Sunshine 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?
Sunshine
Self-hosted game-stream host for Moonlight clients
VS
RustDesk Server
Self-hosted relay and ID server for RustDesk
| Feature | Sunshine | RustDesk Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,962 | ★ 10,209 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | NVIDIA GameStream, Parsec | TeamViewer |
Why pick each one
Choose Sunshine if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 40k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
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 Sunshine or RustDesk Server better?
Neither is universally better. Sunshine 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 Sunshine and RustDesk Server free and open-source?
Yes. Sunshine is licensed under GPL-3.0 and RustDesk Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Sunshine and RustDesk Server with Docker?
Sunshine: yes. RustDesk Server: yes.