KasmVNC vs wayvnc
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 | wayvnc |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-2.0 | ISC |
| Language | C++ | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,272 | ★ 1,822 |
| First released | 2020 | 2019 |
| Replaces | TightVNC, RealVNC | TightVNC, RealVNC |
What are KasmVNC and wayvnc?
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
wayvnc
wayvnc is a VNC server that enables remote access to desktops running wlroots-based Wayland compositors such as Sway. It supports hardware-accelerated framebuffer capture and authentication.
- VNC for Wayland compositors
- Hardware-accelerated capture
- TLS encryption
- Lightweight server
KasmVNC vs wayvnc: key differences
KasmVNC is written in C++, while wayvnc is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for KasmVNC versus ISC for wayvnc. Wayvnc is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for KasmVNC. KasmVNC has the considerably larger community, at 5,272 GitHub stars versus 1,822. KasmVNC lists first-class Docker deployment; wayvnc does not.
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 wayvnc if…
- Released under the ISC license
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is KasmVNC or wayvnc better?
Neither is universally better. KasmVNC has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are KasmVNC and wayvnc free and open-source?
Yes. KasmVNC is licensed under GPL-2.0 and wayvnc under ISC. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KasmVNC and wayvnc with Docker?
KasmVNC: yes. wayvnc: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, KasmVNC or wayvnc?
wayvnc has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for KasmVNC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.