Side by side
noVNC vs X2Go
Both stand on remote desktop software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+3
noVNC provides broad browser-based VNC access with touch, clipboard, authentication, and encoding support. Deployment requires WebSockets, and users needing file transfer will need another solution.
Visit noVNC
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2
X2Go combines reconnectable remote desktops with sound, sharing, SSH transport, and application-level launching. Its free model and broad client listings make it suitable when the server setup matches its Linux-focused design.
Visit X2GoThe facts
| noVNC | X2Go | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, API, iPhone, Linux, Self-hosted, Web | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | X2Go |
| Website | novnc.com | wiki.x2go.org |
| On remote desktop software | #51 of 135 | #47 of 135 |
noVNC: what it does well
- Runs in desktop and mobile browsers
- Supports Unicode clipboard operations
- Offers multiple VNC authentication methods
- Provides many VNC encoding options
- Free and mainly MPL 2.0 licensed
What to know first
- File transfer is not supported
- WebSockets are required for connections
- Internet Explorer is unsupported
- Core NPM package excludes the user application
X2Go: what it does well
- Works over low- or high-bandwidth connections
- Sessions can be resumed from another client
- SSH tunneling protects session traffic
- Supports file and printer sharing
- Can proxy RDP connections to Windows
What to know first
- Desktop compatibility varies by environment and version
- Sessions depend on the server computer’s resources
- Primarily designed around X2Go Server on Linux