noVNC vs TigerVNC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | noVNC | TigerVNC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 89 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,046 | ★ 7,504 |
| First released | 2010 | 2009 |
| Replaces | RealVNC | RealVNC |
What are noVNC and TigerVNC?
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
TigerVNC
TigerVNC is a high-performance, open-source implementation of VNC for remote desktop access. It offers server and client components for Windows, Linux, and macOS.
- High-performance VNC
- Cross-platform server and client
- TLS encryption
- Per-user virtual desktops
noVNC vs TigerVNC: key differences
NoVNC is written in JavaScript, while TigerVNC is built with C++. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for noVNC versus GPL-2.0 for TigerVNC. NoVNC is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for TigerVNC. NoVNC lists first-class Docker deployment; TigerVNC does not.
Why pick each one
Choose noVNC if…
- No client software needed
- Easy to embed
- Widely used
Watch out for
- Needs a WebSocket proxy
- Slower than native clients
Choose TigerVNC if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Mature project with 7.5k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is noVNC or TigerVNC better?
noVNC is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider TigerVNC if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are noVNC and TigerVNC free and open-source?
Yes. noVNC is licensed under MPL-2.0 and TigerVNC under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run noVNC and TigerVNC with Docker?
noVNC: yes. TigerVNC: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, noVNC or TigerVNC?
noVNC has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for TigerVNC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.