WebSSH2 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 | WebSSH2 | Wetty |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,773 | ★ 5,448 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | PuTTY | PuTTY |
What are WebSSH2 and Wetty?
WebSSH2
WebSSH2 is an open-source web SSH client built with xterm.js and WebSockets. It can be self-hosted to provide browser-based terminal access to SSH servers.
- Browser SSH terminal
- xterm.js frontend
- WebSocket transport
- Docker ready
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
WebSSH2 vs Wetty: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for WebSSH2 versus MIT for Wetty. Wetty is the more established project (first released 2014), while WebSSH2 arrived in 2017.
Why pick each one
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)
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 WebSSH2 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 WebSSH2 and Wetty free and open-source?
Yes. WebSSH2 is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Wetty under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run WebSSH2 and Wetty with Docker?
WebSSH2: yes. Wetty: yes.