RustDesk Remote Desktop vs NetBird P2P VPN
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RustDesk Remote Desktop
This open-source application provides remote desktop access and control. It functions as an alternative to commercial remote access software, allowing users to manage their computers from a distance. Note that it only supports controlling other devices, not screen sharing or being controlled itself.
- Open-source remote desktop
- Remote access and control
- TeamViewer alternative
- Self-hosting capability
- Cross-platform support
- Low input lag
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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.
NetBird P2P VPN
This app establishes a secure, point-to-point network for your devices and teams, eliminating the need for traditional VPN servers. It enables seamless and automatic connections across various environments, including cloud and on-premises infrastructure, for easy access to internal resources.
- Point-to-point networking
- WireGuard-based
- Automatic connections
- Cross-cloud and on-premises support
- Secure access to internal resources
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NetBird replaces traditional centralized VPNs with a WireGuard®-based point-to-point network that automatically connects your servers, containers, and remote teams. It works universally across clouds and on-premises, allowing your team to quickly and securely connect and access internal resources.
Screenshots
Verdict
RustDesk Remote Desktop and NetBird P2P VPN both sit at 3.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 59% of RustDesk Remote Desktop's written reviews are positive against 46% of NetBird P2P VPN's. NetBird P2P VPN's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.9 for RustDesk Remote Desktop against 3.9 for NetBird P2P VPN. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 99 and 56 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of RustDesk Remote Desktop's written reviews are positive against 46% of NetBird P2P VPN's.
RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 6 weeks, NetBird P2P VPN every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | RustDesk Remote Desktop | NetBird P2P VPN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (99 ratings) | 3.9 (56 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 58.8% of reviews — better | 46.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 99 — better | 56 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 79 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Purslane Limited | NetBird GmbH |
Customer experience
RustDesk Remote Desktop
NetBird P2P VPN
User reviews
RustDesk Remote Desktop
From 99 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)
NetBird P2P VPN
From 56 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Works as intended
- 👍 Good app
- 👍 Excellent VPN and Mesh
- 👍 It works :)
- 👍 Promising
Room to improve
- 🐛 Didn’t work
- 🐛 Was working great but doesn’t work at all now
- 🔋 Battery issues
- 🐛 Unreliable
- 🤢 Glass look
Bugs and requests
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
NetBird P2P VPN
Reported bugs
16 issues- Lost connection after opening other applications
- Connects briefly then immediately disconnects
- App says disconnected even when connected (version 0.0.15)
- Disconnects in the background, crashes, hangs
- Disconnects after phone is off for more than 15 minutes
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- Routes sometimes not working when reconnecting
- Runtime version consistently behind other platforms
- Custom DNS servers behind peer relays not resolving
- Lack of logs for WireGuard connection
- Custom DNS resolution sometimes requires disconnect/reconnect
- DNS queries leak through during startup
- Connection goes into a dormant state when phone is locked for ~2 minutes
- Connection does not automatically come back when phone is unlocked
- Agent not updated on iPhone
- Login process not smooth
- Custom DNS server not available and cannot resolve private DNS
Requested features
10 requests- VPN on demand
- Allow turning on and off entire Networks
- Define trusted Wi-Fi for automatic connect/disconnect
- Configuration for connection medium
- iPad app development
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Integration into Shortcuts for on-demand VPN
- Copy IP address option
- Connection on demand
- Auto-disconnect on trusted WiFi
- Trust WLAN auto-disconnect
In-app purchases
RustDesk Remote Desktop
No in-app purchases
NetBird P2P VPN
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is RustDesk Remote Desktop free?
Is NetBird P2P VPN free?
Which has better reviews, RustDesk Remote Desktop or NetBird P2P VPN?
Do RustDesk Remote Desktop or NetBird P2P VPN have ads?
Which is updated more often, RustDesk Remote Desktop or NetBird P2P VPN?
Other comparisons
