Bastillion vs SSHPiper
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bastillion | SSHPiper |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,551 | ★ 1,321 |
| First released | 2013 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Teleport, Termius | Teleport |
What are Bastillion and SSHPiper?
Bastillion
Bastillion is an open-source, web-based SSH console that centrally manages access to systems and distributes SSH keys. It is self-hosted to provide audited, browser-based administrative access to servers.
- Web SSH console
- SSH key distribution
- Session auditing
- Multi-user access control
SSHPiper
SSHPiper is a reverse proxy for SSH that routes incoming connections to different upstream servers based on the username. It centralizes SSH access through a single endpoint with pluggable routing.
- SSH reverse proxy routing
- Username-based upstreams
- Pluggable routing backends
- Single SSH entry point
Bastillion vs SSHPiper: key differences
Bastillion is written in Java, while SSHPiper is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Bastillion versus MIT for SSHPiper. SSHPiper is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Bastillion. Bastillion is the more established project (first released 2013), while SSHPiper arrived in 2015. Bastillion has the considerably larger community, at 3,551 GitHub stars versus 1,321.
Why pick each one
Choose Bastillion if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Choose SSHPiper if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Bastillion or SSHPiper better?
Neither is universally better. Bastillion has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Bastillion and SSHPiper free and open-source?
Yes. Bastillion is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SSHPiper under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bastillion and SSHPiper with Docker?
Bastillion: yes. SSHPiper: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Bastillion or SSHPiper?
SSHPiper has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Bastillion. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.