Games on Whales 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?
Games on Whales
Containerized cloud gaming and remote desktop platform
VS
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
| Feature | Games on Whales | RustDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,077 | ★ 119,867 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | GeForce Now, Parsec | TeamViewer, AnyDesk |
Why pick each one
Choose Games on Whales if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Games on Whales or RustDesk better?
RustDesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Games on Whales if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Games on Whales and RustDesk free and open-source?
Yes. Games on Whales is licensed under GPL-3.0 and RustDesk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Games on Whales and RustDesk with Docker?
Games on Whales: yes. RustDesk: yes.