Apache Guacamole

✓ Verified FOSSApache-2.0

Top open-source alternative to TeamViewer / AnyDesk

Apache Guacamole is a battle-tested clientless remote desktop gateway. Access your Windows, Linux, and macOS servers via RDP, VNC, or SSH directly inside any standard web browser with TOTP 2FA and session recording.

Tech StackJava, C (guacd), HTML5 Canvas, PostgreSQL

Self-Host DifficultyMedium

License ModelApache-2.0

GitHub Repositoryapache/guacamole-client

Recommended VPS & Hardware Sizing

Estimated Hosting: $10 - $15/mo (e.g. Hetzner CPX21 or Linode)

Min RAM:2 GB

Rec RAM:4 GB

Compute:2 vCPU

Disk Space:25 GB SSD

Apache Guacamole vs TeamViewer / AnyDesk Comparison Matrix

Evaluation Criteria	Apache Guacamole (Open Source)	TeamViewer / AnyDesk (Proprietary)
Subscription Model	100% Free Self-Hosted (Unlimited Users)	TeamViewer / AnyDesk Per-Seat / Usage Billing
Data Sovereignty	100% On-Premise / Your Own VPS	Stored on TeamViewer / AnyDesk Proprietary Cloud
Source Code Audit	Open-Source (Apache-2.0)	Closed-Source Proprietary Blackbox

INTERACTIVE TCO MODELEstimated Rate: $38/user/mo

Financial Impact: Migrating from TeamViewer / AnyDesk to Self-Hosted Apache Guacamole

Detailed Stack Calculator →

Active Team Members / Seats: 25 Users

5 Users (Early Startup)50 Users (Scaleup)200 Users (Enterprise Org)

TeamViewer / AnyDesk (Cloud SaaS)Per-Seat Tax

$11,400per year ($950/mo)

3-Year Spend:$34,200

* Excludes enterprise SSO add-ons & usage overages

Apache Guacamole (Self-Hosted)Zero Per-Seat Fee

$120per year ($10/mo Linux VPS)

3-Year Compute:$360

* Commodity Hetzner / DigitalOcean compute instance

Cumulative 3-Year ROI+$33,840Net savings across 36 months (99% reduction)

Annual Free Cash:+$11,280/yr

Need C-Level Buy-In? Generate an instant ROI proposal memo to present to your CTO or CFO.

HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLES // SIDE-BY-SIDE AUDIT

Compare Apache Guacamole Head-to-Head

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★ PRIMARY REPLACEMENTFOSS vs SaaS

Apache Guacamolevs

TeamViewer / AnyDesk

Comprehensive benchmark comparing Apache Guacamole against proprietary TeamViewer / AnyDesk licensing and features.

View Full Battle Report→

Core Capabilities & Features

✓100% Browser-Based RDP, VNC & SSH

✓Zero Client Software or Plugins Needed

✓LDAP, SAML, OIDC & TOTP 2FA Security

✓Full Graphical Session Recording

Self-Host Apache Guacamole with Docker Compose

Tweak configuration ports, secrets, and volumes live. Download or copy your ready-to-run container file:

1-Click Docker Compose Generator

Generate production-ready container definitions with customizable ports and volumes.

Select Open-Source Project:

Apache GuacamoleApache-2.0

Clientless HTML5 remote desktop gateway for RDP, VNC, and SSH

Difficulty: Medium1,732 ⭐

Configure Parameters

Host Port (PORT)

Public Base URL (APP_URL)

Application Secret Key (SECRET_KEY)

docker-compose.guacamole.yml

version: "3.8"
services:
  guacamole:
    image: guacamole/guacamole:latest
    container_name: guacamole
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "${PORT:-8080}:8080"
    environment:
      APP_URL: "${APP_URL:-http://localhost:8080}"
      SECRET_KEY: "${SECRET_KEY:-ossmatrix_prod_secret_2026}"
    volumes:
      - guacamole_data:/data

volumes:
  guacamole_data:

Frequently Asked Questions: Self-Hosting Apache Guacamole

How do I self-host Apache Guacamole using Docker Compose?

You can deploy Apache Guacamole (apache/guacamole-client) on any Linux server by copying the docker-compose.yml template on this page, configuring your desired host port and persistent volume directory, and running 'docker compose up -d'.

How does Apache Guacamole compare to TeamViewer / AnyDesk?

Apache Guacamole is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to TeamViewer / AnyDesk built with Java, C (guacd), HTML5 Canvas, PostgreSQL. Unlike TeamViewer / AnyDesk ($24.90 - $51.90 / tech / month), Apache Guacamole has zero per-user licensing fees and keeps 100% of your data on your own infrastructure.

What are the minimum VPS RAM and CPU requirements for Apache Guacamole?

For production self-hosting (Medium difficulty tier), we recommend at least 4 GB RAM (minimum 2 GB), 2 vCPU, and 25 GB SSD storage, which typically costs $10 - $15/mo (e.g. Hetzner CPX21 or Linode).

Is Apache Guacamole free for commercial business use under the Apache-2.0 license?

Yes. Distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, Apache Guacamole can be self-hosted internally by businesses and engineering teams of any size without per-seat royalties.

README INTEGRATION // REPO EMBED

Embed Official Apache Guacamole Badge in GitHub README

Served locally from OSSMatrix with Cloudflare global edge caching. Real-time verified alternative status, zero third-party dependencies, sub-5ms load time.

Live Preview:

Markdown Embed (GitHub / GitLab)

[![OSSMatrix Alternative](https://ossmatrix.com/api/badge/guacamole)](https://ossmatrix.com/project/guacamole)

HTML Embed (Docs / Landing Pages)

<a href="https://ossmatrix.com/project/guacamole" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://ossmatrix.com/api/badge/guacamole" alt="Apache Guacamole on OSSMatrix" /></a>

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