Open source remote support: the tools that actually exist
There is no shortage of open-source tools for remote access — but they solve very different problems. Some are built for permanently managed fleets of machines, others for the one-off "my mother can't get into online banking". This page sorts the best-known projects by licence, by how much work self-hosting really is, and above all by who has to install something on which side.
What open source remote support really buys you
Readable source means, first of all, that you may look. That is worth more than it sounds: for a tool that streams a screen and drives mouse and keyboard, "what does this program actually send home?" is not an academic question. With proprietary tools, all you can do is believe the privacy notice.
Two things do not follow automatically. First, open source is not automatically free of charge — several projects fund themselves through paid cloud tiers. Second, open source is not automatically privacy-compliant: where the servers stand and what gets logged is not in the licence. The licence only makes the audit possible.
One point is easy to miss: the server side belongs in the audit too. An open-source client talking to a closed brokering service is only half audited — the interesting question, what the server logs, stays open. Auffi therefore publishes client and signalling server under the same licence.
The projects side by side
| Tool | Licence | Helper's side | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auffi | AGPL-3.0 | Browser only | Ad-hoc help with zero preparation |
| RustDesk | AGPL-3.0 | App required | Ongoing access to your own machines |
| MeshCentral | Apache-2.0 | Browser (agent on target) | Managed device fleets |
| Apache Guacamole | Apache-2.0 | Browser only | RDP/VNC/SSH gateway inside your network |
| TigerVNC | GPL-2.0 | Client required | Classic VNC on the LAN |
Last updated: August 2026
In practice the "helper's side" column decides most of it. An agent or client on the target machine is fine as long as you manage that machine yourself. The moment someone helps who has never touched the device, every install becomes a hurdle — and that is exactly where help-over-the-phone attempts fall apart.
AGPL, GPL and Apache-2.0 — why the licence matters
Apache-2.0 is permissive: modify it and you may ship the result closed. GPL requires you to publish changes once you distribute the software. AGPL closes the network gap as well: offer a modified version as a hosted service and you must publish your changes too.
For remote support that is not a detail. Nearly all of these tools are operated as a service rather than handed over as a file — under GPL a provider could host a closed variant and never give anything back. Auffi is AGPL-3.0 for that reason: fork it, run it as a service, and your changes have to be published under the same licence.
Self-hosting: what it realistically costs
Self-hosting is the actual reason open source matters here: connection data then runs across your server, not a vendor's. The effort is manageable, but it is not zero.
- A small server is enough — only the connection setup is brokered; with WebRTC tools the video flows directly between the two machines.
- A TLS certificate and a domain are mandatory; browsers refuse screen capture without HTTPS.
- A TURN server is needed as soon as restrictive firewalls block the direct path — without it, connections fail in exactly the networks where you need them most.
- Updates stay your job. A tool with remote control is a worthwhile target; unpatched, it does not belong on the open internet.
Auffi ships a Docker Compose setup with signalling server, TURN and reverse proxy. Source and releases live on GitHub.
Frequently asked questions
What does open source actually change for remote support?
The source is readable, auditable and yours to run. In practice that means you can check what the tool sends home instead of taking the vendor's word for it — and you can run the service on your own server if you do not want to trust someone else's cloud.
Is open source automatically GDPR-compliant?
No. A licence says nothing about server location, logging or data-processing agreements. What open source does is make the audit possible at all, and once you self-host you become the controller yourself — compliance then rests on your own configuration.
How do AGPL, GPL and Apache-2.0 differ?
Apache-2.0 is permissive: changes may stay closed. GPL requires you to publish changes once you distribute the software. AGPL closes the network gap on top of that: anyone offering a modified version as a hosted service must publish their changes too. For hosted services that is the decisive difference.
Do I need my own server for open-source remote support?
No, but you may. Auffi and RustDesk both run a ready-to-use public service and can also be self-hosted end to end. MeshCentral and Guacamole, by contrast, assume a server of your own from the start.
Which open-source tool suits one-off help?
For one-off help what matters most is how much the other side has to install. Auffi asks the person helping for a browser and a 9-digit code, nothing else. RustDesk needs an app on both ends and MeshCentral a pre-installed agent — both sensible for devices you manage permanently, both awkward for a single call.
Try it now
Auffi is open source remote support without an installation hurdle on the helping side: open the site, type a 9-digit code, connected. Free, including for business use.
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