GoTTY vs WebSSH
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 | WebSSH |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 27 · At risk | 41 · Fair |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,554 | ★ 5,144 |
| First released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Replaces | PuTTY | PuTTY |
What are GoTTY and WebSSH?
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
WebSSH
WebSSH is a simple web application that provides an SSH client in the browser using Python, Tornado, and WebSockets. It supports password and public key authentication.
- SSH in the browser
- Public key and password auth
- Full-screen terminal
- Simple deployment
GoTTY vs WebSSH: key differences
GoTTY is written in Go, while WebSSH is built with Python. GoTTY is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for WebSSH. GoTTY is the more established project (first released 2015), while WebSSH arrived in 2017. GoTTY has the considerably larger community, at 19,554 GitHub stars versus 5,144.
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 WebSSH if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.1k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is GoTTY or WebSSH 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 WebSSH free and open-source?
Yes. GoTTY is licensed under MIT and WebSSH under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoTTY and WebSSH with Docker?
GoTTY: yes. WebSSH: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, GoTTY or WebSSH?
GoTTY has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for WebSSH. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.