Apache Guacamole vs X2Go
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?
Apache Guacamole
Clientless remote desktop gateway in your browser
VS
X2Go
Remote desktop access over SSH with NX technology
| Feature | Apache Guacamole | X2Go |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,942 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2016 | 2007 |
| Replaces | TeamViewer, Citrix | Citrix, VNC |
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Guacamole or X2Go 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 X2Go free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Guacamole is licensed under Apache-2.0 and X2Go under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Guacamole and X2Go with Docker?
Apache Guacamole: yes. X2Go: check the project docs for container support.