i vs RustDesk Remote Desktop
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
i
View your DVR system in real-time directly from your iPhone or iPod. Monitor live feeds with options for single or quad screen display, and capture still images directly to your device.
- Real-time DVR access
- Live monitoring
- 1/4 screen division
- Capture still images
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i-Smart Viewer is free iPhone & iPod application to realtime view of DVR system Features of SMART DVR Viewer -Access to DVR -live monitoring : 1 / 4 Screen division -Capture the still image in the iPhone
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: RustDesk Remote Desktop at 4.2 against i's 2.8. RustDesk Remote Desktop also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 46%). i's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
RustDesk Remote Desktop holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 126 and 77 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of i's written reviews are positive against 59% of RustDesk Remote Desktop's.
i ships an update every 6 weeks, RustDesk Remote Desktop every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | i | RustDesk Remote Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (126 ratings) | 4.2 (77 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.3% of reviews | 59.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 126 — better | 77 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GNET SYSTEM CO., LTD. | Purslane Limited |
Customer experience
i
RustDesk Remote Desktop
User reviews
i
From 126 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Works well for some users
- 👍 Connects quickly on Wi-Fi/4G (historical)
- 👍 Faster after bug fix (historical)
- 👍 Works on iPhone and iPad (historical)
Room to improve
- 🐛 Constantly hangs on connection
- 🐛 Connect failed notice
- 🐛 Settings not saving
- 🐛 Does not work with iOS updates
- 🐛 App freezes
RustDesk Remote Desktop
From 77 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
i
Reported bugs
45 issues- Connect Failed Notice
- Settings not saving
- Constantly hung on connection screen
- App freezes and timed out when connecting
- App not functioning, stuck on 'connecting'
Show 40 moreShow fewer
- App completely stopped working after iOS 11
- New version hangs on connecting
- App won't connect using same settings as TelecopTest
- App freezes and is timed out when connecting
- App stuck on 'connecting' for over 3 weeks
- App does not support iOS 11 update
- App needs to be updated to work on iOS 11
- App not compatible with new iOS
- App needs to be updated by the developer to work on this version of iOS
- App not working with the new iPhone upgrade
- App needs updating to work with the new IOS
- App will not work with I0 8 still
- App freezes
- App doesn't work after updating iPhone
- App buttons along the bottom do not respond to touch
- App is useless after updating
- App does this every time iOS is upgraded
- App doesn't work in iOS 9.3
- Update made the app totally stop working
- Cannot use search function
- App no longer works with iPhone 6
- Connection fails every time trying to connect
- App not compatible with iPhone 6
- Search times with this app on iPhone 6 and/or IOS 8 bug
- Time search box only appears partially
- Cannot view until hitting back button, then takes back to home screen
- App replaced old bug with a new one
- App won't connect
- No connections between cameras and app
- App does not connect after updating phone to iOS 10.2
- App not working with iOS 11
- App execution does not even start
- Last update was 2 years ago
- Cannot view with new version on iPhone 6
- App is not supported
- Sometimes doesn't connect with new iPhone iOS software
- Force quits
- Very very slow
- App doesn't work with Tibetsystem Co. security system
- App does not work under orange contract
Requested features
8 requests- Update app for iOS compatibility
- Add voice feature
- Add audio on the app
- Add more viewing configurations
- Add video recording method
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Allow altering APN settings manually
- Improve search functionality
- Make app work on iPad without zooming
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 moreShow fewer
- 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
i
No in-app purchases
RustDesk Remote Desktop
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is i free?
Is RustDesk Remote Desktop free?
Which has better reviews, i or RustDesk Remote Desktop?
Do i or RustDesk Remote Desktop have ads?
Which is updated more often, i or RustDesk Remote Desktop?
Other comparisons
