# RustDesk Server vs Understudy

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

| | RustDesk Server | Understudy |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 74/100 ✓ | 48/100 |
| Rank in category | #4 of 22 in Remote Desktop | #110 of 209 in AI Agents |
| GitHub stars | 10 630 ✓ | 465 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +174 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | 1.1.16 · 20 Jul 2026 | — |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Rust | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

RustDesk Server scores 74/100 against 48/100 for Understudy, so it is the safer default.

RustDesk Server ships more often: 2 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Understudy.

If you want the quickest setup, RustDesk Server is easier to run; Understudy needs more configuration.

RustDesk Server is growing faster right now (+174 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [RustDesk Server](https://selfhost.directory/project/rustdesk-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rustdesk-server.md)
- [Understudy](https://selfhost.directory/project/understudy) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/understudy.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/rustdesk-server-vs-understudy