Onscryn vs
Apache Guacamole.
Apache Guacamole is a free, open-source gateway that lets you reach remote desktops from a browser using RDP, VNC or SSH. Onscryn is a commercial platform for publishing Windows apps to a browser. Guacamole is a building block; Onscryn is a finished product built on a different approach.
| Onscryn | Apache Guacamole | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A platform to publish Windows apps to a browser | A clientless remote desktop gateway |
| Cost | Commercial, plan-based | Free and open source (Apache License 2.0) |
| Protocols | Streams from Windows hosts through its own broker | RDP, VNC and SSH, per the project |
| Publish a single app | Yes, as a catalog of apps (a full desktop is plan-dependent) | Connects you to a machine. Check the documentation for app-level publishing |
| Sign-in | SSO over OIDC and SAML, roles, instant revocation | An extensible authentication system, per the project. Check the documentation for what is supported |
| Data controls, recording, automation | Built in | Check the project's documentation. Anything missing you would build or integrate |
| Support | From us | Community support, plus commercial support from third parties |
Choose Guacamole if
- You want a free, open-source gateway and have people to deploy, secure and maintain it.
- Your need is browser access to machines over RDP, VNC or SSH rather than managed per-app publishing.
- You want to build around an API and own every piece.
Choose Onscryn if
- You want a finished product for publishing Windows apps, not a toolkit.
- You want per-session Windows accounts, clipboard and file policy, a watermark and recording without assembling them.
- You want workflow automation and a Copilot working on the same sessions.
- You need vendor support and a roadmap behind it.
Free is not the same as cheap
The software costs nothing, but deploying, hardening, scaling and supporting it takes people. Whether that is cheaper than a commercial platform depends on how much of that you already do and how much the gaps in controls and recording would cost you to fill.
Different problems
Guacamole is aimed at connecting a browser to a remote machine. Onscryn is aimed at delivering specific Windows applications to many people with policy, isolation and an audit trail. For some teams the first is enough. For others, the second is the point.
Sources, reviewed October 2026
We make Onscryn. Vendors change products and terms, so check their documentation before you decide. Spot something out of date? Tell us at [email protected].
Questions.
It overlaps on browser access to Windows, but it is a gateway you build on, not a managed application-delivery platform.
More comparisons
Onscryn vs Azure Virtual Desktop
How Onscryn compares with Microsoft's Azure Virtual Desktop for publishing Windows apps: where each runs, how licensing works, what you manage, and which fits.
Onscryn vs Citrix
How Onscryn compares with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (Citrix DaaS) for delivering Windows apps: browser access, setup, what you manage, and when each fits.
Onscryn vs Microsoft RDS
How Onscryn compares with Windows Server Remote Desktop Services (RDS) and its web client: what you need to set up, licensing, and what you get in a browser.
Onscryn vs Cameyo
How Onscryn compares with Cameyo by Google for turning Windows apps into browser apps: how users access them, where they run, and which fits.