By Remote desktop editorial team · Last verified [date] · Current release [tag]
When RustDesk fits
Choose RustDesk when you want AGPL-3.0 source, GitHub Windows exe or msi assets, and optional self-host. Install map: home, vs AnyDesk.
When AnyDesk fits
Choose official AnyDesk at anydesk.com when that brand is already required by a partner. Do not invent their prices or plans here.
Shared hygiene
Wake both PCs. Treat IDs like credentials. Skip Softonic wrappers for either name. Related: download safe, is it safe.
More context for Windows installs
Prefer GitHub Releases for rustdesk/rustdesk when you need rustdesk--x86_64.exe or rustdesk--x86_64.msi. ARM64 peers take rustdesk-*-aarch64.exe from the same tag. Public copy says the current release rather than hardcoding dotted versions.
Wake both machines, confirm Your ID, and move the mouse once before you chase self-host, unattended passwords, or file transfer trees. Skip Softonic-style wrappers. Related: download safe, releases, GitHub, home, vs AnyDesk.
Lab images may block unknown executables. Use a PC you control or an approved channel. Sleep and wrong IDs kill more sessions than codec choice. Update through the same GitHub door you used to install.
Tags are bare numbers without a v prefix. Nightly builds exist for testers; everyday installs prefer stable tag assets. Read AGPL-3.0 licence text on the repo before redistributing modified builds. First-hour notes live on /installed. Machine chooser: for this computer.
A successful connect on two machines you trust beats stacking three mirrors. Keep one Start Menu entry. Prefer the Flutter x86_64 exe or msi on the stable tag unless you have a specific reason to take another asset.
Practical remote desktop habits
Confirm the asset name on GitHub Releases before you run an installer. Prefer rustdesk--x86_64.exe or .msi on everyday x64 Windows PCs. Take rustdesk--aarch64.exe when Settings shows an ARM-based processor. Keep one update door so Start Menu shortcuts stay honest after upgrades.
Prefer GitHub Releases for rustdesk/rustdesk when Softonic-style wrappers appear in search results. Licence text is AGPL-3.0 on the repo. Client docs on rustdesk.com cover Network fields and optional Pro API paths in more depth than this usage note.
A waking peer and a correct ID matter more than codec folklore. Plug in power, disable sleep for the test window, and confirm the peer still shows online before you change brands. Lab images that block unknown executables need a PC you control or an approved software channel.
After the first connect works, file transfer, unattended permanent passwords, and self-host ID servers become useful extras. Leave those alone until a simple interactive session moves the mouse. Update notes live under the guides index.
Choosing without a scoreboard
Official AnyDesk marketing can sit first for its own name while this guide keeps GitHub Releases as the Windows install door for RustDesk. Prefer a waking peer, a correct ID, and one update path before you chase latency folklore or seat-count rumors that no honest install page should invent.
When a family PC needs help tonight, install RustDesk on both ends from GitHub, connect with an ID, and confirm the mouse moves. When a workplace already standardizes on AnyDesk, keep using that approved channel rather than fighting policy with an unknown exe. The comparison exists so searchers can see licence, file host, and source shape without pretending either product is a twin of the other.
Skip Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection walkthroughs on these pages. Skip inventing TeamViewer leftovers. Keep the AnyDesk map as the single comparison page, and keep rustdesk-*-x86_64.exe or .msi as the install of record for the GitHub side.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the full comparison?
Read the shape map on the vs AnyDesk page. That page compares AGPL-3.0 RustDesk from GitHub Releases with the commercial product at anydesk.com without inventing prices, seat counts, or latency scores for either side.
Should I run both?
You can keep both bookmarks when partners require different tools. They do not share an installer or an ID space. Prefer GitHub Releases for RustDesk and anydesk.com for official AnyDesk, and keep one update door per program.
Where do Windows files come from?
GitHub Releases for rustdesk/rustdesk hosts the Windows assets this guide maps. Prefer rustdesk-*-x86_64.exe or .msi on the current tag, and take rustdesk-*-aarch64.exe when About shows an ARM-based processor.