BroadLink vs RustDesk Remote Desktop
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BroadLink
Manage all your smart home devices from one place, anywhere in the world. Control lighting, appliances, security, and more with intelligent automation and one-button scene control. Features zero-configuration setup for compatible devices.
- Remote device management
- Intelligent power control
- Lighting control
- IR and RF remote control
- Security and sensor integration
- Scene creation
- Zero configuration device setup
Read full descriptionHide full description
The new BroadLink super app lets you manage all BroadLink and compatible products in your home from anywhere in the world at any time, enjoying smart life style with intelligent power control, lighting control, IR and RF remote control, security protection, sensors, home appliances, etc. With BroadLink app, you can easily set triggers for interaction or scenes for one-button control of multiple devices. Also new FastCon technology is adopted in BroadLink app which enables you to add FastCon compatible devices without configuration process (Zero Configuration). If you have any questions, please click the "Feedback" Button in the "Help and Feedback" of the App.
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.
- Open-source remote desktop
- Remote access and control
- TeamViewer alternative
- Control other devices
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: BroadLink at 2.6K against RustDesk Remote Desktop's 73. BroadLink also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.1). RustDesk Remote Desktop's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BroadLink holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BroadLink has 2.6K ratings behind it against 73, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 58% and 59% positive.
BroadLink ships an update monthly, RustDesk Remote Desktop every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BroadLink | RustDesk Remote Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (2.6K ratings) — better | 4.1 (73 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 57.9% of reviews | 58.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.6K — better | 73 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 167 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Broadlink Co.,Ltd | Purslane Limited |
Customer experience
BroadLink
RustDesk Remote Desktop
User reviews
BroadLink
From 2.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Works well with Alexa
- 💡 Consolidates multiple remotes
- 🔒 Secure connection
- 👍 Intuitive app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Unreliable device pairing
- 🐛 Buggy app updates
- 🔧 Difficult setup process
- 🔧 Confusing user interface
RustDesk Remote Desktop
From 73 App Store ratingsWhat 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
BroadLink
Reported bugs
4 issues- Scenes not working as expected
- Frequent app crashes
- Devices going offline randomly
- Alexa integration issues
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to customize button layouts
- Integration with more smart home platforms
- Improved scheduling and automation features
- Temperature display in Fahrenheit
- Backup and restore functionality
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 moreShow fewer
- 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 moreShow fewer
- 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
BroadLink
No in-app purchases
RustDesk Remote Desktop
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is BroadLink free?
Is RustDesk Remote Desktop free?
Which has better reviews, BroadLink or RustDesk Remote Desktop?
Do BroadLink or RustDesk Remote Desktop have ads?
Which is updated more often, BroadLink or RustDesk Remote Desktop?
Other comparisons
