JumpServer vs ShellHub
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
ShellHub
Modern SSH server for remotely accessing linux devices via command
| Feature | JumpServer | ShellHub |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 31,230 | ★ 2,056 |
| First released | 2014 | 2026 |
| Replaces | CyberArk, Teleport | — |
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 ShellHub if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is JumpServer or ShellHub better?
Neither is universally better. JumpServer has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are JumpServer and ShellHub free and open-source?
Yes. JumpServer is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ShellHub under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run JumpServer and ShellHub with Docker?
JumpServer: yes. ShellHub: yes.