We package RustDesk as an AWS AMI, so weigh that against everything below. RustDesk vs TeamViewer isn't close on price, RustDesk vs AnyDesk is closer than most people assume. AnyDesk can self-host too, just not for free, and that distinction gets lost in most "best remote desktop tool" roundups that lump TeamViewer and AnyDesk together as equally cloud-locked.
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1. RustDesk: open source, self-hosted by default
RustDesk is written in Rust and released under an open source license, with the client and self-hosted relay and rendezvous server both free to run. Self-hosting means your session data routes through a server you control rather than a third party's relay, a real difference for anyone with data-residency or compliance concerns. Server Pro, an optional paid add-on, starts at $9.90/month and adds centralized management and an address book; the Basic plan at $19.90/month (10 users, 100 devices) adds LDAP and SSO/OIDC support. None of that is required for basic self-hosted remote access, which remains free.
Key facts
- Open source (AGPL), free client and self-hosted server
- Written in Rust, source code publicly auditable
- Server Pro add-on from $9.90/month for centralized management
- Basic plan at $19.90/month adds LDAP and SSO/OIDC for 10 users, 100 devices
2. TeamViewer: polished and audited, cloud-only at any price
TeamViewer is the most established name in remote desktop software, and it earns that reputation with genuinely deep feature coverage, multi-monitor handling, session recording, and years of security audits most competitors can't match. What it doesn't offer, at any tier including its enterprise Tensor product, is a self-hosting option. It's cloud-only, full stop. Business pricing runs $50.90/month, roughly $611 a year, for a single technician, and TeamViewer is known for aggressively flagging free-tier accounts that show commercial usage patterns, then locking them until you upgrade.
Key facts
- No self-hosting option at any tier, cloud-only including Tensor (enterprise)
- Business plan: $50.90/month per technician (~$611/year)
- Deep feature set: multi-monitor, session recording, extensive audit history
- Free tier is personal-use only and actively detects suspected commercial use
3. AnyDesk: commercial software with a paywalled self-hosting tier
AnyDesk is free for personal, non-commercial use, with paid plans starting at Solo (roughly $17.52/month annual, one licensed user, unlimited endpoints), Standard (roughly $28.72/month, adds session recording and custom aliases), and Advanced (roughly $62.33/month for larger teams). Unlike TeamViewer, AnyDesk does offer a genuine self-hosted option, AnyDesk On-Premises, which runs on your own infrastructure with data staying inside your network. The catch: it's part of AnyDesk's Enterprise offering, custom quoted, not a feature available on the standard paid plans, and its admin console is less feature-rich than TeamViewer Tensor's.
Key facts
- Free for personal use only, paid plans from ~$17.52/month for commercial use
- AnyDesk On-Premises: genuine self-hosting, but Enterprise-tier and custom quoted
- Standard and Advanced tiers add session recording and larger team management
- Proprietary, closed source, unlike RustDesk
The self-hosting question, answered accurately
Most "best remote desktop tool" comparisons treat TeamViewer and AnyDesk as equally locked to the cloud, and that's not accurate. TeamViewer has never offered a self-hosting path at any price. AnyDesk does, through AnyDesk On-Premises, but it sits behind the Enterprise tier with custom pricing, not something a small team can simply download and run the way RustDesk's server works. RustDesk is the only one of the three where self-hosting is the default, free, open source experience rather than a gated enterprise feature. If self-hosting is the actual requirement, not just a nice-to-have, that distinction changes which of the three even qualifies.
Cost at scale
For a five-technician support team, TeamViewer Business runs roughly $3,050 a year with no self-hosting option regardless of spend. AnyDesk's paid tiers land somewhere between $1,050 and $3,740 a year for the same team size, and reaching self-hosting means jumping to a custom-quoted Enterprise contract on top of that. RustDesk's self-hosted core costs nothing beyond your server, and even the paid Server Pro or Basic tiers (roughly $119 to $239 a year per license) stay well under either commercial competitor for the same team size.
RustDesk vs TeamViewer vs AnyDesk: feature comparison
| Feature | RustDesk | TeamViewer | AnyDesk |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | Open source (AGPL) | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Self-hosting available | Yes, free and default | No, at any tier | Yes, Enterprise-only |
| Free tier cost | $0, full self-hosted access | Personal use only, flagged if commercial | Personal use only |
| Commercial pricing | $9.90-$19.90/month (optional) | $50.90/month | $17.52-$62.33/month |
| Session recording | Via Server Pro | Built in | Standard tier and up |
| LDAP / SSO | Basic plan and up | Enterprise tiers | Advanced tier and up |
| Best for | Cost-sensitive, self-hosting-first teams | Enterprises wanting the most audited, established option | Teams wanting polish with an eventual self-hosting path |
Why we run RustDesk for clients
Most teams that come to us evaluating remote desktop tools have already priced out TeamViewer for a five- or ten-person support team and didn't like the number, especially once they realize self-hosting isn't an option there at any price. RustDesk removes both problems: the core software is free, and self-hosting is the default deployment model, not a feature you have to negotiate an enterprise contract to unlock. We package it as a ready-to-launch AMI so the relay and rendezvous server setup, normally a bit fiddly to configure correctly, is done before the instance finishes booting.
Our RustDesk developer guide and AWS installation guide cover the self-hosted setup in full, and our GCP developer guide covers that platform too. If you want the fuller case for why we build on RustDesk specifically, this article covers that in more depth.
Where I'd start
Cost-sensitive, want self-hosting as the default rather than a negotiated add-on: RustDesk. Need the most polished, most audited option and self-hosting isn't a requirement: TeamViewer, accepting the cost. Want commercial polish now with a self-hosting path available later, and can justify an Enterprise contract eventually: AnyDesk.
If self-hosting is the actual reason you're reading this, not just a preference, RustDesk is the only one of the three where that's the default experience rather than a feature you have to unlock.
Frequently Asked Questions
RustDesk vs TeamViewer: which is actually cheaper?
RustDesk, by a wide margin. The core client and self-hosted server are free under an open source license. TeamViewer's Business plan runs $50.90/month, roughly $611 a year, for a single technician, with no self-hosting option at any price.
RustDesk vs AnyDesk: what's the real difference for a team?
Both can self-host, but RustDesk's self-hosted server is free and open source from the start. AnyDesk's self-hosted option (AnyDesk On-Premises) exists only as part of its Enterprise tier, custom quoted, not something you download and run for free the way RustDesk's server works.
Is RustDesk self hosted actually free?
Yes. The client and self-hosted relay/rendezvous server are free under an open source license (AGPL). RustDesk Server Pro is an optional paid add-on starting at $9.90/month that adds centralized management and an address book, but core self-hosted remote access costs nothing.
Is there a genuine teamviewer alternative self hosted option?
RustDesk is the clearest one. TeamViewer has no self-hosting option at any tier, including its enterprise Tensor product, it's cloud-only. RustDesk gives you a free, open source server you run yourself, with your session data never touching a third party's relay.
What is a genuinely open source remote desktop tool?
RustDesk. It's written in Rust and released under an open source license (AGPL), with the source code publicly auditable. TeamViewer and AnyDesk are both proprietary, closed-source products, even where AnyDesk offers an on-premises deployment option.
Does TeamViewer flag free accounts used for business?
Yes, and it's a common complaint. TeamViewer's free tier is licensed for personal use only, and the software actively detects usage patterns that look commercial (frequent connections, business-hours usage) and can lock the account, forcing an upgrade to a paid plan.
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