AnyDesk
8.1/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $14.9/mo
- Reviews
- 4.5/5 (~1k G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- Free tier + 14 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- Fast, lightweight remote access on a budget
Best Remote Access Software · 2026
AnyDesk vs 
RustDesk AnyDesk vs RustDesk: on our data-weighted scoring, AnyDesk edges ahead (8.1 vs 7.8/10). AnyDesk starts at $14.9/mo and is best for fast, lightweight remote access on a budget; RustDesk starts at Free tier available and is best for teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop. Choose AnyDesk for the stronger overall track record; consider RustDesk if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
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RustDesk
7.8/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Free tier available
- Reviews
- Not yet rated
- Free trial
- Free tier
- Deployment
- Self-host
- Best for
- Teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop
Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | AnyDesk | RustDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.1 | 7.8 |
| User reviews | 9.0 | 7.0 |
| Adoption | 7.9 | 0.0 |
| Affordability | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Feature breadth | 5.0 | 10.0 |
| Ease of trial | 10.0 | 7.0 |
AnyDesk vs RustDesk: head-to-head
| AnyDesk | RustDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $14.9/mo | Free tier available |
| Pricing model | per license | flat |
| Free trial / tier | Free tier + 14 days | Free tier |
| Best for | Fast, lightweight remote access on a budget | Teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop |
| Deployment | Cloud | Self-host |
| G2 rating | 4.5/5 (1000) | — |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.1 | 7.8 |
Choose AnyDesk if…
You need fast, lightweight remote access on a budget.
✓ Pros
- Very fast and light
- Affordable
- Free personal tier
✕ Cons
- Fewer enterprise features
- Past security headlines
- Tiered session limits
Choose RustDesk if…
You need teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop.
✓ Pros
- Free
- open-source
- fully self-hosted
- No per-tech subscription
- Data never leaves your servers
✕ Cons
- Self-hosting + setup required
- No SOC 2 / formal audit
- Smaller ecosystem + support
In depth
Pricing: AnyDesk vs RustDesk
AnyDesk bills on a per license model from $14.9/mo (free tier available), while RustDesk uses a flat model from Free tier available (free tier available). Because the models differ, the cheaper option flips depending on your fleet size — model both at your seat/endpoint count.
Features & deployment
AnyDesk ships 5 headline capabilities (Low-latency remote control, Unattended access, File transfer, Cross-platform) and deploys Cloud. RustDesk ships 10 (Open-source self-hosted core (AGPL), Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux), deploying Self-host.
Ratings & verdict
AnyDesk holds 4.5/5 (~1k G2 reviews); RustDesk holds Not yet rated. On our data-weighted score, AnyDesk edges ahead (8.1 vs 7.8/10). Pick RustDesk instead when teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop. See AnyDesk alternatives or RustDesk alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- AnyDesk vs RustDesk: which is better?
- AnyDesk vs RustDesk: on our data-weighted scoring, AnyDesk edges ahead (8.1 vs 7.8/10). AnyDesk starts at $14.9/mo and is best for fast, lightweight remote access on a budget; RustDesk starts at Free tier available and is best for teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop.
- Is AnyDesk cheaper than RustDesk?
- AnyDesk starts at $14.9/mo and RustDesk starts at Free tier available (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: anydesk.com, rustdesk.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.