RustDesk vs TeamViewer
We give RustDesk a 3.0 GPA and TeamViewer a 2.6, out of 4.0. RustDesk grades higher on value for money and the free plan. TeamViewer grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop you can run on your own server
TeamViewer
Remote access and IT support, free for personal use only
How we grade them
| 3.0GPARustDeskVery good | 2.6GPATeamViewerGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | D$619.99 a year for Business, one licensed user and up to 200 managed devices, is the only dollar price on record: it's the in-app purchase on the US App Store. For one technician doing the same job, Zoho Assist, Splashtop and LogMeIn Resolve's Starter all cost less. Its other plans couldn't be read in dollars. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | BFree for personal use, with no cap on record for helping friends and family or reaching your own computers, phones and tablets. That's a plan one person can live on. Any work use needs a licence, which you can trial for 14 days. |
| Features | 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. | CAttended and unattended access, file transfer, remote printing, Wake-on-LAN, black screen, session recording and AI summaries. The gaps it lists itself: phones and tablets need a paid add-on, iPhones and iPads only share their screen, and Business allows one connection at a time. |
| Ease of use | 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. | B4.67 from 44,790 App Store ratings, just short of our A line. The person at the other end accepts and you're in, so there's not much to learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with an API and connections to Intune, ServiceNow, Jira, Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. That's everything we look for. |
| Best for | free, open-source remote desktop | helping family for free, or paid IT support |
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: RustDesk and TeamViewer. How we grade
Price against what you get
RustDesk starts at $11.88 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TeamViewer starts at $51.67 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
TeamViewer scores higher, and starts $39.79 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, 6 score higher than RustDesk for less, and 2 score higher than TeamViewer 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
- RustDesk starts at $11.88 per month, billed annually (Individual Server Pro, self-hosted). TeamViewer starts at $619.99 per year (Business, as an in-app purchase on the US App Store).
- RustDesk is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- TeamViewer is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| RustDesk | TeamViewer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $11.88 per month, billed annually (Individual Server Pro, self-hosted) | $619.99 per year (Business, as an in-app purchase on the US App Store) |
| Free plan | 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 for personal use only: helping friends and family and reaching your own devices. Commercial use needs a paid licence. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day trial of a commercial plan |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Purslane Tech Pte. Ltd. | TeamViewer Germany GmbH |
| Price read from | rustdesk.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
TeamViewer
- Helping friends and family with computer problems at no cost
- IT staff and help desks supporting employees' or customers' computers
- Small businesses that need unattended access to up to 200 devices
- Organizations that connect remote support to ServiceNow, Jira or Intune
Worth knowing
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.
TeamViewer
- TeamViewer's website shows prices by visitor location and could not be read in US dollars; Remote Access, Premium and Corporate prices are missing here.
- The free version is for personal use only; any business or work use needs a paid licence, which TeamViewer offers to trial for 14 days.
- Licences are billed yearly and cap the number of managed devices and simultaneous connections, e.g. one connection at a time on Business.
- Supporting phones and tablets is a paid add-on; for iPhones and iPads it is screen sharing rather than control.
Key features
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.
TeamViewer
- Attended and unattended access
- Connect to any number of devices when someone at the other end accepts, or to a set number of managed devices without anyone present, depending on the licence.
- File transfer and remote printing
- Send and queue files between devices and print documents from the remote computer to your local printer.
- Wake-on-LAN and black screen
- Power on a remote computer, block local keyboard and mouse input, and black out its screen while you work on it.
- Session recording and switch sides
- Record and replay sessions, and swap who controls whom during a session. Custom branding of support sessions comes with paid licences.
- TeamViewer AI
- Business includes 25 AI credits a month, one per support session, for AI-guided troubleshooting and written session summaries.
- Mobile device support add-on
- An add-on to reach and support Android devices and share the screen of iPhones and iPads, alongside desktop-to-desktop connections.
Plans
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.
TeamViewer
Free (personal use)$0
For non-commercial use only: remote help for friends and family and access to your own computers, phones and tablets.
Business$619.99
per year, as an in-app purchase in the iOS app
One licensed user, one connection at a time and up to 200 managed devices, with 25 AI credits a month. Price read on the US App Store.
Ways to pay less
RustDesk
No public discounts listed.
TeamViewer
- Nonprofit
30% off for nonprofits and education
Registered nonprofit and educational organizations that apply through TeamViewer's form get a 30% discount.
