# RustDesk Remote Desktop vs Couchside

The clearest difference is rating: Couchside at 5.0 against RustDesk Remote Desktop's 4.1. 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 (73 vs 7). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Couchside sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RustDesk Remote Desktop asks for nothing beyond the download.

Couchside holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RustDesk Remote Desktop has 73 ratings behind it against 7, 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.

RustDesk Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 months, Couchside every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on August 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RustDesk Remote Desktop | Couchside |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustdesk-remote-desktop/id1581225015/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couchside-remote/id6786884115/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **73** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 58.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 62 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Purslane Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/666983468) | [Taylor Emery](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896613747) |

## 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


### Couchside

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couchside-remote/id6786884115)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Couchside Forever Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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 4.1 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while Couchside averages 5.0 from 7 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 August 22, 2026 and Couchside on September 23, 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.*