# RustDesk Remote Desktop vs NetBuddy MobileShark

The clearest difference is price: RustDesk Remote Desktop at Free against NetBuddy MobileShark's $1.99. RustDesk Remote Desktop also leads on rating (4.1 vs 1.0) and review sentiment (59% vs 25%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

RustDesk Remote Desktop is free to download; NetBuddy MobileShark costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

RustDesk Remote Desktop holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RustDesk Remote Desktop has 73 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of RustDesk Remote Desktop's written reviews are positive against 25% of NetBuddy MobileShark's.

RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 months, NetBuddy MobileShark every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on August 22, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RustDesk Remote Desktop | NetBuddy MobileShark |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.1 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustdesk-remote-desktop/id1581225015/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netbuddy-mobileshark/id6743685293/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **73** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **58.5% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 62 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Purslane Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/666983468) | [Rick Bodnar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1712763175) |

## 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 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


### NetBuddy MobileShark

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netbuddy-mobileshark/id6743685293)

This app transforms your iOS device into a professional network packet analyzer. It allows for deep packet inspection, protocol analysis, and intuitive visualization of network traffic. Ideal for troubleshooting, security investigations, and debugging network-related code.

**Highlights:** Packet capture and analysis, Protocol detection and inspection, Connection tracking, Traffic visualization, Advanced filtering, Export capabilities, Local data processing

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

**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 NetBuddy MobileShark free?

NetBuddy MobileShark costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RustDesk Remote Desktop or NetBuddy MobileShark?

RustDesk Remote Desktop is rated higher. RustDesk Remote Desktop averages 4.1 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while NetBuddy MobileShark averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do RustDesk Remote Desktop or NetBuddy MobileShark have ads?

Neither RustDesk Remote Desktop nor NetBuddy MobileShark shows ads.

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

RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 months, and NetBuddy MobileShark every 3 months. Most recently, RustDesk Remote Desktop was updated on August 22, 2026 and NetBuddy MobileShark on September 10, 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.*