RustDesk vs zrok
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
zrok
Open-source sharing platform built on OpenZiti
| Feature | RustDesk | zrok |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Remote Access & VPN | Remote Access & VPN |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 119,867 | ★ 4,611 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | TeamViewer, AnyDesk | ngrok |
Why pick each one
Choose zrok if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is RustDesk or zrok better?
RustDesk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider zrok if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are RustDesk and zrok free and open-source?
Yes. RustDesk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and zrok under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run RustDesk and zrok with Docker?
RustDesk: yes. zrok: yes.