# RustDesk Remote Desktop vs Phoenix Tuner X

The clearest difference is price: RustDesk Remote Desktop at Free against Phoenix Tuner X's $3.99. RustDesk Remote Desktop also leads on ratings volume (102 vs 3). Phoenix Tuner X's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 6 weeks). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

RustDesk Remote Desktop is free to download; Phoenix Tuner X costs $3.99 up front. 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 4.0 for Phoenix Tuner X. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RustDesk Remote Desktop has 102 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of RustDesk Remote Desktop's written reviews are positive against 67% of Phoenix Tuner X's.

RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 6 weeks, Phoenix Tuner X every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RustDesk Remote Desktop | Phoenix Tuner X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [3.9 (102 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustdesk-remote-desktop/id1581225015/reviews) | **[4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoenix-tuner-x/id6502530040/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **102** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 58.8% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 69 MB | 229 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Purslane Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/666983468) | [Cross The Road Electronics](https://appshunter.io/developer/1745756446) |

## What reviewers say

### RustDesk Remote Desktop

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

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.

**Highlights:** Open-source remote desktop, Remote access and control, TeamViewer alternative, Self-hosting capability, Cross-platform support, Low input lag

**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


### Phoenix Tuner X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoenix-tuner-x/id6502530040)

Configure and manage CTR Electronics devices remotely. Adjust device names, IDs, and firmware. Plot and control devices, and activate advanced features.

**Highlights:** Manage device name, IDs, firmware, Configure device settings, Plot and control devices, Activate PRO features

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RustDesk Remote Desktop free?

RustDesk Remote Desktop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Phoenix Tuner X free?

Phoenix Tuner X costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RustDesk Remote Desktop or Phoenix Tuner X?

Phoenix Tuner X is rated higher. RustDesk Remote Desktop averages 3.9 out of 5 from 102 ratings, while Phoenix Tuner X averages 4.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do RustDesk Remote Desktop or Phoenix Tuner X have ads?

Neither RustDesk Remote Desktop nor Phoenix Tuner X shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RustDesk Remote Desktop or Phoenix Tuner X?

RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 6 weeks, and Phoenix Tuner X every 11 days. Most recently, RustDesk Remote Desktop was updated on November 7, 2026 and Phoenix Tuner X on November 4, 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.*