RustDesk 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.
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
VS
RustDesk Server
Self-hosted relay and ID server for RustDesk
| Feature | RustDesk | RustDesk Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 124,391 | ★ 10,449 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | TeamViewer, AnyDesk | TeamViewer |
What are RustDesk and RustDesk Server?
RustDesk
RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop application that works out of the box with optional self-hosted relay and rendezvous servers. It runs on all major platforms.
- Self-hosted relay servers
- Cross-platform clients
- End-to-end encryption
- No configuration required
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
RustDesk vs RustDesk Server: key differences
Both projects are written in Rust. RustDesk Server is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for RustDesk. RustDesk has the considerably larger community, at 124,391 GitHub stars versus 10,449.
Why pick each one
Choose RustDesk if…
- Easy self-hosted server
- Works everywhere
Watch out for
- Relay can be bandwidth heavy
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 RustDesk or RustDesk Server 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 RustDesk and RustDesk Server free and open-source?
Yes. RustDesk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and RustDesk Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run RustDesk and RustDesk Server with Docker?
RustDesk: yes. RustDesk Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, RustDesk or RustDesk Server?
RustDesk Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for RustDesk. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.