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Switch from RustDesk

Switch from RustDesk: all the control, no server to run

RustDesk's answer to control is running your own server, which means you install it, keep it online, patch it and back it up. Its web console, single sign-on and access control are in the paid server edition.

RemoteAccessApp is a hosted service: install it on your Windows PCs, sign in, and connect through any router, from the app or a browser. The free plan covers 5 PCs for personal and work use.

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  • No server to host
  • Free for 5 PCs
  • SSH, SFTP, RDP and VNC built in

Fed up with RustDesk? Here's what changes

  • Self-hosting is a job

    With RustDesk: RustDesk's documentation walks you through running your own server, for example with Docker. Keeping it online, patched and backed up is then up to you.

    With RemoteAccessApp: Nothing to host: the relay, accounts and signed updates are run for you, and PCs connect out through any router.

  • Admin features in a paid server

    With RustDesk: Its web console, single sign-on and access control are part of the paid server edition, per its documentation.

    With RemoteAccessApp: Your dashboard, two-step sign-in and trusted networks are free on remoteaccessapp.com.

  • Another app for your servers

    With RustDesk: Remote desktop alone doesn't cover the Linux servers many people also look after.

    With RemoteAccessApp: SSH tabs, SFTP and FTP file managers, server-to-server copies, RDP and VNC in the same app, free.

More reasons to switch

  • Nothing to host or patch

    The relay, accounts and updates are run for you. Installed apps update themselves, accept only updates signed with RemoteAccessApp's key, and never update while someone is connected.

  • One account for everything

    Your PCs and saved hosts are in your account on every PC you sign in on and on the website, with two-step sign-in and trusted networks free. With Pro, Teams add roles and per-PC permissions, as switching from ScreenConnect explains.

  • Servers in the same app

    SSH terminal tabs, SFTP and FTP file managers, server-to-server copies, and saved RDP and VNC connections next to your PCs. Server-to-server transfers.

  • Consent at the PC

    The PC asks first unless unattended access was turned on there, its banner shows during every session, and unattended access can only be switched on at the PC itself. After a one-time setup there's no code to read out, as switching from Quick Assist shows.

  • AI help, with the same rules

    With Pro, an MCP server lets Claude Code work on your PCs and servers, and the PC's banner names it. MCP Desktop Connection.

  • Linux PCs, locked screens included

    RemoteAccessApp also runs on Linux desktops, X11 and Wayland, and keeps the PC awake during a session. If it's locked, type the Linux user's password in the session to unlock it. Unlock a locked Linux PC.

RustDesk vs RemoteAccessApp

RustDesk and RemoteAccessApp side by side, as of October 2026
Consent prompt and banner at the PCRustDesk Not listedRemoteAccessAppAllow prompt (unless unattended access is on) and a banner during every session
Saved RDP and VNC connectionsRustDesk Not listedRemoteAccessAppYes: saved RDP and VNC connections in tabs, free
Connect from a web browserRustDeskYes, a web clientRemoteAccessAppYes, in the free plan, phones included
Works without port forwardingRustDeskYes, with NAT traversal and a relayRemoteAccessAppYes: PCs connect out, no port forwarding or VPN
SSH terminal and SFTP/FTP file managerRustDesk Not listedRemoteAccessAppYes: terminal tabs, free
AI assistant access (MCP)RustDesk Not listedRemoteAccessAppYes: an MCP server for Claude Code (Pro)

RustDesk facts are from its official website and documentation as of October 2026; products change. RemoteAccessApp facts are for the current version. * Not listed: we didn't find it on RustDesk's official site when we checked, which doesn't mean it can't be done.

Switch from RustDesk if

  • You'd rather not run, secure and update a server.
  • Your PCs run Windows and you want unattended and browser access free for up to 5 of them. Switching from LogMeIn Pro covers the free plan that never expires.
  • You also manage servers and want SSH, SFTP, server-to-server copies, RDP and VNC in one app.
  • You want an Australian company behind the service, with a security white paper to read.
Download freeCreate a free account

Switch from RustDesk in 2 minutes

What carries over, what doesn't and tips for each kind of tool are in the switching guide.

  1. Step 1: Create a free RemoteAccessApp account

    Sign up with your email. No card is needed, and the free plan covers 5 PCs.

  2. Step 2: Install RemoteAccessApp on each PC you want to reach

    Download the installer, choose Set up this PC and sign in, or type the 6-digit setup code from Add a PC on your dashboard. It installs without administrator rights, next to RustDesk.

  3. Step 3: Turn on unattended access on your own PCs

    If nobody will be at a PC when you connect, switch on unattended access at that PC (right-click the RemoteAccessApp icon in the taskbar tray). How to do it safely.

  4. Step 4: Connect from the app or a browser

    Open the RemoteAccessApp Console on your own PC, or sign in at remoteaccessapp.com in any browser, and try each PC while you still have the old tool as a fallback.

  5. Step 5: Retire the server when you're done

    Once every PC works through RemoteAccessApp, remove the clients you no longer use, and shut down the server you hosted for them so it isn't left running.

Questions, answered

RustDesk and other product names on this page are trademarks of their respective owners, used only to identify those products. RemoteAccessApp isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. Facts about other products come from their official websites as of .

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