Replace / TeamViewer
Best free TeamViewer alternatives (open source, self-hosted) 2026
The best open-source alternative to TeamViewer is RustDesk, self-hosted on Railway. Remote desktop you can host. RustDesk is AGPL-3.0 — TeamViewer and AnyDesk without the seat.
Estimated save $1,200 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How TeamViewer compares
| TeamViewer | RustDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Hosted subscription | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Public list price not verified this run | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
- RustDesk
AGPL-3.0 remote desktop client with optional self-hosted server
FAQ
- What is the best free open-source TeamViewer alternative?
- The best open-source alternative to TeamViewer is RustDesk, self-hosted on Railway. Remote desktop you can host. RustDesk is AGPL-3.0 — TeamViewer and AnyDesk without the seat.
- Is it free?
- The RustDesk licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no TeamViewer seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from TeamViewer?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The RustDesk stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old TeamViewer links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the RustDesk stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). Placeholder: RustDesk server (hbbs + hbbr) if you self-host the ID/relay; clients stay on the machines you control. A public domain and UDP/TCP as the project docs require. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway. Mesh VPN stays on /stacks/headscale-vpn.
- What does this replace?
- TeamViewer / AnyDesk. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $1,200 a year.
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