Cockpit vs JumpServer
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Cockpit
Web-based graphical interface for Linux servers
VS
JumpServer
Open-source bastion host and PAM platform
| Feature | Cockpit | JumpServer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,842 | ★ 31,230 |
| First released | 2014 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Webmin | CyberArk, Teleport |
Why pick each one
Choose Cockpit if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 14.8k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Choose JumpServer if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 31.2k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Cockpit or JumpServer better?
Neither is universally better. JumpServer has the larger community, while Cockpit is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Cockpit and JumpServer free and open-source?
Yes. Cockpit is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and JumpServer under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cockpit and JumpServer with Docker?
Cockpit: check the project docs for container support. JumpServer: yes.