RustDesk
Remote Access & VPNOpen-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
Replaces TeamViewer, AnyDesk
Best Lightweight Remote Access & VPN for self-hosting
The 61 best Lightweight remote access & vpn you can self-host, ranked by community traction.
frp
Remote Access & VPNFast reverse proxy to expose local servers behind NAT
Replaces ngrok
Headscale
Remote Access & VPNOpen-source self-hosted Tailscale control server
Replaces Tailscale
Sunshine
Remote Access & VPNSelf-hosted game-stream host for Moonlight clients
Replaces NVIDIA GameStream, Parsec
Algo VPN
Remote Access & VPNSet up a personal IPsec and WireGuard VPN in minutes
Replaces NordVPN
WG-Easy
Remote Access & VPNThe easiest way to run WireGuard VPN with a web UI
Replaces OpenVPN Access Server
localtunnel
Remote Access & VPNExpose your localhost to the world for testing
Replaces ngrok
GoTTY
Remote Access & VPNShare your terminal as a web application
Replaces PuTTY
Moonlight
Remote Access & VPNOpen-source game streaming client for low-latency desktops
Replaces Parsec, Steam Remote Play
Nebula
Remote Access & VPNScalable overlay networking tool from Slack
Replaces Tailscale
ZeroTier
Remote Access & VPNGlobal virtual network for connecting devices anywhere
Replaces Tailscale
Chisel
Remote Access & VPNFast TCP/UDP tunnel over HTTP secured by SSH
Replaces ngrok
Cockpit
Remote Access & VPNWeb-based graphical interface for Linux servers
Replaces Webmin
Mosh
Remote Access & VPNMobile shell with roaming and intermittent connectivity
Replaces SSH
rathole
Remote Access & VPNLightweight and high-performance reverse proxy for NAT traversal
Replaces ngrok, frp
noVNC
Remote Access & VPNVNC client that runs entirely in the browser
Replaces RealVNC
FreeRDP
Remote Access & VPNFree implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol
Replaces Microsoft RDP
SoftEther VPN
Remote Access & VPNMulti-protocol VPN server from the University of Tsukuba
Replaces Cisco AnyConnect
EasyTier
Remote Access & VPNDecentralized peer-to-peer mesh VPN
Replaces Tailscale, ZeroTier
ttyd
Remote Access & VPNShare your terminal over the web
Replaces PuTTY
bore
Remote Access & VPNModern, simple TCP tunnel in Rust
Replaces ngrok
RustDesk Server
Remote Access & VPNSelf-hosted relay and ID server for RustDesk
Replaces TeamViewer
Docker OpenVPN
Remote Access & VPNOpenVPN server in a Docker container
Replaces NordVPN
sshx
Remote Access & VPNFast, collaborative live terminal sharing over the web
Replaces tmux
Warpgate
Remote Access & VPNSmart SSH, HTTPS and MySQL bastion host
Replaces Teleport
TigerVNC
Remote Access & VPNHigh-performance, platform-neutral VNC implementation
Replaces RealVNC
GOST
Remote Access & VPNVersatile secure tunneling and proxy toolkit
Replaces Chisel, ngrok
n2n
Remote Access & VPNLayer-two peer-to-peer VPN
Replaces ZeroTier, Hamachi
wstunnel
Remote Access & VPNTunnel TCP and UDP traffic over WebSocket or HTTP2
Replaces Chisel
Outline Server
Remote Access & VPNSelf-hosted Shadowsocks-based access server
Replaces NordVPN
Webmin
Remote Access & VPNWeb-based system administration for Unix-like servers
Replaces cPanel
innernet
Remote Access & VPNPrivate network system using WireGuard
Replaces Tailscale
Wetty
Remote Access & VPNTerminal over HTTP and HTTPS
Replaces PuTTY
WebSSH
Remote Access & VPNSSH client running in a web browser via WebSockets
Replaces PuTTY
Wirehole
Remote Access & VPNWireGuard, Pi-hole, and Unbound in one compose stack
Replaces NordVPN
websockify
Remote Access & VPNWebSocket-to-TCP bridge for browser remote access
Replaces proprietary remote gateways
WireGuard
Remote Access & VPNFast, modern, secure VPN tunnel
Replaces OpenVPN
Eternal Terminal
Remote Access & VPNRemote terminal that survives network changes
Replaces Mosh
pgrok
Remote Access & VPNSelf-hosted ngrok alternative for sharing local services
Replaces ngrok
Sshwifty
Remote Access & VPNWeb-based SSH and Telnet client
Replaces PuTTY
Shell In A Box
Remote Access & VPNWeb-based terminal emulator for remote shell access
Replaces PuTTY
strongSwan
Remote Access & VPNModern IPsec-based VPN implementation
Replaces Cisco AnyConnect
Xpra
Remote Access & VPNScreen for X, persistent remote applications
Replaces NX, Citrix
Headplane
Remote Access & VPNAdvanced web UI and control panel for Headscale
Replaces Tailscale Admin Console
WebSSH2
Remote Access & VPNWeb-based SSH client using xterm.js and WebSockets
Replaces PuTTY
tinc
Remote Access & VPNVPN daemon that builds an encrypted mesh network
Replaces Hamachi, ZeroTier
tunnelmole
Remote Access & VPNOpen-source tunnel to expose local servers to the internet
Replaces ngrok, localtunnel
ztncui
Remote Access & VPNWeb UI for self-hosted ZeroTier network controllers
Replaces ZeroTier Central
Subspace
Remote Access & VPNSimple WireGuard VPN server with a web dashboard
Replaces OpenVPN Access Server, Twingate
wayvnc
Remote Access & VPNVNC server for wlroots-based Wayland compositors
Replaces TightVNC, RealVNC
docker-baseimage-gui
Remote Access & VPNRun any GUI application in a browser-accessible container
Replaces Amazon AppStream
trzsz
Remote Access & VPNFile transfer over SSH with progress and resume
Replaces lrzsz, SCP
boringproxy
Remote Access & VPNSimple self-hosted reverse proxy and tunnel manager
Replaces ngrok
Upterm
Remote Access & VPNSecure terminal sharing for pair programming and support
Replaces tmate
Headscale-Admin
Remote Access & VPNWeb UI for managing self-hosted Headscale networks
Replaces Tailscale Admin Console
Wesher
Remote Access & VPNAutomatic WireGuard mesh overlay network
Replaces Tailscale, ZeroTier
x11vnc
Remote Access & VPNVNC server for real X11 displays
Replaces TightVNC, RealVNC
CloudTTY
Remote Access & VPNCloud-native web terminal for Kubernetes
Replaces ttyd
OpenConnect Server
Remote Access & VPNSSL VPN server compatible with AnyConnect clients
Replaces Cisco AnyConnect
Apache Guacamole Lite
Remote Access & VPNClientless remote desktop gateway library
Replaces TeamViewer, Citrix
gTunnel
Remote Access & VPNRobust TCP tunneling solution over gRPC
Replaces ngrok
No apps match these filters.
Every option here is open-source and self-hostable, tagged Lightweight within the remote access & vpn category. Compare them on the individual app pages for setup difficulty and resource requirements.