Remote Utilities vs RustDesk
We give Remote Utilities 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.
Remote Utilities
Remote administration tool with a self-hosted server option
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop you can run on your own server
How we grade them
| 2.2GPARemote UtilitiesFair | 3.0GPARustDeskVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price or licence terms could be read: the website answered our reader with a bot check from the US and a not-sold-here notice from India. That's the C we give any missing price, with no figure to set against RustDesk or ScreenConnect for the same job. | 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 | CThe Host module and the phone Viewer apps are free to install, and the phone app is free for work too. How many computers a free licence covers couldn't be read, so we can't say how far it gets you. | 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 | CConnections by Internet-ID or IP address, a self-hosted server, resumable file transfer, power controls, screen blanking and detailed address books. It covers the basics of administering machines, but the listing shows no on-demand support sessions or recording. | 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. Host modules, Internet-IDs, address book templates and an optional server of your own: powerful, but it's an admin's tool with 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 | BHosts on Windows, Mac and Linux, and free viewer apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. There's no web app, integration list or 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 | administering many computers through your own server | 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: Remote Utilities and RustDesk. How we grade
Where they differ
- Only RustDesk lists a web app.
- RustDesk is open source, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Remote Utilities | RustDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $11.88 per month, billed annually (Individual Server Pro, self-hosted) |
| Free plan | The Host module and the mobile Viewer apps are free to install, and the mobile app is free for personal and business use. How many computers a free licence covers could not be read. | 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 | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Remote Utilities Pty (Cy) Ltd. | Purslane Tech Pte. Ltd. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | rustdesk.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Remote Utilities
- System administrators managing many Windows, Mac and Linux machines
- Organizations that want remote access relayed through their own server
- Reaching your own computers from a phone or tablet over the internet or LAN
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
Remote Utilities
- The vendor's website answered with a bot check from the US and a notice from India, so no prices or licence terms could be read; this listing has none.
- Remote Utilities says its software and services are not available in some locations; visitors from India were told it is not sold there.
- The Host module runs on Windows, macOS and Linux; the iPhone, iPad and Android apps are for connecting to those computers.
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
Remote Utilities
- Internet-ID connections
- Connect to a Host by its Internet-ID with no router or firewall setup, or directly by IP address on a local network.
- Self-hosted server
- Run your own Remote Utilities server for address book sync, server-based sign-in and relaying connections through your own infrastructure.
- File transfer and power control
- Copy files both ways with resumable transfers, and shut down, restart, lock, sleep or hibernate the remote computer.
- Privacy controls
- Blank the remote screen and block local input while you work, then lock the computer and end the session in one step.
- Address book
- Folders, per-connection settings and templates, with several local or synced address books and full import and export.
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
Remote Utilities
Pricing could not be confirmed. See remoteutilities.com.
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.
