Run your own RustDesk ID and relay server from a pre-configured Ubuntu Server image. A free, open-source alternative to TeamViewer and AnyDesk, where remote desktop sessions are brokered by a server in your own cloud account.
RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop application for remote access and remote support. It works like TeamViewer or AnyDesk: install the client, share a device ID and one-time password, and take control of the other screen. The difference is the server. RustDesk lets you host the ID and relay servers yourself, so your team does not depend on a third party's infrastructure or pay per technician.
Low-latency screen, keyboard and mouse control of Windows, macOS and Linux machines.
Move files between the two machines inside the session, no separate FTP tool.
Clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, all pointing at the same server.
Sessions are encrypted, and the server key stops clients connecting to an impostor.
Written in Rust under the AGPL licence, with the source code public and auditable.
The client and the open-source server are free, with no per-technician licence.
Setting up a RustDesk server by hand means installing Docker, running hbbs and hbbr, managing keys and opening the right ports. The marketplace image does that for you.
Subscribe on AWS Marketplace or Google Cloud Marketplace, pick a region and machine size, and deploy. The stack is ready in about 5-10 minutes.
Make sure the server keeps the same public IP (on Google Cloud, reserve the external address) so saved clients keep working.
Install RustDesk, open Settings → Network → ID/Relay server and enter your server address. On Google Cloud, also paste the public key from /opt/rustdesk/data/id_ed25519.pub.
Type the other device's ID, click Connect and enter the one-time password shown on that device. No RustDesk account is needed.
An Ubuntu Server AMI on AWS Marketplace, launched into your own AWS account with a CloudFormation stack.
Launch on AWS 
The same server as a Google Cloud Marketplace image, deployed into your own GCP project.
Launch on Google Cloud Allow these ports in your AWS security group or GCP firewall. If a client cannot connect, a closed port is the usual cause.
| Service | Ports | Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| hbbs (ID / rendezvous) | 21115, 21116, 21118 | TCP |
| hbbs (ID / rendezvous) | 21116 | UDP |
| hbbr (relay) | 21117, 21119 | TCP |
| SSH (administration) | 22 | TCP |
Server size: t3a.micro on AWS or e2-small (2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM) on Google Cloud is enough for a small team. Choose a larger machine as concurrent sessions grow.
| RustDesk | TeamViewer | AnyDesk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted server | Yes, free | No, cloud only | Enterprise tier only |
| Commercial use | Free (open source) | From $50.90/month | From about $17.52/month |
| Source code | Open (AGPL) | Closed | Closed |
| Where sessions are brokered | Your server | TeamViewer's servers | AnyDesk's servers, unless On-Premises |
Prices are published list prices for a single licensed user. Read the full RustDesk vs TeamViewer vs AnyDesk comparison →
RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop application written in Rust. It lets you control another computer, transfer files and give remote support, much like TeamViewer or AnyDesk, but you can run the server that connects the devices yourself.
It replaces the public RustDesk servers. The ID server (hbbs) registers each device and brokers connections, and the relay server (hbbr) carries the session when two devices cannot reach each other directly. With your own server, connection data stays on infrastructure you control.
Yes. The RustDesk client and the open-source server are free under the AGPL licence, including for business use. RustDesk Server Pro is an optional paid product that adds centralised management, an address book, LDAP and SSO. On AWS or Google Cloud you pay for the server itself, plus any Meetrix software fee shown on the marketplace listing.
A small VM is enough for a small team: we recommend t3a.micro on AWS and e2-small (2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM) with a 20 GB disk on Google Cloud. Move to a larger machine type as the number of concurrent sessions grows.
The ID server (hbbs) uses TCP 21115, 21116 and 21118 and UDP 21116. The relay server (hbbr) uses TCP 21117 and 21119. Open TCP 22 as well if you want to SSH into the server.
No. Each device gets an ID and a one-time password, and you connect with those. Accounts and shared address books are features of RustDesk Server Pro, not the open-source server.
In the RustDesk client, open Settings → Network → ID/Relay server and enter your server IP. On Google Cloud, also enter it as the relay server and paste the server public key from /opt/rustdesk/data/id_ed25519.pub. Repeat this on every device that should use your server.
For teams that want to own their remote access, yes. TeamViewer has no self-hosted option, and AnyDesk offers one only in its Enterprise tier. RustDesk gives you a free self-hosted server and open source code. Our RustDesk vs TeamViewer vs AnyDesk comparison covers pricing and features in detail.
Current pricing, and the self-hosting question most reviews get wrong - RustDesk isn't the only one that can, but it's the only one that's free.
A secure, self-hostable remote desktop built for enterprise use, and how it compares to TeamViewer and AnyDesk.
Deploy RustDesk on Google Cloud in minutes with Meetrix's pre-configured Ubuntu Server image - no TeamViewer fees.
We build and run self-hosted infrastructure for teams every day, from scaling to integrating RustDesk with your network. Tell us what you need.
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