TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Splashtop… What If We Stopped Depending on Them?

You know the scene. You want to fix your parents’ PC, access your office machine, or manage a remote server from your couch. You install TeamViewer. It works.

Then one day:

• Your session cuts off after 5 minutes because TeamViewer suspects commercial use
• AnyDesk asks for a €30/month subscription for basic usage
• Your session data travels through servers… somewhere you’re not quite sure about

What if you could have the same thing, open source, free, with the option to self-host the relay server?

Welcome to the world of RustDesk.

RustDesk in 30 Seconds

RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop application, designed as a direct alternative to TeamViewer and AnyDesk. Written in Rust (hence the name), it is:

• Free (client and server)
• Open source, 111,000+ stars on GitHub, making it one of the most starred Rust projects ever
• Cross-platform, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
• Self-hostable, your own relay server, your data stays with you
• End-to-end encrypted

Why Rust? And Why It Actually Matters

The choice of Rust as the language isn’t cosmetic. It has direct consequences on the user experience:

• Native performance: no garbage collector, no virtual machine. RustDesk compiles to machine code, making it fast and lightweight.
• Memory safety: Rust eliminates entire categories of bugs (buffer overflow, use-after-free) at compile time. For a remote access tool, this is critical.
• Single binary: one app serves as both client AND server. No “RustDesk Host” + “RustDesk Viewer” to download separately.

Result: smooth at 1080p, even on average connections.

Architecture: How It Works

Mode 1: RustDesk Public Servers

By default, RustDesk uses its own relay servers to establish connections between two machines. This is the “plug and play” mode, install, connect, done.

Upside: zero configuration

Downside: your session data passes through third-party servers (even though it’s encrypted)

Mode 2: Self-Hosted (The Real Power)

You can deploy your own RustDesk server in minutes with Docker:

docker run -d \\
  --name rustdesk-server \\
  -p 21115:21115 -p 21116:21116 -p 21116:21116/udp \\
  -p 21117:21117 -p 21118:21118 -p 21119:21119 \\
  rustdesk/rustdesk-server

Then point the RustDesk app to your server’s IP. Done.

Result: zero data leaving your infrastructure. You control everything.

Mode 3: Direct IP Connection

If both machines are on the same network (or on a mesh VPN like Tailscale), you can enable direct IP access. No relay server at all, not even your own. Pure peer-to-peer.

Step-by-Step Setup

On the Remote Machine (the “server”)

1. Download RustDesk from rustdesk.com
2. Install and launch the app
3. Note the ID displayed on the home screen
4. Go to ⋯ → Security → Unlock security settings
5. Set a permanent password (instead of the default temporary one)
6. Enable direct IP access if you’re on a private network

On Your Machine (the “client”)

1. Install the same RustDesk app
2. Enter the remote machine’s ID
3. Type the password
4. You’re connected, you see the remote desktop as if you were sitting in front of it

Pro tip: Rename your machines in the RustDesk address book so you don’t have to juggle numeric IDs.

RustDesk vs TeamViewer vs AnyDesk

The key differentiator: with RustDesk, you depend on no one. No expiring license, no “commercial use detected”, no data sitting on a third party’s servers.

Self-Hosting: The Pro Version

RustDesk also offers a Server Pro (paid) that adds:

• Web administration console
• Centralized device management and address book
• SSO (OIDC/LDAP)
• Advanced ACLs
• Custom client builder (branding)

For personal use or a small team, the free OSS server is more than enough. Pro is relevant for MSPs (Managed Service Providers) or IT teams managing dozens of machines.

Real Advantages for Tech Founders

1. Frictionless Customer Support

Shipping a SaaS product and a customer hits a bug? Send them the RustDesk download link, ask for their ID, connect. No account creation required, no license to manage.

2. Infrastructure Management

Running Linux servers? RustDesk gives you full desktop access, not just an SSH terminal. Ideal for web interfaces (Proxmox, Portainer, pgAdmin) without exposing ports.

3. Hybrid Work

Your dev workstation is at the office but you work from home? RustDesk + a good network = as if you were sitting in front of your screen.

4. Data Sovereignty

Zero data at TeamViewer or AnyDesk. If you self-host, nothing leaves your network. For sensitive clients (healthcare, finance, legal), this is a massive selling point.

Honest Limitations

• File transfer isn’t as polished as TeamViewer (drag-and-drop is basic)
• Audio/video quality can be lower than TeamViewer on slow connections
• The free public server can sometimes be slow (one more reason to self-host)
• No built-in chat as rich as TeamViewer’s
• Documentation is still catching up, the community is active but the product evolves fast

The Future of RustDesk

With 111,000+ GitHub stars and version 1.4.6 released in March 2026, RustDesk is on a strong upward trajectory. The project is backed by a massive community and a healthy business model (free OSS server + paid Pro).

Being written in Rust, the most loved programming language by developers for years running, attracts high-quality contributors and ensures a solid codebase.

TL;DR

RustDesk is TeamViewer, but open source, free, self-hostable, and encrypted. If you’re tired of licenses, “commercial use” cutoffs, and trusting your sessions to third-party servers, it’s time to switch.

This article is part of a 3-part series:

• Part 1: Tailscale, The Mesh VPN
• Part 2 (this one): RustDesk, The Open-Source Remote Desktop
• Part 3: Tailscale + RustDesk, The Ultimate Remote Access Combo