OpenConnect Server vs Teleport
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Teleport
Identity-aware access for infrastructure
| Feature | OpenConnect Server | Teleport |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 600 | ★ 20,936 |
| First released | 2013 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Cisco AnyConnect | Cisco AnyConnect, AWS Systems Manager |
What are OpenConnect Server and Teleport?
OpenConnect Server
ocserv is an open-source SSL VPN server that implements the OpenConnect protocol and is compatible with Cisco AnyConnect clients. It supports multiple authentication backends.
- AnyConnect-compatible
- Multiple auth backends
- Low resource use
- Per-user configuration
Teleport
Teleport is an open-source access platform that provides secure, identity-aware connectivity to SSH servers, Kubernetes clusters, databases, and web apps. It records sessions and enforces RBAC.
- SSH, Kubernetes, and DB access
- Session recording
- Identity-based RBAC
- Certificate-based auth
OpenConnect Server vs Teleport: key differences
OpenConnect Server is written in C, while Teleport is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for OpenConnect Server versus AGPL-3.0 for Teleport. OpenConnect Server is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Teleport. OpenConnect Server is the more established project (first released 2013), while Teleport arrived in 2016. Teleport has the considerably larger community, at 20,936 GitHub stars versus 600.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenConnect Server if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Teleport if…
- Session recording and audit
- Covers SSH to databases
- Strong RBAC controls
Watch out for
- Complex to operate
- Some features enterprise
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenConnect Server or Teleport better?
Neither is universally better. Teleport has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are OpenConnect Server and Teleport free and open-source?
Yes. OpenConnect Server is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Teleport under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenConnect Server and Teleport with Docker?
OpenConnect Server: yes. Teleport: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, OpenConnect Server or Teleport?
OpenConnect Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Teleport. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.