Best Self Hosted Alternatives to FixMe.IT

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.

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.