# RustDesk Remote Desktop vs Total Remote Control

The clearest difference is rating: Total Remote Control at 5.0 against RustDesk Remote Desktop's 4.2. Total Remote Control also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 59%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). RustDesk Remote Desktop's advantage is ratings volume (77 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Total Remote Control holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RustDesk Remote Desktop has 77 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 100% of Total Remote Control's.

RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 months, Total Remote Control every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RustDesk Remote Desktop | Total Remote Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustdesk-remote-desktop/id1581225015/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/total-remote-control/id6745529093/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **77** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 59.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 69 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Purslane Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/666983468) | [David Barral](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812737604) |

## 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


### Total Remote Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/total-remote-control/id6745529093)

Transform your iPad into a wireless control surface and extended display for your Mac. Ideal for professionals, it offers low-latency screen mirroring and precise multitouch remote control over Wi-Fi.

**Highlights:** Wireless control surface, Second display functionality, Low-latency screen mirroring, Multitouch gesture control, Wi-Fi connectivity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 Total Remote Control free?

Total Remote Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RustDesk Remote Desktop or Total Remote Control?

Total Remote Control is rated higher. RustDesk Remote Desktop averages 4.2 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Total Remote Control averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do RustDesk Remote Desktop or Total Remote Control have ads?

Neither RustDesk Remote Desktop nor Total Remote Control shows ads.

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

RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 months, and Total Remote Control every 3 weeks. Most recently, RustDesk Remote Desktop was updated on October 11, 2026 and Total Remote Control on October 5, 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.*