Best Self Hosted Alternatives to ConnectWise Control (formerly ScreenConnect)

Teleport is an identity and access platform that provides secure connectivity, authentication, authorization, and auditing for infrastructure. It replaces long-lived SSH keys, static tokens, and traditional bastions/VPN approaches with an identity-aware access proxy and short-lived certificates.

Key Features

• Single sign-on for infrastructure via OIDC and SAML integrations
• Multi-factor authentication and support for modern authenticators (including FIDO2/WebAuthn)
• Short-lived, certificate-based access for SSH, Kubernetes, databases, and other resource types
• Role-based access control with support for fine-grained policies and just-in-time elevation workflows
• Session recording and audit trails across SSH, Kubernetes, database, RDP, and web application access
• Secure tunneling to reach resources behind NATs and firewalls without exposing inbound ports
• Web UI and CLI for resource discovery, access, and operational visibility

Use Cases

• Centralize secure admin access to servers, clusters, and databases without distributing keys
• Provide audited access to sensitive environments (production, regulated systems) with MFA and approvals
• Enable secure remote access to internal web apps and desktops for support and operations teams

Limitations and Considerations

• Full functionality spans multiple protocols and resource types, which can increase deployment and policy complexity in larger environments

Teleport is well-suited for teams that need a unified access layer across diverse infrastructure and want consistent identity-based controls. Its combination of SSO/MFA, short-lived credentials, and detailed auditing helps reduce risk while improving operational access workflows.

Neko is a self-hosted virtual browser and shared desktop environment streamed to users over WebRTC. It typically runs inside Docker, letting you access a full browser (or other Linux apps/desktops) remotely with low latency and synchronized audio.

Key Features

• WebRTC-based ultra low-latency video streaming with audio
• Multi-participant rooms with shared control and host-controlled permissions
• Runs browsers or other Linux applications/desktops inside a containerized environment
• Persistent sessions for long-running work, monitoring, downloads, or uploads
• Ephemeral “throwaway” sessions to reduce local traces and isolate risk
• API-driven room provisioning when paired with external room managers
• Optional live broadcasting via RTMP for streaming room output

Use Cases

• Watch parties and synchronized media playback with shared control
• Interactive presentations, remote teaching, and collaborative debugging
• Secure “jump host” access to internal web tools without exposing client-side data

Limitations and Considerations

• Interactive performance depends on network quality and WebRTC compatibility
• Running full desktops/browsers in containers can be resource-intensive (CPU/RAM)

Neko is well-suited for teams and individuals who want a fast, shareable remote browser or desktop session with real-time interactivity. It combines container isolation with WebRTC streaming to enable collaborative browsing and remote workflows.

MeshCentral is a self-hosted, open-source remote device management web server built on Node.js with compiled agents for multiple platforms. It provides web-based remote desktop, terminal, file access, KVM/Intel AMT integration and real-time device management for multi-user deployments. (meshcentral.com)

Key Features

• Web-based remote desktop, terminal and file manager (browser-accessible, real-time UI).
• Multi-OS agents (compiled C agents for Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD and multiple CPU architectures).
• WebRTC-enabled text/video chat and session relay/recording support for audits.
• Intel AMT KVM and out-of-band management where supported.
• Multi-database backend support (default embedded DB historically, plus MongoDB, MariaDB/MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite3 and AceBase options) and many server configuration options (TLS, Let's Encrypt, MPS/relay, peering, mesh routers).

(meshcentral.com)

Use Cases

• Remote IT support and helpdesk sessions via browser-based remote desktop and chat.
• Fleet monitoring and management for mixed OS environments (agents collect inventory, logs, power controls, Wake-on-LAN).
• Remote maintenance and out-of-band tasks using Intel AMT / KVM and scripted agent operations.

(meshcentral.com)

Limitations and Considerations

• The historical embedded default (NeDB) is unmaintained and recommended only for small/test installs; production deployments should use MongoDB, MariaDB/Postgres or SQLite/AceBase. Migration and DB version compatibility have been discussed in the project community. (github.com)

• Large-scale session/relay traffic can incur significant bandwidth/costs on public instances (project previously ran a public server but community/self-hosting is encouraged). (github.com)

MeshCentral is a feature-rich, community-driven remote management platform suitable for administrators who want a self-hosted, extensible solution for remote support, device inventory and out-of-band management. Its flexible DB/back-end options and broad agent support make it adaptable to small labs up to larger corporate deployments.

LinuxServer.io Webtop provides container images that run a full Linux desktop environment and expose it through a browser-based remote desktop interface. It is designed to make a disposable or persistent GUI workspace easy to run with Docker across multiple base distributions.

Key Features

• Multiple supported base distributions via tags (Alpine, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, and Enterprise Linux variants)
• Multiple desktop environment flavors (XFCE, KDE, MATE, and i3 depending on image tag)
• Browser access over HTTPS with websocket support for interactive desktop streaming
• Optional HTTP Basic Auth via environment variables for simple access control on trusted networks
• Built on LinuxServer.io Selkies base image, with options for Wayland mode and GPU/VAAPI acceleration (where supported)
• Multi-architecture images (commonly amd64 and arm64)

Use Cases

• Running a browser-accessible Linux desktop for homelabs, kiosks, or thin clients
• Providing an isolated GUI environment for tools that are easier to use with a desktop UI
• Temporary desktops for testing packages, configurations, or workflows inside containers

Limitations and Considerations

• By default there is no authentication; securing access typically requires a reverse proxy with strong authentication
• The container can effectively grant powerful access inside the environment (including terminal and sudo), so exposure must be carefully controlled
• Some modern GUI apps may require relaxed container sandboxing (for example, unconfined seccomp) on certain hosts, which reduces security

Webtop is best suited when you want the convenience of a full desktop delivered via the browser while keeping deployment simple through standard container workflows. It is most effective when combined with proper network segmentation and an authentication layer in front of the service.

Nexterm is an open-source server management application that centralizes remote access (SSH, VNC, RDP) and file management (SFTP) with team and organization features. It includes deployment helpers for Docker, Proxmox VM/LXC integration, monitoring, session recording and authentication options.

Key Features

• Unified remote access: connect to servers via SSH, VNC and RDP from one web interface.
• File management: integrated SFTP for browsing, uploading and downloading files.
• Deployment & integrations: helpers for deploying via Docker and managing Proxmox LXC/QEMU resources.
• Authentication & security: two-factor authentication, password/key encryption and OpenID Connect / OAuth2 SSO support.
• Team & organization controls: organize servers and users in folders and organizations with role-based access.
• Automation: scripts and reusable snippets for automating repetitive tasks on servers.
• Monitoring & sessions: real-time CPU/memory/process metrics, session recordings and audit logs.
• REST API: extensive API surface for programmatic access and automation.

Use Cases

• Centralize multi-protocol remote access for system administrators and ops teams.
• Provide secure, auditable shared server access for engineering teams with organizations and SSO.
• Automate maintenance and deployments via stored scripts and Docker deployment helpers.

Limitations and Considerations

• Early/pre-release state: documentation and release notes explicitly mark Nexterm as early development / open preview; it is recommended to back up data and avoid production use until maturity.
• Server-side DB/export model: Nexterm exposes an "export database file" workflow and performs server-side encryption for credentials; migrations or upgrades may require database handling (backups or migration scripts).
• Third-party component compatibility: some reported issues relate to underlying remote-proxy components (for example guacd/Guacamole variants) affecting certain RDP/VNC environments; such protocol/component compatibility can impact specific desktop environments or upstream versions.

Nexterm bundles a Node.js-based server and a web client (development uses Yarn/Vite) and is distributed as a Docker image for easy deployment. It targets teams that need consolidated, auditable remote access and lightweight orchestration for servers.

Apache Guacamole is a clientless remote desktop gateway that lets you access remote desktops from a browser using VNC, RDP, and SSH. It requires no client installation on the target machines; connectivity is mediated by a server component called guacd, and the web UI runs in a Java servlet container.

Key Features

• Clientless HTML5 web application; no plugins or client software required
• Supports VNC, RDP, and SSH through the guacd proxy
• Web UI (Java) with a pluggable API and guacd as the translation proxy
• Extensible APIs for adding protocol support and authentication extensions
• Open source under the Apache License 2.0 with active community support
• Deployable behind firewalls; desktops can be accessed securely via the gateway

Use Cases

• Remote administration: access on-premises desktops/servers from any device with a browser
• Cloud or VM access: connect to cloud-hosted desktops without exposing target machines
• Integrations: embed Guacamole in custom portals or secure access workflows via its core APIs

Conclusion

Apache Guacamole provides browser-based remote desktop access without client software, backed by a modular, open-source stack. It is designed for flexible deployments across on-premises and cloud environments, with extensible APIs and active community support.

Kasm Workspaces is a platform for delivering full Linux desktops and individual applications as isolated, on-demand sessions that run in containers and stream to users through a web browser. It is commonly used to provide secure remote access, ephemeral “disposable” environments, and controlled browsing or application access without installing software on endpoints.

Key Features

• Browser-based streaming of containerized Linux desktops and single-app sessions
• Workspace images catalog (desktops and apps) with session isolation and lifecycle controls
• “Disposable” sessions with optional persistence profiles (depending on configuration/images)
• Admin console for users, groups, permissions (RBAC) and workspace entitlements
• Multiple deployment modes, commonly Docker Compose and Kubernetes-based scaling
• Security controls aimed at reducing endpoint risk (session isolation, ephemeral instances)
• Support for integrating remote protocols/targets through delivered apps (e.g., browsers, tools)

Use Cases

• Secure web browsing / research environments for users or SOC teams
• Remote access to standardized Linux desktops and internal tools via a browser
• Temporary training, lab, and demo environments without installing local software

Limitations and Considerations

• Best experience depends on network latency/bandwidth due to browser streaming
• Feature set and persistence capabilities can vary by workspace image and configuration

Kasm Workspaces fits organizations that want centrally managed, browser-delivered work environments built on container isolation. It is especially useful when you need disposable sessions, controlled access to apps/desktops, and scalable multi-user delivery.