GoTTY vs ttyd
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | GoTTY | ttyd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 27 · At risk | 74 · Good |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | binary, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,554 | ★ 12,411 |
| First released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Replaces | PuTTY | PuTTY |
What are GoTTY and ttyd?
GoTTY
GoTTY is a simple command-line tool that turns any CLI program into a web application accessible from a browser. It is useful for sharing terminal sessions and remote access.
- CLI programs as web apps
- Single binary
- Read-only or interactive mode
- Basic auth support
ttyd
ttyd is a simple command-line tool for sharing a terminal over the web, written in C for speed and low footprint. It supports SSL, basic authentication, and full-color terminals.
- Fast C implementation
- SSL and basic auth
- Full-color terminal
- Tiny footprint
GoTTY vs ttyd: key differences
GoTTY is written in Go, while ttyd is built with C.
Why pick each one
Choose GoTTY if…
- Instant terminal sharing
- Single small binary
- No dependencies
Watch out for
- Upstream largely unmaintained
- Security needs careful setup
Choose ttyd if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 12.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is GoTTY or ttyd better?
Neither is universally better. GoTTY has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are GoTTY and ttyd free and open-source?
Yes. GoTTY is licensed under MIT and ttyd under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoTTY and ttyd with Docker?
GoTTY: yes. ttyd: yes.