RustDesk vs wayvnc
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?
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop alternative to TeamViewer
VS
wayvnc
VNC server for wlroots-based Wayland compositors
| Feature | RustDesk | wayvnc |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | ISC |
| Language | Rust | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 119,867 | ★ 1,787 |
| First released | 2021 | 2019 |
| Replaces | TeamViewer, AnyDesk | TightVNC, RealVNC |
Why pick each one
Choose wayvnc if…
- Released under the ISC license
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is RustDesk or wayvnc better?
RustDesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider wayvnc if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are RustDesk and wayvnc free and open-source?
Yes. RustDesk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and wayvnc under ISC. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run RustDesk and wayvnc with Docker?
RustDesk: yes. wayvnc: check the project docs for container support.