What it is
An open-source remote desktop application designed for self-hosting, as an alternative to TeamViewer. Review the official repository, license, release activity, and deployment docu GitHub popularity snapshot captured on 2026-07-29: 119,130 stars and 18,178 forks.
Teams can evaluate RustDesk as an open alternative to AnyDesk while keeping the implementation, license, and repository signals visible. Confirm the official documentation against your exact workflow before treating it as a production dependency.
- Categories
InfrastructureSelf-hosted- Alternatives to
AnyDeskGetscreen.meSplashtop
TeamViewer
Who it’s for — and when to skip it
Infrastructure teams
Use it when deployment control, auditability, and portability are primary requirements.
Skip if the team cannot own patching, monitoring, and incident response.
DevOps engineers
Consider it when automation and configuration can be reviewed and integrated into existing runbooks.
Skip if the project lacks a tested upgrade or rollback path.
Self-hosting teams
Evaluate it when running the service in your environment is a deliberate ownership decision.
Skip if a zero-operations SaaS experience is non-negotiable.
Strengths and trade-offs
Why teams consider it
rust
macos
linux
Source code and AGPL-3.0 license are visible before adoption
Repository activity is available as a current maintenance signal
What to validate
Self-hosting transfers upgrades, backups, monitoring, and incident response to your team
GitHub popularity is not a security, quality, or product-fit guarantee
The AGPL-3.0 license still needs review against your distribution and commercial model
Support quality, migration effort, and production hardening vary by project
Pricing
Free OSS; Server Pro from $11.88/mo billed annually
Self-hosted Server Pro licenses only — not a SaaS subscription. Pro plans are billed annually. Infrastructure/hosting is separate.
Free
$0/moOpen source- Self-hosted OSS server
- Online status
- Community support
Individual Pro
$11.88/moBilled annually- 1 login user
- 20 managed devices
- Unlimited concurrent connections
- Web console
Basic Pro
$23.88/moBilled annually- Everything in Individual
- 10 login users
- 100 managed devices
- OIDC (SSO)
Customized Pro
From $23.88/moBilled annually- Everything in Basic
- +$1.20 per additional user
- +$0.12 per additional device
Capabilities and stack fit
Catalog metadata supports discovery, not installation. Verify supported versions, dependencies, deployment topology, and production requirements in the official repository.
Guides for RustDesk
Use the learning library to find a guide by technology, category, or difficulty.
Browse guidesRelated articles
Approved community reviews
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Before you adopt it
- 01
Read the license and confirm it fits your intended use and distribution model.
- 02
Review recent commits, open issues, releases, and the maintainer response pattern.
- 03
Run a small proof of concept with representative data, users, and integrations.
- 04
Plan backups, upgrades, secrets, monitoring, and rollback before self-hosting.
- 05
Document an export or migration path before storing critical data.
