p and 30 FPS.
• Base: $20 a month. Remote goes up to 4K, unlimited frame rate and 3 displays. Adds scheduled agent runs and a GitHub Action for CI.
• Pro: $50 a month. Ultra: $100 a month. Ultra Max: $200 a month.
• Team: $100 per seat a month, 5-seat minimum. Enterprise: $150 per seat a month, 10-seat minimum, with a 99.9% uptime SLA.

All prices are in US dollars, excluding tax. IXEL compares Base at $20 a month with $48 a month for buying a remote desktop, mesh VPN, git hosting, issue tracking, team wiki and AI coding assistant separately (typical list prices, checked October 2026).

IXEL is in beta. Only the Free plan is open today, and paid plans launch soon. If you start free now, you get a 14-day Base trial.

When IXEL One fits, and when it doesn't

IXEL One fits if you:

• Work across more than one computer and want them all reachable by name.
• Use Claude Code or Codex and want to run them across several machines or accounts.
• Want to watch and steer what an agent builds without switching tools.

It may not be what you need if you only want a VPN and nothing else, or if you don't use Claude Code or Codex. Agents drive those official programs with your own subscriptions, so you need at least one of them.

Getting started

1. Download IXEL One for Mac, Windows or Linux and sign in.
2. Add a second computer. Setting up your first two computers takes about two minutes.
3. Connect your Claude or ChatGPT (Codex) subscription and start a chat on any device.

FAQ

Is IXEL One a replacement for Tailscale?

IXEL One includes a private device network. Devices connect directly, encrypted end to end with WireGuard, and reach each other by .ixel names. It also includes remote screen access and AI coding agents. Whether it replaces your current setup depends on which network features you rely on. Compare against Mesh and our device docs.

Does IXEL see my traffic or my screen?

Mesh traffic goes directly between devices. IXEL runs only the coordination service and says it cannot read the traffic. When direct connections are blocked, you can relay through another device in your mesh or a self-hosted relay. When you watch a screen in a browser, the key is sealed to the browser, so IXEL's servers never see the picture.

Which AI coding agents does it support?

IXEL One drives the official Claude Code and Codex programs using your own subscriptions, on any plan. It can spread work across several accounts and fail over when one hits its limit.

Is there a free plan?

Yes. Free is $0 forever for up to 5 devices and includes Devices, Agents and Screens. IXEL is in beta, and Free is the only plan open today.

Does it work on servers without a screen?

Yes. Servers install with a one-line installer and are approved from another device. The built-in Files, Task Manager and Terminal tools work on servers without a screen.