Comparison

RustDesk Remote Desktop vs Couchside

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

Couchside

Transform your iPhone into a remote console, game launcher, and controller for your Linux gaming PC. Monitor system health, fix issues without a keyboard, and launch games directly from your couch.

Highlights
  • Live system monitoring dashboard
  • One-tap runbook actions for troubleshooting
  • Browse system logs remotely
  • Launch Steam games and custom applications
  • Virtual Xbox 360 game controller
  • Trackpad and swipe control modes
  • Easy QR code pairing
Features
Read full description

Couchside turns your iPhone into a dashboard, remote, game launcher and controller for your living-room Linux gaming PC: SteamOS, Bazzite, a docked Steam Deck, or another supported systemd Linux box. WHAT TO PLAY NEXT Find your next game with suggestions from your box’s game history. See what is running, choose another suggestion, and launch after confirming. The Play tab keeps recent content ready as you move between tabs. Optional demo mode lets you explore sample games away from your box. YOUR STEAM COMPANION Connect Steam on your box for profile and library stats, playtime trends, achievement progress, wishlist discounts and price-drop alerts. Add an optional IsThereAnyDeal integration for historical-low price comparisons. These opt-in features contact Steam and IsThereAnyDeal. Background wishlist notifications are best-effort and need your phone to reach the box. LIVE CONSOLE Check CPU temperature, load, memory, storage, uptime and service health. Supported handhelds also show battery and power information. See what is playing and manage multiple boxes from unified cards with live vitals and connection controls. When the TV is black, inspect the box from your phone. FIX IT FROM THE COUCH Read recent service logs, restart the display session, switch between Desktop and Game Mode, or reboot and shut down with confirmation. Available actions depend on your box’s capabilities and permissions. GAMES, STREAMING AND CONTROLS Browse installed games with cover art, search and filters. Launch a game on the TV or start Steam Remote Play from another PC. Use a virtual gamepad, swipe navigation, trackpad with two-finger gestures, or keyboard input. Landscape controls give you more room when you need it. TV AND LIGHTING Control power, volume and input on supported TVs, including compatible LG and Google TV models. Compatible HDMI-CEC hardware lets the box control the TV. On supported lighting hardware, adjust strip effects, reactive meters and artwork-inspired Game Aura presets. Create custom sequences with frame-by-frame timing and true on/off strobe effects. EASY PAIRING A welcome guide introduces Couchside and optional integrations. Install the free Couchside service on your box, then scan its QR code or enter its pairing PIN. Refined animations can be turned off in Preferences and respect Reduce Motion. Your phone and box must be on the same local network. WAKE FROM THE COUCH Wake supported Ethernet-connected boxes with progress and reconnection confirmation. On iPhone, waking may require another awake Couchside box on the same network to relay the request. Hardware, firmware and network settings must support Wake-on-LAN. PRIVATE LOCAL CONTROL Remote-control traffic stays on your local network, with no cloud relay or Couchside account. Pairing supports an encrypted, pinned connection. Optional online features, store purchases and update checks contact their respective services. No analytics. The Linux service is open source and the app is source-available. TRY FREE FOR 7 DAYS, PAY ONCE Download free and try the full app for 7 days. A one-time purchase unlocks continued use; there is no subscription. Existing unlocks carry forward. REQUIREMENTS • A supported Linux gaming box on your home network • The free Couchside service installed on that box • Your iPhone and box on the same LAN • Optional integrations and hardware for Steam account features, TV control and lighting

Screenshots

RustDesk Remote Desktop4 screens
Couchside4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Couchside at 5.0 against RustDesk Remote Desktop's 4.2. Couchside also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 59%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). RustDesk Remote Desktop's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (79 vs 10). On price, ads, monetization model 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. Couchside sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RustDesk Remote Desktop asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Couchside 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 79 ratings behind it against 10, 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 Couchside's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 months, Couchside every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
RustDesk Remote Desktop versus Couchside: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRustDesk Remote DesktopCouchside
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (79 ratings)5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings79 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPurslane LimitedTaylor Emery

Customer experience

RustDesk Remote Desktop

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

Couchside

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
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

Couchside

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

RustDesk Remote Desktop

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Couchside

One-time1
  • Couchside Forever Unlock$7.99

Questions

Is RustDesk Remote Desktop free?
RustDesk Remote Desktop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Couchside free?
Couchside is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RustDesk Remote Desktop or Couchside?
Couchside is rated higher. RustDesk Remote Desktop averages 4.2 out of 5 from 79 ratings, while Couchside averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.
Do RustDesk Remote Desktop or Couchside have ads?
Neither RustDesk Remote Desktop nor Couchside shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RustDesk Remote Desktop or Couchside?
RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 months, and Couchside every 2 days. Most recently, RustDesk Remote Desktop was updated on October 30, 2026 and Couchside on October 28, 2026.

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