noVNC vs x11vnc
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 | x11vnc |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 22 · At risk |
| 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 | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker, source | bare-metal, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,046 | ★ 857 |
| First released | 2010 | 2002 |
| Replaces | RealVNC | TightVNC, RealVNC |
What are noVNC and x11vnc?
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
x11vnc
x11vnc is a VNC server that allows remote access to an existing X11 display, letting you view and control a physical desktop session over the network. It is a long-standing tool for remote Linux desktops.
- Access existing X11 sessions
- View physical desktops
- SSH tunneling support
- Lightweight
noVNC vs x11vnc: key differences
NoVNC is written in JavaScript, while x11vnc is built with C. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for noVNC versus GPL-2.0 for x11vnc. X11vnc is the more established project (first released 2002), while noVNC arrived in 2010. NoVNC has the considerably larger community, at 14,046 GitHub stars versus 857. NoVNC lists first-class Docker deployment; x11vnc 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 x11vnc if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is noVNC or x11vnc better?
noVNC is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider x11vnc if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are noVNC and x11vnc free and open-source?
Yes. noVNC is licensed under MPL-2.0 and x11vnc under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run noVNC and x11vnc with Docker?
noVNC: yes. x11vnc: check the project docs for container support.