The Apache Guacamole Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Apache Guacamole in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Apache Guacamole
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source clientless remote desktop gateway
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among remote desktop apps, read from Apache Guacamole’s own pages.
Made by The Apache Software Foundation · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Apache Guacamole’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Apache Guacamole’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 0 of the 35 other remote desktop apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Apache Guacamole, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's a gateway, so the machines behind it still need their own servers.
- 1
Best for reaching remote machines through a browser, hosted by you
You host it yourself, and support is community mailing lists.
- 2
It is free
Apache Guacamole has no paid plan at all.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
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.
- 5
Standard protocols
The gateway supports VNC, RDP and SSH, so existing machines can be reached without installing a special agent on them.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 0 of 35
That is against the other remote desktop apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Apache Guacamole is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Apache Guacamole at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- It is free
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- The Apache Software Foundation
- Category
- Remote Desktop
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free under Apache 2.0 only if you host it yourself, so the real cost is a server. The project site offers no hosted service. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The whole project is free, with no paid tier. The server you run it on is yours to pay for. |
| Features | C | Clientless 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. |
| Ease of use | D | No rating on record. You install, host and update it yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only through a browser, with documented APIs but no phone or desktop apps listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
Good for
- IT teams that want browser-only access to internal machines
- Organizations that prefer to host their own gateway
- Developers embedding remote desktop in another application
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Apache Guacamole is free to use.
The project site offers no hosted service.
Open source
$0
Free under the Apache License 2.0; you host the gateway yourself.
Read from guacamole.apache.org on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open-source clientless remote desktop gateway. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, remote desktop.
Clientless access, the standard protocols, cloud-hosted desktops and documented APIs.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Apache Guacamole is made by The Apache Software Foundation.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/35
Other remote desktop apps it is graded above
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
- BFree plan and trialAbove 19 of 35
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 35
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 35
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 35
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 29 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Apache Guacamole is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
MeshCentral, Remmina, RustDesk, mRemoteNG and RealVNC Connect
The 5 tools Apache Guacamole is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
MeshCentral
Free
Self-hosted open-source remote device management site.
- Only MeshCentral lists Windows, Linux and macOS apps.
- 2.6GPA
Remmina
Free
Free Linux remote desktop client for RDP, VNC and SSH.
- Only Apache Guacamole lists a web app.
- Only Remmina lists a Linux app.
- Apache Guacamole is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
RustDesk
Free plan · from $11.88/mo
Open-source remote desktop you can run on your own server.
- Only RustDesk lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS apps.
- 2.6GPA
mRemoteNG
Free
Free tabbed connection manager for RDP, VNC and SSH on Windows.
- Only Apache Guacamole lists a web app.
- Only mRemoteNG lists a Windows app.
- Apache Guacamole is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
RealVNC Connect
Free plan
Remote access from the makers of VNC, with end-to-end encryption.
- Only Apache Guacamole lists a web app.
- Only RealVNC Connect lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Apache Guacamole is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Apache Guacamole free?
Yes. Apache Guacamole is free to use.
How much does Apache Guacamole cost?
Apache Guacamole lists one plan. Open source: $0.
What platforms does Apache Guacamole work on?
Apache Guacamole is available on Web.
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.
Does Apache Guacamole have an API?
Yes. Apache Guacamole offers a public API, according to its own site.
Who makes Apache Guacamole?
Apache Guacamole is made by The Apache Software Foundation.
What are the alternatives to Apache Guacamole?
The closest alternatives to Apache Guacamole in our directory are MeshCentral, Remmina, RustDesk, mRemoteNG and RealVNC Connect.
How does Apache Guacamole compare with other 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.
Is Apache Guacamole good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Apache Guacamole C for value for money. Apache Guacamole has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Apache Guacamole?
Apache Guacamole is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Apache Guacamole’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by The Apache Software Foundation. Prices change, so check guacamole.apache.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Apache Guacamole, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/apache-guacamole
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Apache Guacamole: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/apache-guacamole
Know someone choosing between remote desktop apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/apache-guacamole/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded remote desktop apps after Apache Guacamole, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Remote Desktop Insider's GuideEvery one of the 36 remote desktop apps we grade, compared
- Chrome Remote Desktop Insider's GuideGoogle's free remote access to your own computers from a browser3.2 GPA
- Jump Desktop Insider's GuideRemote desktop with one-time app licences and a per-user team plan3.2 GPA
- Moonlight Insider's GuideOpen-source client for streaming PC games to other devices3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Apache Guacamole’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Apache Guacamole is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by The Apache Software Foundation. Prices and plans change: check guacamole.apache.org before you buy.