Forget TeamViewer, RustDesk is the open-source alternative you've been looking for
Are you frustrated trying to use TeamViewer in a non-professional capacity? As its personal-use restrictions lock more and more people out, it’s easy to think that the Holy Grail of a single platform covering all your personal remote desktop and remote support needs is slipping from your grasp.
Thankfully, there’s an alternative riding into town. It’s still undergoing rapid development, but the good news is that RustDesk 1.3.0 is already living up to its self-titled billing as "the open-source alternative to TeamViewer".
The good news is that RustDesk is already living up to its billing. It allows you to view and optionally control remote devices from another device using just one app, with most of the features you previously enjoyed from TeamViewer -- before being accused of using it for non-personal purposes. Better still the client app works across all major platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, although the iPhone/iPad client can only be used to control other devices.
It's reasonably simple to use: enter the ID of the device you wish to connect to and then either wait for your partner to let you in (they can fine-tune your level of access from basic screen sharing to full-blown control) or enter the password required. This can be a one-time password for remote support purposes, or a permanent password for accessing unattended devices remotely.
Once logged in, it’s as if you’re set at the device in question -- you can resize the screen to fit, send text messages to your partner and even transfer files between devices. Basically, if you can do it in TeamViewer, you can do it in RustDesk too.
It’s not all plain sailing -- the relatively bare server infrastructure means that relying on RustDesk’s own servers can result in sluggish connections; however, experienced users can install their own self-hosted server to facilitate connections (with the added benefit of offering extra security and privacy).
You can download RustDesk now on all your devices, including Windows (including 32-bit), Linux, macOS, Android and iOS. The app is completely free to use, although there’s also a paid-for tier for those who need more features from their self-hosted setup, including web-based clients and dashboards along with the ability to use relay servers. Prices start from $10 a month.