Headscale vs RustDesk Server
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?
Headscale
Open-source self-hosted Tailscale control server
VS
RustDesk Server
Self-hosted relay and ID server for RustDesk
| Feature | Headscale | RustDesk Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 42,612 | ★ 10,209 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Tailscale | TeamViewer |
Why pick each one
Choose RustDesk Server if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.2k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Headscale or RustDesk Server better?
Neither is universally better. Headscale has the larger community, while RustDesk Server is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Headscale and RustDesk Server free and open-source?
Yes. Headscale is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and RustDesk Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Headscale and RustDesk Server with Docker?
Headscale: yes. RustDesk Server: yes.