RustDesk
RustDesk (operated by Purslane Tech Pte. Ltd., Singapore) provides open-source, self-hosted remote desktop software with a free AGPL client and paid Server Pro subscriptions, serving IT support teams, administrators, remote workers, and compliance-focused enterprises that need data-sovereign alternatives to TeamViewer and AnyDesk.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What RustDesk does
RustDesk, operated by Purslane Tech Pte. Ltd. and headquartered at 68 Circular Road in Singapore, develops open-source remote desktop software consisting of a multi-platform client (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android) and self-hosted server components (hbbs ID server and hbbr relay server) written in Rust. The product was released on GitHub in 2021 after the founder, frustrated by TeamViewer licensing costs during COVID-19, built an open-source alternative, and it has since grown to 113K+ GitHub stars, 30M+ client downloads, and 10M+ active devices. The free AGPL-licensed RustDesk Client and Server OSS serve individual users and self-hosting organizations, while the commercial RustDesk Server Pro adds enterprise capabilities including a web console, custom client generator, LDAP/OIDC integration, 2FA, audit logging, distributed relay servers, user/device ACL, device groups, and session recording, sold via annual subscriptions starting at $11.88/month.
The business model is a freemium open-source structure: the free tier drives community adoption and viral distribution through GitHub, Docker Hub (10M+ pulls), Discord, Reddit, X, and YouTube, while monetization comes exclusively from self-hosted RustDesk Server Pro annual licenses (Individual, Basic, Custom, and Custom V2 tiers) purchased self-serve via Stripe checkout on rustdesk.com. Target customers are IT support professionals (37% of self-hosting users per company survey), IT administrators (25%), remote workers (29%), and industrial/other use cases (9%), with growing emphasis on compliance-sensitive enterprises that require data sovereignty, LDAP/SSO integration, and custom-branded clients. Distribution is entirely digital and product-led, with no disclosed channel partners, no external funding, a small core team (CEO Joseph Jacks, Community Assistant Daniel Lamb), and active product cadence including Server Pro 1.5.0 (Feb 2025), Web Client V2 preview (Oct 2024), and a Flutter 3.24 Windows 7 support patch (Dec 2024).
RustDesk firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RustDesk
- Legal name
- Purslane Tech Pte. Ltd.
- Website
- https://rustdesk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- RustDesk (operated by Purslane Tech Pte. Ltd., Singapore) provides open-source, self-hosted remote desktop software with a free AGPL client and paid Server Pro subscriptions, serving IT support teams, administrators, remote workers, and compliance-focused enterprises that need data-sovereign alternatives to TeamViewer and AnyDesk.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where RustDesk is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
RustDesk business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- RustDesk Server Pro Licenses: Annual subscription licenses for RustDesk Server Pro with tiered pricing based on users and managed devices. Includes features like 2FA, LDAP integration, OIDC/SSO, custom client generator, web console, and distributed relay servers. The OSS version is free and open source.
- Custom Client Generator (Pro): Available exclusively to Pro users (Basic plan or higher), enabling enterprise clients with custom branding, server settings, and signing workflows.
- Pro Support: All paid plans include dedicated customer support for assistance with inquiries or issues.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free open-source self-hosting plan |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Pro plan for single users |
| Subscription | Annual | Basic Pro plan for small teams |
| Subscription | Annual | Custom Pro plan with per-user/per-device pricing |
| Subscription | Annual | Custom V2 Pro plan with limited concurrent connections |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
RustDesk product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RustDesk develops and distributes open-source remote desktop software consisting of the free multi-platform RustDesk Client (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android) and the free self-hosted RustDesk Server OSS (hbbs + hbbr components). The commercial layer, RustDesk Server Pro, is sold as annual self-hosted subscription licenses that add a web console, custom client generator, LDAP/OIDC SSO, 2FA, distributed relay servers, audit logs, granular ACLs with device groups, and session recording for organizations that need full data sovereignty.
Product overview
RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop software platform consisting of a multi-platform client application and self-hosted server solutions. The core offering includes the RustDesk Client (free, open-source, supporting Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android) and the RustDesk Server OSS (free self-hosted server with hbbs and hbbr components). The commercial layer consists of RustDesk Server Pro (paid self-hosted server with web console management, custom client generator, LDAP/OIDC integration, 2FA, audit logging, distributed relays, user/device ACL, and device groups) and the RustDesk Web Client (V2 browser-based access, integrated into Pro plans at $47.88+/month). The product competes directly with TeamViewer, AnyDesk, and Splashtop, differentiating through full data sovereignty via self-hosting, open-source transparency, and a pricing model based on per-user/per-device licenses rather than per-session SaaS subscriptions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RustDesk Client Free, open-source multi-platform remote desktop client for end users, supporting Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. Provides remote access and support capabilities including file transfer, clipboard sync, audio, keyboard/mouse control, and session recording for IT professionals, system administrators, remote workers, and individuals.
- RustDesk Server OSS Free, open-source self-hosted server component for RustDesk, consisting of hbbs (ID/rendezvous server) and hbbr (relay server). Licensed under AGPL and deployed via Docker, Synology NAS, or direct binary installation by individual users and organizations that want full data control without paying for commercial features.
- RustDesk Server Pro Commercial self-hosted server sold as annual subscription licenses (Individual, Basic, Custom, Custom V2) for IT teams and enterprises. Adds a web console, custom client generator with branded signing, LDAP/OIDC SSO, 2FA, audit logs, distributed relay servers, granular ACL with device groups, cross-group access, address book, and session recording on top of the OSS server.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30M+ client downloads
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use RustDesk
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
RustDesk technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability4 records
Feature20 records
RustDesk partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RustDesk competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- MeshCentral: Open-source remote management and remote desktop server from Ylian Saint-Hilaire (Intel). Directly comparable as an open-source, self-hosted alternative with active community, addressing similar IT administration and remote support use cases as RustDesk Server OSS.
- Apache Guacamole: Open-source clientless remote desktop gateway (HTML5/web-based) that also supports self-hosted deployments. Overlaps with RustDesk's self-hosted value proposition for technical buyers willing to assemble their own stack; less polished UI but Apache-governed and free.
Broad incumbents
- ConnectWise ScreenConnect: Remote support and remote access platform from ConnectWise targeted at MSPs and IT service providers. Direct overlap with RustDesk's IT support use case, with deeper integrations into the ConnectWise PSA/RMM ecosystem for managed service providers.
- Chrome Remote Desktop: Free, browser-based remote desktop tool from Google. Overlaps with RustDesk's consumer and SMB use cases but is SaaS-only, lacks self-hosting, and is positioned as a lightweight consumer utility rather than an enterprise support tool.
- Microsoft Remote Desktop: Built-in Windows Remote Desktop and Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for enterprise session hosting. Competes with RustDesk in the IT administration segment, particularly for Windows-centric estates; bundled with Windows Server rather than sold standalone.
- Citrix (Cloud Software Group): Enterprise virtual desktop and application delivery platform (Citrix DaaS, formerly XenApp/XenDesktop). Adjacent to RustDesk in the remote access category but positioned upmarket for VDI and virtualized application delivery rather than peer-to-peer remote support.
Direct peers
- Splastop: Commercial remote access and remote support SaaS provider explicitly named by RustDesk as a primary competitor. Targets the same IT support and remote work use cases, serving SMB and enterprise customers with subscription-based SaaS.
- NoMachine: Remote desktop and remote computing software for cross-platform access. Competes with RustDesk across Windows, macOS, and Linux with a freemium enterprise model and similar feature surface (file transfer, session recording, multi-platform).
- AnyDesk: Direct competitor in the remote desktop software market, explicitly named by RustDesk. Offers proprietary remote access software for individuals and enterprises; tied with RustDesk at 8.0/10 in the citmt enterprise remote support comparison.
- TeamViewer: Leading commercial remote desktop and remote support SaaS provider, explicitly named by RustDesk as a primary competitor and migration target. Same core use cases (IT support, remote work, device management) with a SaaS-first delivery model that RustDesk differentiates against via self-hosting.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
RustDesk social profiles
Digital presenceRustDesk financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RustDesk leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
RustDesk funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RustDesk M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RustDesk
What does RustDesk do?
RustDesk develops and distributes open-source remote desktop software consisting of the free multi-platform RustDesk Client (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android) and the free self-hosted RustDesk Server OSS (hbbs + hbbr components). The commercial layer, RustDesk Server Pro, is sold as annual self-hosted subscription licenses that add a web console, custom client generator, LDAP/OIDC SSO, 2FA, distributed relay servers, audit logs, granular ACLs with device groups, and session recording for organizations that need full data sovereignty.
Is RustDesk a public or private company?
RustDesk is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RustDesk founded?
RustDesk was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is RustDesk based?
RustDesk is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does RustDesk make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. RustDesk Server Pro Licenses are the primary driver. The others are custom Client Generator (Pro) and pro Support.
Who are RustDesk's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are MeshCentral and Apache Guacamole. Broad incumbents are ConnectWise ScreenConnect, Chrome Remote Desktop, Microsoft Remote Desktop and Citrix (Cloud Software Group). Direct peers are Splastop, NoMachine, AnyDesk and TeamViewer.
Does RustDesk have an API?
Yes. RustDesk Server Pro provides configuration and management APIs accessible via the web console. The API Server runs on port 21114 by default and supports REST-based configuration for client deployment, device management, user management, permissions, strategies, and licenses. API tokens are generated from the web console and must have appropriate permissions (e.g., read/write for devices). Configuration strings can be retrieved from the web console or RustDesk client and applied via command line (--config). License verification supports proxy configuration (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5). SMTP API integration for email notifications is also supported, including Microsoft 365 integration. Developer documentation is at rustdesk.com/docs/en/self-host/rustdesk-server-pro/console.