Sshwifty vs WebSSH2
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Sshwifty
Web-based SSH and Telnet client
VS
WebSSH2
Web-based SSH client using xterm.js and WebSockets
| Feature | Sshwifty | WebSSH2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,112 | ★ 2,766 |
| First released | 2019 | 2017 |
| Replaces | PuTTY | PuTTY |
Why pick each one
Choose Sshwifty if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.1k GitHub stars)
Choose WebSSH2 if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Sshwifty or WebSSH2 better?
Neither is universally better. Sshwifty has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Sshwifty and WebSSH2 free and open-source?
Yes. Sshwifty is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and WebSSH2 under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Sshwifty and WebSSH2 with Docker?
Sshwifty: yes. WebSSH2: yes.