Apache KafkavsRustDesk Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Apache Kafka | RustDesk Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Message Broker | #4 of 22 in Remote Desktop |
| GitHub stars | 34 153 | 10 628 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +347 | +179 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 2 |
| Latest release | — | 1.1.16 · 20 Jul 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Java | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
Apache Kafka scores 83/100 against 75/100 for RustDesk Server, so it is the safer default.
RustDesk Server ships more often: 2 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Apache Kafka.
If you want the quickest setup, RustDesk Server is easier to run; Apache Kafka needs more configuration.
Apache Kafka details →RustDesk Server details →