# Smart vs RustDesk Remote Desktop

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RustDesk Remote Desktop at 59% against Smart's 0%. RustDesk Remote Desktop also leads on rating (4.2 vs 2.7) and ratings volume (77 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 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 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RustDesk Remote Desktop has 77 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Smart's written reviews are positive against 59% of RustDesk Remote Desktop's.

Smart ships an update every 6 weeks, RustDesk Remote Desktop every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart | RustDesk Remote Desktop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-locator/id1160196225/reviews) | **[4.2 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustdesk-remote-desktop/id1581225015/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **77** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **59.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 84 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shenzhen Eview GPS Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/565060665) | [Purslane Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/666983468) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-locator/id1160196225)

Manage your devices and track their location history. Set up custom alerts and control device performance. Stay connected with loved ones by making calls directly from the app.

**Highlights:** Device management, Location history tracking, Performance settings, Geo Fences setup, Multi-device management, Direct calling to device holder

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 Smart free?

Smart 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, Smart or RustDesk Remote Desktop?

RustDesk Remote Desktop is rated higher. Smart averages 2.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while RustDesk Remote Desktop averages 4.2 from 77 ratings.

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

Neither Smart nor RustDesk Remote Desktop shows ads.

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

Smart ships an update every 6 weeks, and RustDesk Remote Desktop every 2 months. Most recently, Smart was updated on October 10, 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.*