---
id: sshuttle
version: "1.3.2"
license: LGPL-2.1
license_treatment: copyleft
maintenance: aging
---

# sshuttle — Transparent proxy server that works as a poor man's VPN. Forwards over ssh. Doesn't require admin. Works with Linux and MacOS. Supports DNS tunneling.

License: copyleft · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 151.4K/mo

## What it is and what it does

sshuttle is a transparent proxy that tunnels all or part of your network traffic over an SSH connection to a remote host, functioning as a lightweight VPN without requiring admin privileges on the remote network or complex VPN infrastructure. It avoids the overhead of TCP-over-TCP tunneling and eliminates the need to manually forward individual ports.

The tool works on Linux, FreeBSD, and macOS by intercepting traffic at the system level and routing it through SSH. It has no runtime dependencies beyond Python 3.9+, making it straightforward to install. It's useful when you need transparent access to a remote network but lack VPN setup capability or want to avoid the complexity of traditional VPN protocols.

Use it for:

- Access a remote corporate network over SSH when VPN is unavailable or disabled.
- Tunnel DNS queries and all traffic to a remote network without per-port configuration.
- Provide transparent network access from a router or gateway machine to a remote subnet.
- Avoid openssh port-forwarding overhead by proxying entire subnets transparently.
- Set up ad-hoc network access for development or testing without VPN infrastructure.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

sshuttle creates a transparent proxy that tunnels traffic over SSH to a remote network, acting as a lightweight VPN alternative without requiring admin access or complex VPN protocols.

Yes, if you need transparent SSH-based network access and have direct SSH connectivity to a remote host. The low install friction, no runtime dependencies, and stable codebase make it a practical choice for its specific use case. The 369-day release gap warrants checking recent activity before relying on it for critical infrastructure, but the Production/Stable classification and current Python support suggest it remains viable.

## Install

pip install sshuttle
uv add sshuttle
poetry add sshuttle

## Installing sshuttle

Before you install: Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Marked as aging (369 days since last release), but classified as Production/Stable and supports current Python versions (3.9–3.12).

License in practice: Licensed under LGPL-2.1 (copyleft). You may use and modify sshuttle freely, but derivative works must also be distributed under LGPL-2.1 or compatible terms.

Quickstart:

pip install sshuttle
sshuttle -r user@remote_host 0/0

Requires SSH access to a remote host and appropriate system-level networking capabilities (iptables on Linux, pfctl on macOS, or equivalent on other platforms).

Verify before relying:

- Whether the 369-day gap since last release reflects active maintenance or dormancy beyond the 'aging' classification.
- Current state of Windows support mentioned in the description excerpt.
- Performance characteristics and stability in production use at scale.

## Package facts

- License: LGPL-2.1 (copyleft)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 151.4K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

ssh tunnel transparent proxy, poor man's vpn, ssh port forwarding alternative, remote network access via ssh, transparent socks proxy ssh, vpn-alternative, ssh-tunnel, transparent-proxy

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/sshuttle) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/sshuttle/)