NoMachine vs RustDesk
We give NoMachine a 2.2 GPA and RustDesk a 3.0, out of 4.0. RustDesk grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
NoMachine
Self-hosted remote desktop sold as yearly server subscriptions
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop you can run on your own server
How we grade them
| 2.2GPANoMachineFair | 3.0GPARustDeskVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPersonal Edition is $24.50 a year per computer, so two computers come to $49, and getting past a firewall by Machine Id adds Network Personal at $84.50, or $133.50 a year in all. RustDesk, Parsec and Jump Desktop reach your own computers for nothing, so for the same job it's on the dear side. | A$0: the client is free and works through RustDesk's public relay servers, so one technician can support people with nothing to host. Paid Server Pro starts at $11.88 a month billed annually, for a server you run yourself. TeamViewer and AnyDesk, doing the same job, are free for personal use only. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan: only the Player is free, and it needs a paid server edition to connect to. Each server edition has a free trial, and NoMachine Network has a 7-day one; the listing doesn't mention a card. | AFree outright: the client and the open-source server cost nothing, and the listing shows no cap on devices or sessions. Help is community support only, and the web console and user accounts need Server Pro. |
| Features | CThe NX protocol with hardware H.264, multi-monitor, terminal sessions, file, disk, printer and USB sharing, Wake-on-LAN and recording. The gaps it lists itself: Personal Edition allows one desktop connection at a time, and browser access, VPN and single sign-on are Enterprise only. | CIt connects with no setup, self-hosts in a few Docker commands, and Server Pro adds a web console, audit log, single sign-on, LDAP and a branded client. The gaps it lists itself: an iPhone or iPad can't be controlled or share its screen, and the web client needs a large plan. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. You connect by IP address on your own network, and reaching a machine behind a firewall by ID needs a separate Network subscription. That's a learning curve. | CNo App Store rating on record. The free client is install and connect, but everything you'd pay for runs on a server you host yourself with Docker, which is a job for someone happy on a command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux and Raspberry Pi, with a free Player for iPhone and Android and browser access on Enterprise. Sign-in works with Okta, Entra ID and Active Directory, but there's no API on record. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, Android, a web client and an iPhone app that can only control other devices. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | fast remote desktops for Linux and your own network | free, open-source remote desktop |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: NoMachine and RustDesk. How we grade
Price against what you get
NoMachine starts at $2.04 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. RustDesk starts at $11.88 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and NoMachine starts $9.84 a month lower. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, 3 score higher than NoMachine for less, and 6 score higher than RustDesk for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- NoMachine starts at $24.50 per year (Personal Edition, one computer). RustDesk starts at $11.88 per month, billed annually (Individual Server Pro, self-hosted).
- RustDesk has a free plan. NoMachine does not, though it has a free trial.
- RustDesk is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| NoMachine | RustDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $24.50 per year (Personal Edition, one computer) | $11.88 per month, billed annually (Individual Server Pro, self-hosted) |
| Free plan | None | The client and the open-source server are free: use RustDesk's public relay servers or host your own server, with online status and community support. |
| Free trial | Free trial of each server edition; NoMachine Network has a 7-day trial | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | NoMachine S.à r.l. | Purslane Tech Pte. Ltd. |
| Price read from | nomachine.com | rustdesk.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
NoMachine
- Reaching your own home or office computer over your own network
- Linux users who need fast remote desktops, including Raspberry Pi
- Businesses running several virtual Linux desktops on one server
- People who want remote access without a vendor cloud in the middle
RustDesk
- People who want a free remote desktop app for their own computers
- IT teams that must keep remote access data on their own servers
- Organizations replacing TeamViewer or AnyDesk with a self-hosted setup
- Developers and admins who want open-source code they can inspect
Worth knowing
NoMachine
- Personal Edition is now an annual subscription; only the Player client is free, and it needs a NoMachine server edition to connect to.
- Reaching a computer behind a firewall by Machine Id needs a separate NoMachine Network subscription on top of the server edition.
- Personal Edition allows one desktop connection at a time; browser access, VPN and single sign-on are Enterprise only.
- Terminal Server and Workstation editions host virtual desktops on Linux only.
RustDesk
- Paid plans are licences for a server you run yourself, not a hosted service, and are sold only with annual payment; they do not auto-renew.
- The iOS app can only control other devices; an iPhone or iPad cannot be controlled or share its screen.
- The web client in Server Pro needs a plan where users x 10 plus devices is at least 400.
- There is no nonprofit or education discount, and trial licences are by request to RustDesk.
Key features
NoMachine
- NX protocol
- Hardware-accelerated H.264 encoding and decoding, audio and video streaming, and multi-monitor support, for work, media and games.
- Free Player on every platform
- NoMachine Player is free for commercial and non-commercial use on Windows, Mac, Linux, ARM, Raspberry Pi, iOS and Android, with no limit on machines.
- Terminal access
- Open remote command-line sessions to Windows, macOS or Linux NoMachine systems without a full desktop and without SSH on the server.
- Devices and files
- File transfer with drag and drop, disk and printer sharing in both directions, USB device forwarding, port forwarding and Wake-on-LAN.
- Recording and guest sharing
- Record your session on the fly, and let guests join your desktop to collaborate or help troubleshoot.
- Enterprise sign-in and browser access
- Enterprise editions add access from any browser, a built-in VPN, and sign-in with Okta, Entra ID, Google Cloud Identity, Keycloak, LDAP or Active Directory.
RustDesk
- Works without setup
- Install the client and connect through RustDesk's public rendezvous and relay servers, with no configuration needed.
- Self-hosted server
- Run the open-source server or Server Pro on your own machine with Docker in a few commands, so connection data stays on your infrastructure.
- Web console and access control
- Server Pro adds an admin website for users, devices, address books, permissions, centralized settings and an audit log, plus distributed relay servers.
- Custom branded client
- From the Basic plan, generate a client with your own name, icon and logo, preset with your server and more than 90 configurable options.
- Single sign-on and LDAP
- Basic and above sign users in through OIDC single sign-on or LDAP, with two-factor authentication on every Pro plan.
- Web client
- Start remote sessions from a browser tab; on Server Pro you host the web client on your own domain, on plans large enough to include it.
Plans
NoMachine
Personal Edition$24.50
per year per computer
For individuals and businesses: 1 desktop connection and up to 4 terminal connections from the same client. Also sold in packs of 5 to 100.
Enterprise Desktop$44.50
per year per computer
Unlimited connections, access from any browser, a built-in VPN and single sign-on. Also sold in packs of 10 to 100; the support table lists a pack at $244.50.
Network Personal$84.50
per year ($8.50 billed monthly)
Optional: 1 connection at a time over NoMachine Network by Machine Id, for computers behind a firewall. Plans for 4 to 32 connections cost more.
Workstation$124.50
per year per server
Runs up to 4 virtual Linux desktops and apps on one server, with unlimited connections and browser access.
Small Business Terminal Server$744.50
per year per server
Runs up to 10 virtual Linux desktops and apps on one server, for departments and small businesses.
RustDesk
Free$0
Open-source client and server that you host yourself, or use with RustDesk's public relay servers. Community support only.
Individual$11.88
per month, billed annually
Server Pro you host yourself: 1 login user, 20 managed devices, unlimited concurrent connections, web console, 2FA, address book and audit log.
Basic$23.88
per month, billed annually
10 login users and 100 managed devices, plus OIDC single sign-on, LDAP, cross-group access and the custom client generator.
Customized$23.88
per month, billed annually, plus $1.20 per extra user
Basic with more users and devices: each extra user adds $1.20 a month and each extra managed device $0.12.
Customized V2$23.88
per month, billed annually, plus $24 per extra connection
Like Customized, but priced by concurrent connections: $24 a month for each extra one, with devices over the limit kept working.
Ways to pay less
NoMachine
- Annual discount
Network subscriptions cheaper paid yearly
Network Personal is $84.50 a year against $8.50 a month, which is $102 over twelve months: about 17% less.
RustDesk
No public discounts listed.
