RustDesk review: remote desktop you can self-host

RustDesk is a free open-source remote desktop: software that shows another computer’s screen on yours and lets your keyboard and mouse work there. It is for people who help a relative, reach a PC that stays on at home, or move between their own machines. You can start on the project’s public connection servers, or run those servers yourself.²³

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A free open-source remote desktop for viewing and controlling another computer.

Works on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS (as a controller), and the web.¹²

Price: Free self-hosting plan at $0. Paid self-hosted Server Pro plans from $11.88 a month, billed annually.⁵

Licence: GNU Affero General Public License version 3, a free licence. The repository labels it AGPL-3.0, and the GitHub project is public.⁹⁶

Best for: Reaching your own computers, with the option to run the connection servers yourself.

Official site: rustdesk.com

What RustDesk does (and how it protects your privacy)

Each running copy shows an ID and a one-time password. You read those on the computer you want to open, then type the ID on the other device and use the password to get in.² After you install it, or run the Windows build without a full install, RustDesk connects to the project’s public servers. The window says it is ready, and that your own server is the way to a faster connection.²

While RustDesk is running, the computer tells the ID server its current internet address and port.³ That server tries to join the two computers directly. The guide calls this hole punching, a way through home routers. If that fails, a relay carries the traffic. The direct path works in most cases, and the relay is then unused.³ Peer-to-peer connections use end-to-end encryption based on NaCl.¹ That means the session is scrambled between the two devices. NaCl is the cryptography toolkit the documentation names.

Self-hosting puts that ID server and relay on systems you manage, and the deployment data stays there.³ The open-source server is free, and Server Pro, the paid edition, adds a web console and device management.¹³ If you only need to pass a file, Magic Wormhole does that without a remote screen.

Key RustDesk features

ID and one-time password. A visitor needs the current password, not only the ID.²
Windows without a full install. Windows does not need administrator rights or an installation.¹
Permissions and passwords. Security settings cover what a visitor may do, password choices, and changing your ID.²
Clipboard and recording. Display settings include clipboard sync. General settings include recording and audio.²
Files and Android control. The F-Droid listing describes file transfer between Android devices and PCs, and remote control through Android’s Accessibility service, the permission that lets an app perform taps.⁸
Several kinds of computer. Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, the web, and iOS are listed. The iOS app cannot be controlled remotely.¹²

Pros and cons

Pros

The client is open source, and the free self-hosting plan is $0 a month. The prices are for a server you host, not a hosted subscription.¹⁵
The client licence is the GNU Affero General Public License version 3, a free licence.⁹ The GitHub project is public, and the repository labels the licence AGPL-3.0.⁶
Release 1.5.0 was published on 30 September 2026.⁷
You can use the public servers first, then move the ID server and relay onto hardware you look after.²³

Cons

The iPhone and iPad app can control another computer. It cannot be the computer that is controlled.²
To provide the software, the privacy policy says the company processes the start of the application, the device IP address, details such as CPU type and screen resolution, session time and length, and the RustDesk IDs in the session.⁴
F-Droid marks the build as tracking: it connects to the developer site with the start date, IP address, device info, session time and duration, and RustDesk IDs.⁸
F-Droid’s suggested Android version is 1.4.9, added on 15 July 2026, while GitHub release 1.5.0 is newer.⁸⁷
A server of your own needs at least ports 21115 to 21117, which the guide calls the minimum.³
Paid Server Pro plans are annual only, and they do not renew by themselves.⁵

Is RustDesk safe and private?

The privacy policy, effective 16 September 2026, names Purslane Tech Pte. Ltd. in Singapore as the controller for the website, the software, and the services run for it.⁴ The company says it does not sell personal data. It describes the processing above under the software agreement and its interest in developing the software.⁴ Service providers, including the hosting for the public ID and relay servers, process personal data in the United States and in other countries.⁴

F-Droid’s tracking label ties a similar list of fields to a connection from the app to the developer site.⁸ Self-hosting moves the ID server and the relay onto systems you manage. The computers still try to talk directly, and use the relay only when that fails.³ Share the ID and the current password only with someone you asked for help. Those are what the other side uses to connect.²

How to get started with RustDesk

Download Windows, macOS, or Linux from the official release page. The 1.5.0 release is dated 30 September 2026.⁷ For Android, use the GitHub APK or the F-Droid package.²⁸ For iPhone or iPad, use the App Store, as the client guide says.²
Install it on the computer you want to reach and on the device you will sit at. On Windows you can run it without installing.²
On the computer you want to reach, read the ID and the one-time password, and wait until the window says it is ready.²
On the other device, type that ID and complete the password prompt.
Open the menu beside the ID, then Settings, then Security, and choose what a visitor may do.²
For your own servers, follow the self-hosting guide. On both apps, open Settings, then Network, unlock the settings, and enter the ID, relay, and key.²³

Who should use RustDesk (and who might prefer something else)

RustDesk fits people who want remote control of computers they own. The public servers make the first connection simple, and your own server is there when you want the relay on hardware you manage.²³

If two computers sit on the same desk and you only want one keyboard and mouse, Deskflow does that without a remote screen. If you only want to control an Android phone from a computer beside it, scrcpy is built for that. When the phone itself is the screen you need to open, the iOS app cannot take that role.²

Frequently asked questions

Is RustDesk free?

The pricing page is for self-hosting, and it says it is not a hosted subscription. The free self-hosting plan is $0 a month and is described as open source. The client is open source.¹⁵ The Individual Server Pro plan is $11.88 a month, billed annually. The Basic plan is listed at $23.88 a month and includes everything in Individual, plus 10 login users, 100 managed devices, OIDC single sign-on, LDAP, cross-group access, and a custom client generator.⁵ Paid plans are annual only. They do not auto-renew, and the company emails a reminder 14 days before the licence expires.⁵

Is RustDesk safe?

Peer-to-peer sessions are documented with end-to-end encryption based on NaCl, and you can run the ID and relay servers yourself.¹³ The privacy policy still describes processing of IP addresses, computer details, session times, and RustDesk IDs.⁴ F-Droid labels its build as tracking for that kind of report.⁸ Use it on machines you are allowed to open, and treat the password as the key to that computer.

Does RustDesk work on iPhone?

Yes, as the device that controls another computer. The client guide lists iOS and says it cannot be controlled remotely. You install that app from the App Store.²

Do I have to run my own RustDesk server?

No. A new install connects to the public servers and shows an ID and a one-time password.² Your own server is optional. The open-source server is free, and Server Pro is the paid edition.¹⁵