RustDesk vs ZeroTier
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
ZeroTier
Global virtual network for connecting devices anywhere
| Feature | RustDesk | ZeroTier |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | BSL-1.1 |
| Language | Rust | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary, docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 119,867 | ★ 16,988 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | TeamViewer, AnyDesk | Tailscale |
Why pick each one
Choose ZeroTier if…
- Released under the BSL-1.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 17k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is RustDesk or ZeroTier better?
RustDesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ZeroTier if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are RustDesk and ZeroTier free and open-source?
Yes. RustDesk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ZeroTier under BSL-1.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run RustDesk and ZeroTier with Docker?
RustDesk: yes. ZeroTier: yes.