JumpServer vs tunnelmole
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?
JumpServer
Open-source bastion host and PAM platform
VS
tunnelmole
Open-source tunnel to expose local servers to the internet
| Feature | JumpServer | tunnelmole |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | binary, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 31,230 | ★ 1,885 |
| First released | 2014 | 2021 |
| Replaces | CyberArk, Teleport | ngrok, localtunnel |
Why pick each one
Choose JumpServer if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 31.2k GitHub stars
Choose tunnelmole if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is JumpServer or tunnelmole better?
Neither is universally better. JumpServer has the larger community, while tunnelmole is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are JumpServer and tunnelmole free and open-source?
Yes. JumpServer is licensed under GPL-3.0 and tunnelmole under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run JumpServer and tunnelmole with Docker?
JumpServer: yes. tunnelmole: yes.