boringproxy vs RPort
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | boringproxy | RPort |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 0 · At risk |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,384 | ★ 21 |
| First released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Replaces | ngrok | TeamViewer, ngrok |
What are boringproxy and RPort?
boringproxy
boringproxy is a simple but powerful tool for tunneling from a public server to a private machine, with automatic HTTPS. It is designed to be boringly reliable and easy to run.
- Automatic HTTPS
- Single binary
- Web admin UI
- Self-hosted tunneling
RPort
RPort is an open-source remote management solution that lets you access and control servers and desktops behind firewalls. It provides tunnels, scripting, and a web UI.
- Remote access behind firewalls
- On-demand tunnels
- Script execution at scale
- Web management UI
boringproxy vs RPort: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — MIT for boringproxy versus GPL-3.0 for RPort. Boringproxy is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for RPort. Boringproxy has the considerably larger community, at 1,384 GitHub stars versus 21.
Why pick each one
Choose boringproxy if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
Choose RPort if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is boringproxy or RPort better?
boringproxy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider RPort if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are boringproxy and RPort free and open-source?
Yes. boringproxy is licensed under MIT and RPort under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run boringproxy and RPort with Docker?
boringproxy: yes. RPort: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, boringproxy or RPort?
boringproxy has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for RPort. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.