Eternal Terminal 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?
Eternal Terminal
Remote terminal that survives network changes
VS
JumpServer
Open-source bastion host and PAM platform
| Feature | Eternal Terminal | JumpServer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,839 | ★ 31,230 |
| First released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Mosh | CyberArk, Teleport |
Why pick each one
Choose Eternal Terminal if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (3.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
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 Eternal Terminal or JumpServer better?
Neither is universally better. JumpServer has the larger community, while Eternal Terminal is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Eternal Terminal and JumpServer free and open-source?
Yes. Eternal Terminal is licensed under Apache-2.0 and JumpServer under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Eternal Terminal and JumpServer with Docker?
Eternal Terminal: check the project docs for container support. JumpServer: yes.