Mosh 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?
Mosh
Mobile shell with roaming and intermittent connectivity
VS
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
| Feature | Mosh | RustDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,307 | ★ 119,867 |
| First released | 2012 | 2021 |
| Replaces | SSH | TeamViewer, AnyDesk |
Why pick each one
Choose Mosh if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 14.3k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Mosh 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 Mosh and RustDesk free and open-source?
Yes. Mosh is licensed under GPL-3.0 and RustDesk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mosh and RustDesk with Docker?
Mosh: check the project docs for container support. RustDesk: yes.