SHSelfHostIndex

Apache Guacamole vs Kasm Workspaces

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?
AP Apache Guacamole Clientless remote desktop gateway in your browser VS KA Kasm Workspaces Containerized desktop and browser streaming platform
FeatureApache GuacamoleKasm Workspaces
CategoryRemote Access & VPNRemote Access & VPN
LicenseApache-2.0Proprietary
LanguageCShell
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB4,096 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker
GitHub stars★ 3,942★ 1,210
First released20162020
ReplacesTeamViewer, CitrixCitrix, Amazon WorkSpaces

Why pick each one

Choose Apache Guacamole if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (3.9k GitHub stars)
  • Written in C
Apache Guacamole details

Choose Kasm Workspaces if…

  • Released under the Proprietary license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (1.2k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Shell
Kasm Workspaces details

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache Guacamole or Kasm Workspaces better?

Neither is universally better. Apache Guacamole has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Apache Guacamole and Kasm Workspaces free and open-source?

Yes. Apache Guacamole is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Kasm Workspaces under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Apache Guacamole and Kasm Workspaces with Docker?

Apache Guacamole: yes. Kasm Workspaces: yes.

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