Apache Guacamole vs RealVNC Connect (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, RealVNC Connect grades higher than Apache Guacamole: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Apache Guacamole grades higher on the free plan. RealVNC Connect grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
RealVNC Connect
Remote access from the makers of VNC, with end-to-end encryption
Free plan
Which one is for you
Pick Apache Guacamole if
- Fits if you run a server and want staff to reach machines from a browser
- Works for teams that already have RDP, VNC or SSH set up everywhere
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to host and update software yourself
- Not for you if you want a vendor to call: the project site lists community mailing lists only
- Too light on its own, as it's a gateway to machines that already run VNC, RDP or SSH
- Watch out: commercial support comes only from third-party companies
Pick RealVNC Connect if
- Fits if you already use VNC and want to stop setting up port forwarding
- Works for reaching Windows, Mac or Linux computers from a phone or tablet viewer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see prices before you sign up, as we couldn't read any
- Not for you if you connect by IP address and won't pay for Enterprise
- Pricey if you want ad-free iPhone connections to other VNC servers, as that needs a subscription
- Watch out: Home subscriptions are being retired for Lite, whose limits we couldn't read, so older free-tier guides are out of date
- Too light for support desks, as nothing on record covers file transfer or support sessions, and there's no web app
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAApache GuacamoleFair | 2.4GPARealVNC ConnectFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree under Apache 2.0 only if you host it yourself, so the real cost is a server. The project site offers no hosted service. | CNo price could be read: RealVNC's website refused our reader, so this listing has none. That's the C we give any missing price, with no figure to set against Splashtop, TeamViewer or Jump Desktop for the same job. RealVNC says free, paid and trial subscriptions exist. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe whole project is free, with no paid tier. The server you run it on is yours to pay for. | CThere's a free Lite plan, which has replaced the old Home plan, and the phone viewer apps are free. But Lite's limits couldn't be read, so we can't say how far it gets you. On iPhone, connecting to other makers' VNC servers shows ads unless you subscribe. |
| Features | CClientless access, the standard protocols, cloud-hosted desktops and documented APIs. It reaches machines that already run VNC, RDP or SSH and doesn't replace them. | CCloud connections with no firewall setup, end-to-end encryption, free phone viewers and a synced address book. The gaps it lists itself: connecting directly by IP address needs Enterprise, and nothing on record covers file transfer or support sessions. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record. You install, host and update it yourself. | BNo App Store rating on record. Sign in to the Viewer with your RealVNC account and your computers appear, with no router or firewall setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only through a browser, with documented APIs but no phone or desktop apps listed. | BWindows, Mac and Linux computers, plus viewer apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. It also connects to other makers' VNC servers, but there's no web app, integrations or API on record. |
| Best for | reaching remote machines through a browser, hosted by you | reaching your computers from the makers of VNC |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apache Guacamole and RealVNC Connect. How we grade
Where they differ
- Apache Guacamole is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- RealVNC Connect is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
In commonFree planRemote desktop
At a glance
| Apache Guacamole | RealVNC Connect | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | Not published |
| Free plan | None | RealVNC says free, paid and trial subscriptions exist, and its free Lite plan has replaced the old Home plan. The Lite plan's limits could not be read. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | The Apache Software Foundation | RealVNC Limited |
| Price read from | guacamole.apache.org | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Apache Guacamole
- You install, host and update it yourself; the project site offers no hosted service.
- Support is community mailing lists, with commercial support only from third-party companies.
- It is a gateway to machines that already run VNC, RDP or SSH.
RealVNC Connect
- RealVNC's website refused automated readers, so no prices or plan limits could be read; this listing has none.
- RealVNC is retiring its Home subscriptions and has replaced the Home plan with a new Lite plan, so older guides to the free tier are out of date.
- On iOS, connecting to non-RealVNC VNC servers shows ads unless you subscribe.
- Direct connections by IP address to RealVNC Connect need an Enterprise subscription.
Key features
Apache Guacamole
- Clientless access
- Once Guacamole is installed on a server, a web browser is all a user needs to reach a desktop; no plugins or client software are required.
- Standard protocols
- The gateway supports VNC, RDP and SSH, so existing machines can be reached without installing a special agent on them.
- Cloud-hosted desktops
- The project notes the desktops need not be physical, so a desktop OS running in the cloud can be reached through a cloud-hosted Guacamole.
- Documented APIs
- Guacamole is built on its own documented core APIs, which let it be integrated into other open source or proprietary applications.
RealVNC Connect
- Cloud connections
- Sign in to the Viewer with your RealVNC account and your remote computers appear automatically, with no firewall or router setup.
- Direct connections
- With an Enterprise subscription, or to other VNC-compatible software, connect straight to a computer by its IP address, which may need port forwarding.
- End-to-end encryption
- Each remote computer is password-protected out of the box, and RealVNC says all sessions are then encrypted end-to-end.
- Mobile viewer apps
- Free RealVNC Viewer apps for iPhone, iPad and Android turn the touch screen into a trackpad and support Bluetooth keyboards and mice.
- Synced address book
- Back up and sync your saved connections between devices by signing in to RealVNC Viewer on each one.
Plans
Apache Guacamole
Open source$0
Free under the Apache License 2.0; you host the gateway yourself.
RealVNC Connect
Pricing could not be confirmed. See realvnc.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Apache Guacamole or RealVNC Connect?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Apache Guacamole is free, and RealVNC Connect has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Apache Guacamole or RealVNC Connect?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Apache Guacamole and RealVNC Connect have a free plan.
Which platforms do Apache Guacamole and RealVNC Connect run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Apache Guacamole lists a web app and only RealVNC Connect lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.