Remote Mouse vs RustDesk Remote Desktop
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Remote Mouse
Control your computer remotely using your phone or tablet. Mimics mouse, keyboard, and touchpad functions, with specialized panels for media, web browsing, and power options. Seamlessly transfer text and images across devices.
- Simulated mouse and touchpad
- Wireless keyboard input
- Cross-device clipboard
- Media and web remote panels
- Application switcher
- Power options control
- Gyro mouse functionality
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Remote Mouse™ turns your mobile device into a powerful remote control app for your PC or Mac. Use your phone or tablet as a wireless mouse, keyboard, and touchpad — complete with multi-touch gestures and media controls. Whether you're watching movies, controlling a presentation, or browsing the web from your couch, Remote Mouse™ offers an effortless way to control your computer remotely. With over 20 million users and featured by CNET, Mashable, and Product Hunt, Remote Mouse™ offers one of the most elegant solutions to computer control from mobile. What you can do: Mouse • Control the cursor like a real PC mouse • Move using your phone’s gyroscope (Gyro Mouse) • Left-handed mode support Keyboard • Type remotely in any language • Use voice input (if supported by your soft keyboard) • Send system and app shortcuts • Adaptive layouts for Mac or PC • Use your phone as a remote keyboard for your computer Touchpad • Simulates Apple Magic Trackpad • Supports multi-touch gestures • Ideal wireless touchpad app for remote navigation Specialty Panels • Media Remote: Control videos, music, and presentations across apps and sites like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, VLC, Spotify, and more. • Browser Remote: Navigate Chrome, Firefox, and Opera • App Switcher: Launch and switch between apps • Power Options: Shut down, sleep, or restart remotely • Clipboard Sync: Copy and paste text/images across devices Other features • Control volume using physical phone buttons • Secure the connection with a password • Reorder specialty panels • Customize your remote with personal wallpapers Connection & Compatibility • Connect over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth • Connect by IP address, QR code, or connection history • Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux Easy to set up: 1. Download and install Remote Mouse for desktop on your computer: [https://remotemouse.net](https://remotemouse.net) 2. Launch the desktop version (it runs in the background) 3. Connect your mobile device to your computer via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
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.
- Open-source remote desktop
- Remote access and control
- TeamViewer alternative
- Control other devices
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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.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Remote Mouse at 4.6 against RustDesk Remote Desktop's 4.1. Remote Mouse also leads on ratings volume (19K vs 73) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). RustDesk Remote Desktop's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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
Both are free to download. Remote Mouse sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. RustDesk Remote Desktop asks for nothing beyond the download.
Remote Mouse holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Remote Mouse has 19K ratings behind it against 73, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Remote Mouse's written reviews are positive against 59% of RustDesk Remote Desktop's.
Remote Mouse ships an update every 3 weeks, RustDesk Remote Desktop every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Remote Mouse | RustDesk Remote Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (19K ratings) — better | 4.1 (73 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 68.3% of reviews — better | 58.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 19K — better | 73 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 耀 阮 | Purslane Limited |
Customer experience
Remote Mouse
RustDesk Remote Desktop
User reviews
Remote Mouse
From 19K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent app functionality
- 👍 Easy to use and set up
- 🚀 Responsive and precise
- 👍 Useful for presentations and media control
- 👍 Works great as a touchpad replacement
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connection issues and frequent disconnects
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
- 💰 Paywalling basic features
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable after updates
- 🔋 High battery consumption
RustDesk Remote Desktop
From 73 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast connection and performance
- 🌟 Open source and free
- 💡 Self-hosting capability
- 👍 Easy to set up and use
- ⚡️ Low input lag
Room to improve
- 🔋 Phone heats up
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on iOS/iPadOS
- 🚫 Lacks mouse acceleration
- 📱 Poor compatibility with older iOS versions
- ⚠️ Some users report data collection (location, identifiers)
Bugs and requests
Remote Mouse
Reported bugs
5 issues- Keyboard not working in certain apps
- Touchpad not functioning in landscape mode
- App freezing and crashing
- Inability to connect via Bluetooth
- Unexpected charges and subscription issues
Requested features
6 requests- Add dark mode option
- Improve Bluetooth connectivity
- Allow using phone as a mouse for iPad
- Add more customization options
- Improve compatibility with VPNs
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Save last connected PC information
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
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- 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 moreShow fewer
- 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
In-app purchases
Remote Mouse
- Pro Membership (1 Month)7 Days trial$1.491 Month
- Pro Membership (1 Year)7 Days trial$13.991 Year
- Remove Ads$0.99
- Customize Wallpaper$1.99
- Media Remote Panel$1.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Unlock Web Remote$1.99
RustDesk Remote Desktop
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Remote Mouse free?
Is RustDesk Remote Desktop free?
Which has better reviews, Remote Mouse or RustDesk Remote Desktop?
Do Remote Mouse or RustDesk Remote Desktop have ads?
Which is updated more often, Remote Mouse or RustDesk Remote Desktop?
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