Both WebXterm and Teleport give teams secure, audited access to their infrastructure. The difference is reach and overhead: WebXterm is a lightweight, browser-first terminal platform with a free Community edition and an outbound-only agent, while Teleport is a broader access platform with a heavier setup.
| Capability | WebXterm | Teleport |
|---|---|---|
| Browser-based terminal | Yes — full xterm.js terminal | Yes |
| Outbound-only agent (no inbound ports) | Yes — outbound gRPC over TLS | Typically requires reachable nodes/proxy |
| Free tier | Free Community edition, forever | Open-source Community edition |
| CLI access | VSAY Shell CLI — single static binary | Yes (tsh) |
| VS Code extension | Yes — native VSAY extension | Limited / via SSH config |
| Audit logs | Immutable log of every login, session, command | Yes — session recording |
| SSO / OIDC | Enterprise — Keycloak, Microsoft, GitHub, Okta | Yes |
| mTLS | Enterprise edition | Certificate-based by design |
| Setup overhead | Install one agent, connect outbound | Cluster / proxy setup |
WebXterm is the simpler, lower-overhead choice for teams that mainly need secure SSH and terminal access through the browser, CLI, or VS Code — with a free Community edition and an agent that connects outbound so you never open inbound ports. Teleport is a broader access platform that fits organizations needing one tool across many protocols at the cost of heavier setup.
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