Headplane 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?
Headplane
Advanced web UI and control panel for Headscale
VS
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
| Feature | Headplane | RustDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,831 | ★ 119,867 |
| First released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Tailscale Admin Console | TeamViewer, AnyDesk |
Why pick each one
Choose Headplane if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Headplane or RustDesk better?
Neither is universally better. RustDesk has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Headplane and RustDesk free and open-source?
Yes. Headplane is licensed under MPL-2.0 and RustDesk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Headplane and RustDesk with Docker?
Headplane: yes. RustDesk: yes.