# i vs RustDesk Remote Desktop

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.

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 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | i | RustDesk Remote Desktop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/i-smart-viewer/id399765847/reviews) | **[4.2 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustdesk-remote-desktop/id1581225015/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **126** | 77 |
| Positive reviews | 46.3% of reviews | **59.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 6 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GNET SYSTEM CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/399765850) | [Purslane Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/666983468) |

## What reviewers say

### i

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/i-smart-viewer/id399765847)

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.

**Highlights:** Real-time DVR access, Live monitoring, 1/4 screen division, Capture still images

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works well for some users
- 👍 Connects quickly on Wi-Fi/4G (historical)
- 👍 Faster after bug fix (historical)
- 👍 Works on iPhone and iPad (historical)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constantly hangs on connection
- 🐛 Connect failed notice
- 🐛 Settings not saving
- 🐛 Does not work with iOS updates
- 🐛 App freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Connect Failed Notice
- Settings not saving
- Constantly hung on connection screen
- App freezes and timed out when connecting
- App not functioning, stuck on 'connecting'

**Requested features**

- Update app for iOS compatibility
- Add voice feature
- Add audio on the app
- Add more viewing configurations
- Add video recording method


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is i free?

i is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RustDesk Remote Desktop free?

RustDesk Remote Desktop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, i or RustDesk Remote Desktop?

RustDesk Remote Desktop is rated higher. i averages 2.8 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while RustDesk Remote Desktop averages 4.2 from 77 ratings.

### Do i or RustDesk Remote Desktop have ads?

Neither i nor RustDesk Remote Desktop shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, i or RustDesk Remote Desktop?

i ships an update every 6 weeks, and RustDesk Remote Desktop every 2 months. Most recently, i was updated on October 14, 2026 and RustDesk Remote Desktop on October 19, 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.*