Remotely 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.
| Feature | Remotely | RustDesk Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 21 · At risk | 91 · Excellent |
| 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, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,080 | ★ 10,449 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | TeamViewer | TeamViewer |
What are Remotely and RustDesk Server?
Remotely
Remotely is an open-source remote support and remote scripting solution built with ASP.NET Core and SignalR. It offers attended and unattended remote access through the browser.
- Attended and unattended access
- Remote scripting
- Browser-based control
- Cross-platform agent
RustDesk Server
RustDesk Server provides the rendezvous and relay components needed to run RustDesk remote desktop fully on your own infrastructure. It keeps all connections under your control.
- Rendezvous and relay servers
- Single binary or Docker
- Full data ownership
- Pairs with RustDesk clients
Remotely vs RustDesk Server: key differences
Remotely is written in C#, while RustDesk Server is built with Rust. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Remotely versus AGPL-3.0 for RustDesk Server. RustDesk Server is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Remotely. Remotely is the more established project (first released 2019), while RustDesk Server arrived in 2021. RustDesk Server has the considerably larger community, at 10,449 GitHub stars versus 5,080.
Why pick each one
Choose Remotely if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.1k 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 10.4k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Remotely or RustDesk Server better?
RustDesk Server is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Remotely if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Remotely and RustDesk Server free and open-source?
Yes. Remotely 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 Remotely and RustDesk Server with Docker?
Remotely: yes. RustDesk Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Remotely or RustDesk Server?
RustDesk Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Remotely. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.