Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Xpra VS X2Go

Compare Xpra VS X2Go and see what are their differences

Xpra logo Xpra

multi-platform screen and application forwarding system

X2Go logo X2Go

Get X2Go. Installing X2Go (client/server). Download X2Go Client (Windows installer (XP and Later), OS X 10. 9 and higher DMG, OS X 10. 10 and higher DMG or macOS 10.
  • Xpra Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-13
  • X2Go Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-09

Xpra features and specs

  • Remote Desktop Access
    Xpra allows users to access remote applications and desktops, enabling users to run applications on a remote server while displaying them on a local machine.
  • Seamless Window Mode
    Unlike other remote desktop solutions, Xpra supports a seamless mode, where individual windows of remote applications can be run on a local desktop as if they were local applications.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Xpra can be used on a variety of operating systems including Linux, Windows, and macOS, providing flexibility for diverse user environments.
  • Efficient Bandwidth Usage
    Xpra is designed to be efficient on bandwidth usage by sending data only when necessary, which makes it suitable for use over less reliable connections.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, Xpra allows users to modify, inspect, and enhance the source code, fostering transparency and community collaboration.

Possible disadvantages of Xpra

  • Complex Setup
    Xpra can be complex to set up, especially for those with limited technical expertise, due to its extensive configuration options and dependencies.
  • Performance Limitations
    While Xpra is efficient in bandwidth, it might not perform as well as some proprietary solutions in terms of graphical throughput or latency, particularly in demanding applications.
  • Limited Features Compared to Alternatives
    Some users may find that Xpra lacks certain features found in commercial alternatives such as TeamViewer or AnyDesk, especially for more integrated remote management functionalities.
  • Security Concerns
    Although Xpra supports encryption, improper configuration can lead to security vulnerabilities, requiring careful setup to ensure data is protected.
  • Inconsistent Support
    Being an open-source project, Xpra may not offer the same level of support or documentation as commercial software, which could be challenging for troubleshooting.

X2Go features and specs

  • Performance
    X2Go offers a high level of performance, providing efficient remote desktop and application access with minimal lag, which is ideal for multimedia or graphical tasks.
  • Security
    X2Go uses SSH for secure communication, ensuring that data transmitted between the client and server is encrypted and protected from eavesdropping.
  • Multi-platform support
    X2Go supports various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and various Linux distributions, making it versatile and accessible for users on different platforms.
  • Session management
    X2Go enables users to suspend and resume sessions, allowing them to pick up where they left off without losing their work, which is particularly useful for long-running tasks.
  • Open-source
    As an open-source project, X2Go is free to use and benefits from community-driven development, which can lead to rapid improvements and bug fixes.

Possible disadvantages of X2Go

  • Complexity of setup
    The initial setup of X2Go can be complex and challenging, especially for users who are not familiar with configuring servers and clients.
  • Limited support and documentation
    While X2Go has a dedicated community, its documentation can be lacking in detail, and official support channels might not be as robust as commercial alternatives.
  • Compatibility issues
    There can be compatibility issues with certain desktop environments or applications, which might require additional configuration or result in reduced functionality.
  • Dependence on network quality
    The performance and usability of X2Go are significantly affected by network quality; poor internet connections can result in a suboptimal user experience.
  • Heavy resource usage on the server
    Running X2Go can lead to high resource usage on the server side, which may require more robust hardware to ensure smooth performance, especially with multiple concurrent users.

Analysis of X2Go

Overall verdict

  • Yes, X2Go (sourceforge.net) is generally regarded as a good option for remote desktop access due to its robustness, security features, and ease of use.

Why this product is good

  • X2Go is considered a good remote desktop solution because it provides a fast and secure way to access desktops and applications over the network. It is open-source, supports all major operating systems, and uses efficient network protocols to minimize latency and bandwidth usage. It also offers features such as session suspension, file sharing, and sound support.

Recommended for

  • Users who need remote desktop access to Linux systems
  • IT professionals looking for a secure and efficient remote desktop solution
  • Educational institutions requiring remote access for students and staff
  • Businesses needing to provide remote access to workers

Xpra videos

How to Use xpra to Run Linux Applications in a Web browser

More videos:

  • Review - [VIP] Xpra on OS.js (02)
  • Review - [VIP] Xpra on OS.js (01)

X2Go videos

X2GO: Linux Remote Desktop & Terminal Server System With Support For Published Applications

More videos:

  • Review - X2Go Desktops Running on a 4GB Raspberry pi 4: XFCE, MATE, LXDE, KDE-Plasma

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Xpra and X2Go)
Remote Desktop
35 35%
65% 65
Remote PC Access
43 43%
57% 57
Remote Control
46 46%
54% 54
Office & Productivity
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Xpra and X2Go

Xpra Reviews

We have no reviews of Xpra yet.
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X2Go Reviews

  1. Tyler Fawkes
    · Author at Individual ·
    I chose X2go over Nomachine

    We use X2go as access our home office work machine while traveling. The home office desktop (X2go server) is used primarily for word processing, spreadsheets and creating presentations. The X2go server is running on 3rd generation Intel i-5 processor with onboard Intel graphics and 12 Gb DDR4 RAM. The OS is Linux Mint Mate' 20.04. Nomachine works on most desktops, however X2go seems to prefer the XFCE and Mate' environments. My experience with X2go is slightly faster and more stable on the Linux Mint Mate' flavor than Ubuntu's 20.04 Mate'. It also looks much better. Remote access is accomplished using X2go client over SSH (ECDSA-256) with minimal compression through a ZeroTier network. Nomachine free version doesn't allow SSH connections. Nomachine also uses 128 bit encryption and is prettier and faster as first installed. However, X2go has more granular connection options. After multiple trial and error adjustments X2go is MUCH smoother and comparable to sitting at the physical desktop over ATT 4g-LTE hotspot connections. Youtube videos streamed remotely are a little jerky but watchable so I don't recommend gaming remotely over 4g. Additionally X2go allows for using 'published applications' making it possible to get work done over all but the slowest connections. X2go also allows multiple users to connect to the server and work in their individual environments simultaneously. Similar to a terminal server, although heavier on resources. My wife and I occasionally do this through hotel or cafe' WiFi. Nomachine free allows only one user connection at a time per machine. Nomachine is easier to set up for a novice and has Android & IOS apps. Not something we have a need for or want.

    🏁 Competitors: NoMachine Everybody
    👍 Pros:    Secure|Fast|Multiple simultaneous users|Published applications performance
    👎 Cons:    Requires ssh server installation & configuration.|Requires users to navigate a daunting number of options to find optimal performance.|Wiki isn't novice friendly and often has sections out of date. support is minimal through user forum.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Xpra seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 27 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Xpra mentions (27)

  • Cool but Obscure X11 Apps
    One of my favorite bits of software is Xpra [0], "screen for X". You'd run it and it would start another X server (start apps in it with `DISPLAY=:1 xterm` or whatever), and you would "attach" it to your running X server with `xpra attach`. You can attach to e.g. `ssh://hostname/:1`, so I ran a firefox instance on a homelab server and attached to it from my laptop and my desktop to not have to bother keeping... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Alternatives To X2go?
    I’ve used Xpra in the past to connect to a remote system for GUI stuff, but I almost exclusively use ssh because most of the time I don’t need to run a remote windowing system. Source: about 2 years ago
  • I want to (securely) remotely access my Pop!_OS desktop from my Pop!_OS laptop - what’s the best way to do this in 2023?
    To add to this if you need to access graphical applications of an entire desktop environment you can use Xpra or MOONLIGHT (I suggest the second one if you want to game on the remote desktop or need very low latency in general), you can use both of these through a ssh tunnel (you need to enable this and X forwarding in the config) so if you setup and allow access to ssh correctly you can also use these without too... Source: about 2 years ago
  • It’s 2022, what good alternatives for Remote Desktop exists for Linux that can give decent frame rates and gpu acceleration?
    Xpra.org It has hardware acceleration (h264 encoding/decoding) for high framerates. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Linux NILFS file system: automatic continuous snapshots
    You might be able to do the screen recording today using Wayland ports, or nested display servers a la Xpra. https://xpra.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
View more

X2Go mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of X2Go yet. Tracking of X2Go recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Xpra and X2Go, you can also consider the following products

Remmina - Remmina is a remote desktop client written in GTK+, aiming to be useful for system administrators and travellers, who need to work with lots of remote computers in front of either large monitors or tiny netbooks.

Chrome Remote Desktop - The easy way to remotely connect with your home or work computer, or share your screen with others.

NoMachine - Get to your desktop at the speed of light. NoMachine is the fastest remote desktop you have ever tried. Control any computer in the world and start working on it as if it was right in front of you. Free for individual use.

mRemoteNG - mRemoteNG is a fork of mRemote, an open source, tabbed, multi-protocol, remote connections manager.

Xrdp - An open source remote desktop protocol (rdp) server

TeamViewer - TeamViewer lets you establish a connection to any PC or server within just a few seconds.