Apache Guacamole 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.
Apache Guacamole
Clientless remote desktop gateway in your browser
VS
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
| Feature | Apache Guacamole | RustDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,991 | ★ 124,391 |
| First released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Replaces | TeamViewer, Citrix | TeamViewer, AnyDesk |
What are Apache Guacamole and RustDesk?
Apache Guacamole
Apache Guacamole is a clientless remote desktop gateway that supports RDP, VNC, and SSH entirely through a web browser. No plugins or client software are required.
- Browser-based remote desktop
- RDP, VNC, and SSH support
- No client software
- Session recording
RustDesk
RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop application that works out of the box with optional self-hosted relay and rendezvous servers. It runs on all major platforms.
- Self-hosted relay servers
- Cross-platform clients
- End-to-end encryption
- No configuration required
Apache Guacamole vs RustDesk: key differences
Apache Guacamole is written in C, while RustDesk is built with Rust. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Apache Guacamole versus AGPL-3.0 for RustDesk. RustDesk is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Apache Guacamole. Apache Guacamole is the more established project (first released 2016), while RustDesk arrived in 2021. RustDesk has the considerably larger community, at 124,391 GitHub stars versus 3,991.
Why pick each one
Choose Apache Guacamole if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
Choose RustDesk if…
- Easy self-hosted server
- Works everywhere
Watch out for
- Relay can be bandwidth heavy
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Guacamole or RustDesk better?
RustDesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Apache Guacamole if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Apache Guacamole and RustDesk free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Guacamole is licensed under Apache-2.0 and RustDesk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Guacamole and RustDesk with Docker?
Apache Guacamole: yes. RustDesk: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Apache Guacamole or RustDesk?
RustDesk has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Apache Guacamole. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.