WebSSH vs Wetty
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | WebSSH | Wetty |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 41 · Fair | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,144 | ★ 5,448 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | PuTTY | PuTTY |
What are WebSSH and Wetty?
WebSSH
WebSSH is a simple web application that provides an SSH client in the browser using Python, Tornado, and WebSockets. It supports password and public key authentication.
- SSH in the browser
- Public key and password auth
- Full-screen terminal
- Simple deployment
Wetty
Wetty is a terminal application that runs in the browser and connects to a server over SSH. It uses xterm.js to provide a responsive terminal experience accessible anywhere.
- Terminal in the browser
- xterm.js powered
- SSH connection backend
- Lightweight container
WebSSH vs Wetty: key differences
WebSSH is written in Python, while Wetty is built with TypeScript. Wetty is the more established project (first released 2014), while WebSSH arrived in 2017.
Why pick each one
Choose WebSSH if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.1k GitHub stars
Choose Wetty if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is WebSSH or Wetty better?
Neither is universally better. Wetty has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are WebSSH and Wetty free and open-source?
Yes. WebSSH is licensed under MIT and Wetty under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run WebSSH and Wetty with Docker?
WebSSH: yes. Wetty: yes.