# openpencil vs rustdesk

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

| | openpencil | rustdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 92/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 7 in Design | #1 of 22 in Remote Desktop |
| GitHub stars | 9 424 | 127 449 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +823 | +2 977 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 ✓ | 7 |
| Latest release | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 ✓ | 1.5.0 · 25 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

rustdesk scores 92/100 against 73/100 for openpencil, so it is the safer default.

openpencil ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 7 for rustdesk.

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

rustdesk is growing faster right now (+2 977 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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