# openvpn vs rustdesk

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

| | openvpn | rustdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 92/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #4 of 56 in VPN | #1 of 22 in Remote Desktop |
| GitHub stars | 14 737 | 127 306 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +137 | +2 935 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 ✓ | 7 |
| Latest release | v2.7.8 · 6 Oct 2026 ✓ | 1.5.0 · 25 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | C | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

rustdesk scores 92/100 against 76/100 for openvpn, so it is the safer default.

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

rustdesk is growing faster right now (+2 935 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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