Apache Guacamole review (2026): is it any good?
Open-source clientless remote desktop gateway
Apache Guacamole report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for reaching remote machines through a browser, hosted by you
Apache Guacamole is a free, open-source gateway that lets you reach machines over VNC, RDP or SSH from a web browser, with nothing to install on the client. You host it yourself, and support is community mailing lists. It's a gateway, so the machines behind it still need their own servers.
Who Apache Guacamole is for
- 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
Who Apache Guacamole is not for
- 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
Why Apache Guacamole gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyFree under Apache 2.0 only if you host it yourself, so the real cost is a server. The project site offers no hosted service.
- BFree plan and trialThe whole project is free, with no paid tier. The server you run it on is yours to pay for.
- CFeaturesClientless 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.
- DEase of useNo rating on record. You install, host and update it yourself.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb only through a browser, with documented APIs but no phone or desktop apps listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Apache Guacamole's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Apache Guacamole? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/apache-guacamole#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/apache-guacamole.svg" alt="Apache Guacamole: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Apache Guacamole stands among remote desktop apps
Apache Guacamole's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 0 of the 35 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 19 of 35) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Apache Guacamole has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 36 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Apache Guacamole’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 35, level with 19
- BFree plan and trialAbove 19 of 35, level with 9
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 35, level with 24
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 35, level with 1
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 35, level with 1
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 29 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Apache Guacamole, or make your own?
Keep it
Apache Guacamole is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 34 of the 35 other remote desktop apps grade higher.
What you could not
- A fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
- An API that other software can build on.
What this rests on. Apache Guacamole’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Apache Guacamole?
Apache Guacamole is a remote desktop gateway you install on your own server. It supports VNC, RDP and SSH, and users reach their machines from an HTML5 web page with no plugin or client software. It is free and open source under the Apache License 2.0, with community support and third-party commercial support available.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Apache Guacamole pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Apache Guacamole is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 | Free under the Apache License 2.0; you host the gateway yourself. |
Read from guacamole.apache.org on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Apache Guacamole before you buy.
Apache Guacamole alternatives
- Apache Guacamole vs RustDesk
Free plan · from $11.88/mo
- Apache Guacamole vs RealVNC Connect
Free plan
Common questions
Does Apache Guacamole have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Apache Guacamole is listed for Web.
Does Apache Guacamole have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Apache Guacamole is listed for Web.
Is Apache Guacamole open source?
Yes. Apache Guacamole is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does Apache Guacamole have an API?
Yes. Apache Guacamole offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.