Ranked by GitHub stars
All 13 Remote Access apps
Puter
HeyPuter/puter
Web-based operating system designed to be feature-rich, exceptionally fast, and highly extensible.
File Sync & StorageTypeScriptDockerPangolin
fosrl/pangolin
Identity-aware tunneled reverse proxy with dashboard UI, access control, and WireGuard-based tunnels (alternative to Cloudflare Tunnel, Tailscale).
Web Servers & Reverse ProxiesTypeScriptDockerTermix
Termix-SSH/Termix
Clientless web-based server management platform with SSH terminal, tunneling, and file editing capabilities.
Remote AccessTypeScriptDockerFirezone
firezone/firezone
Secure remote access gateway that supports the WireGuard protocol. It offers a Web GUI, 1-line install script, multi-factor auth (MFA), and SSO.
Remote AccessElixirDockerWarpgate
warp-tech/warpgate
Fully transparent SSH, HTTPS, Kubernetes, MySQL and Postgres bastion/PAM that doesn't need additional client-side software.
Remote AccessRustDockerMeshCentral
Ylianst/MeshCentral
Run your own web server to remotely manage and control computers on a local network or anywhere on the internet.
Remote AccessHTMLGuacamole
apache/guacamole-server
Clientless remote desktop gateway supporting standard protocols like VNC and RDP.
Remote AccessCSshwifty
nirui/sshwifty
Sshwifty is a SSH and Telnet connector made for the Web.
Remote AccessJavaScriptDockerShellHub
shellhub-io/shellhub
Modern SSH server for remotely accessing linux devices via command line (using any SSH client) or web-based user interface (alternative to sshd).
Remote AccessTypeScriptDockerHomeButler
Higangssh/homebutler
Installs and manages a curated catalog of applications via Docker Compose, maps containers and exposed ports, verifies backups restore, and reports what changed since the last run with CLI, JSON…
Self-hosting PlatformsGoDockerEngity's Bifröst
engity-com/bifroest
Highly customizable SSH server with several ways to authorize a user and options where and how to execute a user's session.
Remote AccessGoDockerCardea
hectorm/cardea
SSH bastion server with access control, session recording, and optional TPM-backed key protection.
Remote AccessGoDockerOnloc
onloc-app/onloc-api
Track and share your location in real time. Control and lock stolen or lost phones.
Home Automation & IoTTypeScriptDocker
What is the best self-hosted app for remote access?
By GitHub stars, Puter is the most popular self-hosted app for remote access with 43,656 stars, followed by Pangolin and Termix. The best fit depends on your needs, so compare Docker support, license and recent activity on each app page.
Are these Remote Access apps free?
Yes. All 13 apps in this category are open source and free to run on your own server. A few also offer a paid hosted plan or enterprise add-ons, but self-hosting the open-source edition costs nothing beyond your hardware.
How do I install a self-hosted Remote Access app?
11 of the 13 apps here ship a Docker image, which is the easiest route: rent a small VPS or use a home server, install Docker, and start the app with its Docker Compose file. Apps without an image list their native install steps in the README.
Which Remote Access apps are most actively developed?
Measured by commits in the last twelve months, the most active projects are Pangolin (5,364 commits), Firezone (3,510 commits) and ShellHub (2,625 commits). Active development usually means faster bug fixes and security patches.