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
Best Remote Access Software · 2026
RustDesk vs 
Splashtop RustDesk vs Splashtop: on our data-weighted scoring, Splashtop edges ahead (8.1 vs 7.8/10). RustDesk starts at Free tier available and is best for teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop; Splashtop starts at $5/user/mo and is best for MSPs/IT wanting affordable high-performance remote access. Choose Splashtop 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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Splashtop
8.1/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $5/user/mo
- Reviews
- 4.7/5 (~1k G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- MSPs/IT wanting affordable high-performance remote access
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 | RustDesk | Splashtop |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 7.8 | 8.1 |
| User reviews | 7.0 | 9.4 |
| Adoption | 0.0 | 7.9 |
| Affordability | 9.5 | 6.3 |
| Feature breadth | 10.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of trial | 7.0 | 6.0 |
RustDesk vs Splashtop: head-to-head
| RustDesk | Splashtop | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free tier available | $5/user/mo |
| Pricing model | flat | per user |
| Free trial / tier | Free tier | 7 days |
| Best for | Teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop | MSPs/IT wanting affordable high-performance remote access |
| Deployment | Self-host | Cloud |
| G2 rating | — | 4.7/5 (1000) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 7.8 | 8.1 |
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
Choose Splashtop if…
You need msps/it wanting affordable high-performance remote access.
✓ Pros
- Great performance for price
- Easy to use
- Good MSP support tiers
✕ Cons
- Tiers/SKUs confusing
- Some features add-ons
- Support hours vary
In depth
Pricing: Splashtop vs RustDesk
Splashtop bills on a per user model from $5/user/mo (7 days trial), 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
Splashtop ships 5 headline capabilities (High-performance remote control, Unattended access, Remote support (SOS), Cross-platform) and deploys Cloud. RustDesk ships 10 (Open-source self-hosted core (AGPL), Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux), deploying Self-host.
Ratings & verdict
Splashtop holds 4.7/5 (~1k G2 reviews); RustDesk holds Not yet rated. On our data-weighted score, Splashtop edges ahead (8.1 vs 7.8/10). Pick RustDesk instead when teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop. See Splashtop alternatives or RustDesk alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- RustDesk vs Splashtop: which is better?
- RustDesk vs Splashtop: on our data-weighted scoring, Splashtop edges ahead (8.1 vs 7.8/10). RustDesk starts at Free tier available and is best for teams wanting a free, open-source, fully self-hosted remote desktop; Splashtop starts at $5/user/mo and is best for MSPs/IT wanting affordable high-performance remote access.
- Is RustDesk cheaper than Splashtop?
- RustDesk starts at Free tier available and Splashtop starts at $5/user/mo (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: rustdesk.com, splashtop.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.