A hosted RustDesk alternative
RustDesk is open source and built around running your own server. GaiaDesk is hosted for you: install the app, sign in and connect from a browser tab.
- Servers to run
- None. Signalling and the encrypted relay are hosted
- Connect from
- Any modern browser, a phone, or the desktop app
- Host on
- macOS, Windows and Linux
- Encryption
- End to end, peer to peer; the relay cannot read your traffic
GaiaDesk vs RustDesk.
RustDesk details are from rustdesk.com and its pricing page, checked November 2026.
| Feature | GaiaDesk | RustDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Hosted service | Open-source app; you run your own server (a public server also exists) |
| Source code | Closed source | Open source (AGPL-3.0) |
| Paid plans | Pro and Team per seat, billed monthly | Server Pro licences for self-hosting, billed annually only |
| Controller | A browser tab, the desktop app or a phone browser | The RustDesk app; a web client you host on your own server |
| Hosts | macOS, Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| Updates and uptime | Ours to run | Yours to run |
| Command line and MCP server for AI agents | Yes | See RustDesk's documentation |
| Run fully on your own infrastructure | Enterprise self-host option | Yes |
RustDesk is a trademark of its owners. GaiaDesk is not affiliated with it. If anything here is out of date, write to support@gaiadesk.net.
Which one fits.
RustDesk is the better pick if
- You must run everything on your own servers, and you have someone to maintain them.
- You need the source code, or an open-source licence is a requirement.
- You are happy to pay for a server licence yearly.
GaiaDesk is the better pick if
- You want nothing to install, patch or monitor on a server.
- You want to connect from any browser with nothing installed on that side.
- You want month-to-month billing and unattended access on the free plan.
- You want hardware HEVC video in the desktop app, sessions on a LAN with no internet, and a terminal without a desktop session.
Switching from RustDesk.
Read next: Getting started · Connecting · Session security · Terminal over the mesh
Install the host on each computer you reach
Download GaiaDesk for macOS, Windows or Linux and sign in. It runs beside RustDesk, so you can switch one machine at a time.
Set an unattended password on your own machines
Settings → Unattended access. With it you connect with no prompt, after a reboot and with the app closed (turn on the background service).
Connect from a browser tab
Open gaiadesk.net/app on any computer or phone, enter the 9-digit address and the code or password. Nothing to install on that side.
Bring the team over
On Team, invite people, set roles and share the address book. Once everyone is connecting through GaiaDesk, uninstall RustDesk.
RustDesk alternative questions.
- Can I self-host GaiaDesk like RustDesk?
- Self-hosting is an Enterprise option, priced with you. On every other plan GaiaDesk is hosted for you. If self-hosting open-source software is a hard requirement, RustDesk is built for that.
- Is GaiaDesk open source?
- No. GaiaDesk is closed source. It is built only on permissively licensed open-source components.
- Can GaiaDesk's servers see my sessions?
- No. Sessions are encrypted end to end between the two computers. Our server introduces them, and when a relay is needed it carries traffic it cannot decrypt. See session security.
- What does GaiaDesk cost?
- Free for personal use (with unattended access, 5 saved devices, one session at a time). Pro $12 and Team $28 per seat per month, billed monthly. See pricing.
- Does GaiaDesk work with no internet?
- On the same local network, yes: computers find each other and connect even with our server unreachable.