FreeRDP vs RustDesk
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted remote access & vpn options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
FreeRDP
Free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol
VS
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
| Feature | FreeRDP | RustDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,527 | ★ 119,867 |
| First released | 2009 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Microsoft RDP | TeamViewer, AnyDesk |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is FreeRDP or RustDesk better?
RustDesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider FreeRDP if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are FreeRDP and RustDesk free and open-source?
Yes. FreeRDP is licensed under Apache-2.0 and RustDesk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FreeRDP and RustDesk with Docker?
FreeRDP: check the project docs for container support. RustDesk: yes.