KasmVNC vs noVNC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | KasmVNC | noVNC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,272 | ★ 14,046 |
| First released | 2020 | 2010 |
| Replaces | TightVNC, RealVNC | RealVNC |
What are KasmVNC and noVNC?
KasmVNC
KasmVNC is a VNC server that delivers remote Linux desktops directly to a web browser without any client software. It offers improved performance and security over traditional VNC implementations.
- Browser-based VNC client
- No native client needed
- Encrypted connections
- Improved performance
noVNC
noVNC is an open-source VNC client implemented with HTML5 that connects to any VNC server through a WebSockets proxy. It requires no plugins or installed software on the client.
- Browser-based VNC client
- No plugins required
- WebSockets proxy
- Embeddable in apps
KasmVNC vs noVNC: key differences
KasmVNC is written in C++, while noVNC is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for KasmVNC versus MPL-2.0 for noVNC. NoVNC is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for KasmVNC. NoVNC is the more established project (first released 2010), while KasmVNC arrived in 2020. NoVNC has the considerably larger community, at 14,046 GitHub stars versus 5,272.
Why pick each one
Choose KasmVNC if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.3k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Choose noVNC if…
- No client software needed
- Easy to embed
- Widely used
Watch out for
- Needs a WebSocket proxy
- Slower than native clients
Frequently asked questions
Is KasmVNC or noVNC better?
noVNC is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider KasmVNC if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are KasmVNC and noVNC free and open-source?
Yes. KasmVNC is licensed under GPL-2.0 and noVNC under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KasmVNC and noVNC with Docker?
KasmVNC: yes. noVNC: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, KasmVNC or noVNC?
noVNC has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for KasmVNC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.