OpenZiti 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?
OpenZiti
Programmable zero-trust networking platform
VS
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
| Feature | OpenZiti | RustDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,336 | ★ 119,867 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Cloudflare Access | TeamViewer, AnyDesk |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenZiti if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (4.3k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenZiti or RustDesk better?
RustDesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OpenZiti if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OpenZiti and RustDesk free and open-source?
Yes. OpenZiti is licensed under Apache-2.0 and RustDesk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenZiti and RustDesk with Docker?
OpenZiti: yes. RustDesk: yes.