# ActionPad vs RustDesk Remote Desktop

The clearest difference is price: RustDesk Remote Desktop at Free against ActionPad's $3.99. RustDesk Remote Desktop also leads on rating (4.2 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

RustDesk Remote Desktop is free to download; ActionPad costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

RustDesk Remote Desktop holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 30 and 77 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of ActionPad's written reviews are positive against 59% of RustDesk Remote Desktop's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ActionPad ships an update every 3 months, RustDesk Remote Desktop every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ActionPad | RustDesk Remote Desktop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/actionpad-macpc-pro-controls/id1142860715/reviews) | **[4.2 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustdesk-remote-desktop/id1581225015/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 30 | **77** |
| Positive reviews | **63.4% of reviews** | 59.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 29 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Arpasi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1646326351) | [Purslane Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/666983468) |

## What reviewers say

### ActionPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/actionpad-macpc-pro-controls/id1142860715)

Create custom control panels to remotely operate your computer applications. Simulate keyboard and mouse input, launch programs, open files, and control media. Share and download user-created panels for enhanced productivity and gaming.

**Highlights:** Customizable control panels, Simulate keyboard and mouse input, Launch applications and files, Open websites, Media and volume control, Create macros, Community Panels Hub

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### RustDesk Remote Desktop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustdesk-remote-desktop/id1581225015)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ActionPad free?

ActionPad costs $3.99, 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, ActionPad or RustDesk Remote Desktop?

RustDesk Remote Desktop is rated higher. ActionPad averages 4.0 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while RustDesk Remote Desktop averages 4.2 from 77 ratings.

### Do ActionPad or RustDesk Remote Desktop have ads?

Neither ActionPad nor RustDesk Remote Desktop shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ActionPad or RustDesk Remote Desktop?

ActionPad ships an update every 3 months, and RustDesk Remote Desktop every 2 months. Most recently, ActionPad was updated on October 8, 2026 and RustDesk Remote Desktop on October 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*