X2Go vs Xpra
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | X2Go | Xpra |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 2,982 |
| First released | 2007 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Citrix, VNC | NX, Citrix |
What are X2Go and Xpra?
X2Go
X2Go is an open-source remote desktop solution that lets users access graphical Linux sessions over SSH using the NX protocol. It works well over low-bandwidth links and supports session suspend and resume.
- NX-based remote desktop
- Session suspend and resume
- SSH transport
- Low-bandwidth friendly
Xpra
Xpra is an open-source tool that runs remote X11 applications and full desktops, keeping them persistent and accessible from anywhere including via HTML5 in a browser. It is often called screen for X.
- Persistent remote apps
- HTML5 browser client
- Audio and clipboard forwarding
- Seamless windows
X2Go vs Xpra: key differences
X2Go is written in C, while Xpra is built with Python. X2Go is the more established project (first released 2007), while Xpra arrived in 2009. Xpra has the considerably larger community, at 2,982 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose X2Go if…
- Efficient over slow links
- Secure by SSH
Watch out for
- Linux server focused
- Setup can be fiddly
Choose Xpra if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is X2Go or Xpra better?
Neither is universally better. Xpra has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are X2Go and Xpra free and open-source?
Yes. X2Go is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Xpra under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run X2Go and Xpra with Docker?
X2Go: check the project docs for container support. Xpra: check the project docs for container support.