Comparison

RustDesk Remote Desktop vs Shellbee

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Open-source remote desktop
  • Remote access and control
  • TeamViewer alternative
  • Control other devices
Features
Read 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.

About

Shellbee

Features
Read full description

Your Zigbee network, in your pocket and on your iPad. Shellbee is a native app for Zigbee2MQTT. It connects straight to your bridge and gives you a fast, Apple-native way to watch, control and configure every device, with no cloud in between. REQUIRES A ZIGBEE2MQTT SERVER Shellbee is a client app. You need your own running Zigbee2MQTT instance and an access token. Local and remote setups both work. SEE EVERYTHING AT A GLANCE • A Home screen built from cards you choose and order: Bridge Health, Network, Link Quality, Batteries, Vendors and Activity. • Needs attention shows offline devices, low batteries and weak signal before you go looking. • A live Network Map of your whole mesh, with scan progress, filters and quick look (iPad). • An Activity Center that shows what your devices are doing as it happens. CONTROL AND CONFIGURE • Controls are generated from each device's Zigbee2MQTT exposes: lights, switches, covers, fans, locks, climate and sensors. • Every setting is grouped the same way on every device, using Zigbee2MQTT's own names. • Groups and scenes: browse, edit members, rename, drag devices in. • Favorites, filters and one search across devices, groups and the device library. • Bridge settings for MQTT, serial, network, OTA, logging, availability, Home Assistant and more. PAIR AND UPDATE WITH CONFIDENCE • Permit join and a step-by-step pairing guide with live progress. • Firmware updates with progress in Live Activities on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. • Offline device documentation for how to pair and what each device can do. MORE THAN ONE BRIDGE Connect several bridges at once and see them side by side. Each has its own colour and initial, and single-bridge users see nothing extra. MADE FOR IPHONE AND IPAD • Full iPad workspace with a sidebar, details side by side and extra windows. • Six colour themes: Standard, Honey, Meadow, Harbor, Lavender and Ember. • Real-time WebSocket connection over ws:// or wss://, with Bonjour discovery for .local hosts. • Built in SwiftUI with Live Activities, so it feels fast and native, not like a wrapped web page. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Talks only to the bridge you choose. No ads, no tracking, no analytics and no developer server. • Access tokens are stored in the iOS Keychain. • Crash reporting is optional and off by default. Nothing is sent unless you say so, and reports never include your bridge address, token or device names. OPEN SOURCE Shellbee is licensed under AGPL v3, with the source on GitHub.

Screenshots

RustDesk Remote Desktop4 screens
Shellbee4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shellbee at 5.0 against RustDesk Remote Desktop's 4.2. Shellbee also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). RustDesk Remote Desktop's advantage is ratings volume (77 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shellbee 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 months, Shellbee every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
RustDesk Remote Desktop versus Shellbee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRustDesk Remote DesktopShellbee
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (77 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings77 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPurslane LimitedKenneth Berg

Customer experience

RustDesk Remote Desktop

All ratings77 ratings
Positive77.9%
Neutral6.5%
Negative15.6%
Written reviews96 reviews
Positive59.4%
Neutral14.6%
Negative26.0%

Shellbee

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

Shellbee

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

RustDesk Remote Desktop

No in-app purchases

None

Shellbee

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RustDesk Remote Desktop free?
RustDesk Remote Desktop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shellbee free?
Shellbee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RustDesk Remote Desktop or Shellbee?
Shellbee is rated higher. RustDesk Remote Desktop averages 4.2 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Shellbee averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do RustDesk Remote Desktop or Shellbee have ads?
Neither RustDesk Remote Desktop nor Shellbee shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RustDesk Remote Desktop or Shellbee?
RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 months, and Shellbee every 2 days. Most recently, RustDesk Remote Desktop was updated on October 11, 2026 and Shellbee on October 12, 2026.

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