Comparison

ZeroTier One vs RustDesk Remote Desktop

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ZeroTier One

Create secure, peer-to-peer virtual Ethernet networks on your iOS device. Connect to hybrid clouds, remote teams, and IoT devices without hardware. Easily join existing networks via a simple interface.

Highlights
  • Join ZeroTier virtual networks
  • Secure peer-to-peer connections
  • Connect hybrid clouds
  • Connect remote teams
  • Connect IoT devices
  • No hardware required
  • iOS VPN control panel integration
Read full description

ZeroTier One for iOS allows you to join ZeroTier virtual networks as VPN connections on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. ZeroTier creates secure peer-to-peer virtual Ethernet networks that work anywhere. Skip the VPN hassles. Connect hybrid clouds, remote teams, and IoT devices directly with no hardware required. ZeroTier One provides virtual network endpoint functionality for iOS devices. Getting started takes seconds: Just tap '+', enter your network ID and name, and then click ‘join network.’ (Once a network is added you can also join it via the iOS VPN control panel. It will appear there as an available VPN connection.) You can only join one ZeroTier network at once due to an iOS limitation of one VPN connection per network extension app. The app allows you to add multiple networks but if you flip one to 'on' any others currently joined will disconnect. We value your feedback! If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for future improvements, please contact our support team through our website. Thanks for using ZeroTier! Clients for other platforms are available on https://www.zerotier.com/ and source code to ZeroTier's core engine can be found here: https://github.com/zerotier/ZeroTierOne

About

RustDesk Remote Desktop

This open-source application provides remote desktop access and control capabilities. It allows users to remotely manage their computers. Please note it only supports controlling other devices, not being controlled or screen sharing.

Highlights
  • Open-source remote desktop
  • Remote access and control
  • TeamViewer alternative
  • Control other devices
Features
Read full description

An open-source remote desktop application. The open source TeamViewer alternative. Source code: https://github.com/rustdesk/rustdesk Doc: https://rustdesk.com/docs Please be reminded that this app only has the ability to control, and it does not have the functionality of being controlled or screen sharing. WARNING: YOU MAY BE BEING SCAMMED! If you are on the phone with someone you DON'T know AND TRUST who has asked you to install RustDesk, do not install and hang up immediately. They are likely a scammer trying to steal your money or other private information.

Screenshots

ZeroTier One3 screens
RustDesk Remote Desktop4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: RustDesk Remote Desktop at 4.1 against ZeroTier One's 3.9. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RustDesk Remote Desktop holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 189 and 73 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 58% and 59% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and August 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
ZeroTier One versus RustDesk Remote Desktop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZeroTier OneRustDesk Remote Desktop
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (189 ratings)4.1 (73 ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.0% of reviews58.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings189 — better73
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB62 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZeroTier, IncPurslane Limited

Customer experience

ZeroTier One

All ratings182 ratings
Positive70.3%
Neutral7.1%
Negative22.5%
Written reviews157 reviews
Positive58.0%
Neutral12.1%
Negative29.9%

RustDesk Remote Desktop

All ratings73 ratings
Positive75.3%
Neutral8.2%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews94 reviews
Positive58.5%
Neutral14.9%
Negative26.6%

User reviews

ZeroTier One

From 189 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works great
  • 🔒 Reliable and secure
  • 👍 Easy to set up and use
  • 🌐 Allows remote access to devices
  • 💡 Useful for gaming and collaboration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🔋 Battery drain
  • 🤔 Confusing UI
  • 🚫 Doesn't work on certain devices/OS versions

RustDesk Remote Desktop

From 73 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast connection and performance
  • 🌟 Open source and free
  • 💡 Self-hosting capability
  • 👍 Easy to set up and use
  • ⚡️ Low input lag

Room to improve

  • 🔋 Phone heats up
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance on iOS/iPadOS
  • 🚫 Lacks mouse acceleration
  • 📱 Poor compatibility with older iOS versions
  • ⚠️ Some users report data collection (location, identifiers)

Bugs and requests

ZeroTier One

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unable to add networks on iOS devices
  • Frequent disconnections and reconnection issues
  • Managed IP field always empty

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for custom planet and moon servers
  • Implement on-demand VPN functionality
  • Provide better network visibility and management
  • Improve compatibility with newer iOS versions

RustDesk Remote Desktop

Reported bugs

38 issues
  • Recent update broke iPad mouse alignment
  • No image displayed from PC (black screen)
  • Remember Password function doesn't work
  • Black screen when remoting into Raspberry Pi Linux server (Wayland)
  • Keyboard issues when remoting from iPhone to PC
Show 33 more
  • Cannot control Mac
  • iPad app fails to connect or shows key mismatch error
  • App crashes or becomes unresponsive
  • Connection issues over mobile data network
  • Session closes after a short period
  • Key presses duplicated or not registered with external keyboard
  • Settings/Preferences not preserved
  • iOS language icon covers toolbar collapse icon
  • Previous direct IP sessions not saved
  • Enter key does not work in address bar
  • Copy/Paste broken
  • Latest update deleted saved connections
  • App not responding after update
  • Connection Error, Operation not permitted (error 1) on iOS
  • Mouse overflows monitor content, preventing clicks on edges
  • Double-clicking behavior in touch mouse/pad options
  • App launches but window vanishes on old iPads
  • Crash on app startup (v1.2.7, iOS 12.2)
  • Cannot paste remote ID by holding text input
  • iOS client attempting to control Android results in frozen interface
  • Cannot control Windows PC typing from iPhone
  • Version 1.2.7 has issues on iPad (cannot launch)
  • Address book empty on Pro version
  • Arrow keys do not function like a desktop keyboard
  • Phone heats up during use
  • Mouse pointer on desktop and iPad not lined up
  • Flakey behavior with keyboard and trackpad on iPad
  • Scaling displays issues on iPad
  • Key mismatch error with iPad app
  • Virtual machine control issues (keyboard repeats or fails to register)
  • Mobile network connection issues
  • Cannot connect over mobile data network
  • UI icon not centered

Requested features

13 requests
  • Add option to view and modify USB drives in file transfer mode
  • Improve mouse and keyboard control configurability
  • Allow Apple Pencil to function as a mouse
  • Support iPhone remote control of each other
  • Add option to automatically switch display/monitor to follow remote window focus
Show 8 more
  • Sync remote ID list by iCloud
  • Improve Wayland support
  • Add option to change two-finger gesture behavior (scroll vs. move canvas)
  • Center remote screen when zooming
  • Remap controls for mouse actions
  • Integrate arrow keys with device keyboard
  • Support iPhone to Android control
  • Support Windows remote typing from iPhone

In-app purchases

None

ZeroTier One

No in-app purchases

None

RustDesk Remote Desktop

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ZeroTier One free?
ZeroTier One is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RustDesk Remote Desktop free?
RustDesk Remote Desktop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ZeroTier One or RustDesk Remote Desktop?
RustDesk Remote Desktop is rated higher. ZeroTier One averages 3.9 out of 5 from 189 ratings, while RustDesk Remote Desktop averages 4.1 from 73 ratings.
Do ZeroTier One or RustDesk Remote Desktop have ads?
Neither ZeroTier One nor RustDesk Remote Desktop shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZeroTier One or RustDesk Remote Desktop?
ZeroTier One ships an update every 2 months, and RustDesk Remote Desktop every 2 months. Most recently, ZeroTier One was updated on September 19, 2026 and RustDesk Remote Desktop on August 22, 2026.

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