Apache Guacamole vs Remotely
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Apache Guacamole
Clientless remote desktop gateway in your browser
VS
Remotely
Remote control and support tool built with .NET
| Feature | Apache Guacamole | Remotely |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 21 · At risk |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,991 | ★ 5,080 |
| First released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Replaces | TeamViewer, Citrix | TeamViewer |
What are Apache Guacamole and Remotely?
Apache Guacamole
Apache Guacamole is a clientless remote desktop gateway that supports RDP, VNC, and SSH entirely through a web browser. No plugins or client software are required.
- Browser-based remote desktop
- RDP, VNC, and SSH support
- No client software
- Session recording
Remotely
Remotely is an open-source remote support and remote scripting solution built with ASP.NET Core and SignalR. It offers attended and unattended remote access through the browser.
- Attended and unattended access
- Remote scripting
- Browser-based control
- Cross-platform agent
Apache Guacamole vs Remotely: key differences
Apache Guacamole is written in C, while Remotely is built with C#. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Apache Guacamole versus GPL-3.0 for Remotely. Remotely is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Apache Guacamole. Apache Guacamole is the more established project (first released 2016), while Remotely arrived in 2019.
Why pick each one
Choose Apache Guacamole if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
Choose Remotely if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.1k GitHub stars
- Written in C#
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Guacamole or Remotely better?
Neither is universally better. Remotely has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Apache Guacamole and Remotely free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Guacamole is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Remotely under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Guacamole and Remotely with Docker?
Apache Guacamole: yes. Remotely: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Apache Guacamole or Remotely?
Remotely has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Apache Guacamole. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.