# EMQX vs rustdesk

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | EMQX | rustdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 92/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #1 of 22 in Remote Desktop |
| GitHub stars | 16 868 | 127 359 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +114 | +2 988 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 ✓ | 7 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 ✓ | 1.5.0 · 25 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Erlang | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

rustdesk scores 92/100 against 78/100 for EMQX, so it is the safer default.

EMQX ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 7 for rustdesk.

If you want the quickest setup, rustdesk is easier to run; EMQX needs more configuration.

rustdesk is growing faster right now (+2 988 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [EMQX](https://selfhost.directory/project/emqx) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/emqx.md)
- [rustdesk](https://selfhost.directory/project/rustdesk) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rustdesk.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/emqx-vs-rustdesk