GoTTY vs ttyd
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Runs a command-line program and shares it to a web browser.
Open source · MIT
A command-line tool that shares a terminal session in a web browser.
The short answer
Choose GoTTY if you need…
- Developers who want to show a running terminal session to someone in a browser
- People who need to reach a command-line tool from a browser on another machine
- Users who want a quick way to watch a long-running command remotely
- Anyone who will add basic authentication or TLS before sharing
Choose ttyd if you need…
- Developers who want to open a shell on a home server or device from a browser
- People running tools on OpenWrt routers or other small Linux boxes
- Anyone who needs quick browser access to a command-line program on a local network
- Users who want a terminal in a browser with file transfer or image output support
Side-by-side
| GoTTY | ttyd | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 19.6k | 12.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Go | C |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 3 months ago |
What each one is
GoTTY
GoTTY is a command line tool that takes a terminal program and serves it as a web page. You start it with a command such as top, then open the address in a browser to see that program running. By default it runs on port 8080 and clients can only watch unless you enable input.
ttyd
ttyd runs a command on your machine and serves it as a terminal you can open in a web browser. You start it from the command line, and anyone with the address (and credentials, if you set them) can see and, if you allow it, type into that terminal. People use it to reach a shell or program from another device without a native terminal client.
Best for
GoTTY
- Developers who want to show a running terminal session to someone in a browser
- People who need to reach a command-line tool from a browser on another machine
- Users who want a quick way to watch a long-running command remotely
- Anyone who will add basic authentication or TLS before sharing
ttyd
- Developers who want to open a shell on a home server or device from a browser
- People running tools on OpenWrt routers or other small Linux boxes
- Anyone who needs quick browser access to a command-line program on a local network
- Users who want a terminal in a browser with file transfer or image output support
Strengths
GoTTY
- Simple: one command turns a terminal program into a web app
- Offers basic auth, random URLs, TLS, and client certificate options
- Open source under the MIT license
ttyd
- Written in C on top of libuv and WebGL2, aiming for speed according to the README
- Supports CJK text, IME input, SSL, and basic authentication
- Available through many package managers on macOS, Linux, Windows, and OpenWrt
Not ideal for
GoTTY
- Sharing sensitive sessions without TLS, since the README says traffic is not encrypted by default
- Anyone wanting multi-user shared terminals out of the box, since each client gets a new process unless paired with tmux or GNU Screen
- Windows users, since the README says Windows is not supported for building
ttyd
- Anyone exposing a terminal to the internet without strong authentication, since the README describes basic auth and SSL options but the security risk of a shared shell is significant
- Users who only want an SSH-style remote login; the README lists Wetty as an SSH/login-based alternative
- People who need a full multi-user web-based IDE, as ttyd focuses on the terminal itself
Trade-offs
GoTTY
- Input from remote clients is risky; the README warns to be careful with the -w option
- Traffic is unencrypted unless TLS is enabled, and basic auth credentials are sent in plain text
- The README is truncated and the development section is incomplete
ttyd
- Sharing a shell over the web carries real security risk, so configuration must be done carefully
- The README is brief and points to the wiki for usage examples
- Read-only by default; write access must be enabled explicitly with a flag
Getting started
GoTTY
Install with Homebrew
brew install yudai/gotty/gottyInstall with go get
go get github.com/yudai/gottyttyd
Install with Homebrew on macOS
brew install ttydInstall on Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install ttydFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between GoTTY and ttyd?
GoTTY: Runs a command-line program and shares it to a web browser. ttyd: A command-line tool that shares a terminal session in a web browser. GoTTY suits developers who want to show a running terminal session to someone in a browser, while ttyd suits developers who want to open a shell on a home server or device from a browser.
Are GoTTY and ttyd free?
GoTTY: Free and open source. ttyd: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, GoTTY or ttyd?
GoTTY is easier to get started with (rated beginner); ttyd is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is GoTTY or ttyd more popular?
GoTTY has more GitHub stars (19.6k) than ttyd (12.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to GoTTY and ttyd?
Other options people compare them with include mitmproxy.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.