Private and open-source alternatives to AnyDesk
5 remote desktop rated against the same public privacy criteria as AnyDesk, with our picks first.
Why look for an alternative?
- Open source: no. Closed source.
- No trackers or telemetry: no. The website uses Google Analytics, Mixpanel, HubSpot, Meta Pixel and LinkedIn tracking, and the client sends usage and device data.
- No ads or data sales: partial. Funded by paid licenses with no ads in the software; the privacy policy states personal data is not sold for money, though website cookie data is shared with ad partners.
- Independent audit: no. No independent audit is published.
The alternatives
Apache Guacamole Grade B
Clientless remote desktop gateway that runs on a server and gives browser-based access to machines over VNC, RDP, SSH and Telnet using HTML5, with no plugin or client software needed.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Apache Guacamole scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the remote desktop criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
MeshCentral Grade B
Self-hosted web server for remote device management, offering remote desktop, terminal and file access to Windows, Linux, macOS and FreeBSD machines through an installed agent.
MeshCentral scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the remote desktop criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Remmina Grade B
Remote desktop client for Linux and other Unix-like systems that supports RDP, VNC, SPICE, SSH and other protocols through plugins, with a tabbed GTK interface.
Remmina scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the remote desktop criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
TigerVNC Grade B
VNC server and viewer implementation focused on performance, with TLS encryption and extensions for advanced authentication, used for remote access to graphical desktops.
TigerVNC scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the remote desktop criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
RustDesk Grade D
Open-source remote desktop software that works with RustDesk's public relay servers or a self-hosted server, with a paid Pro server edition for teams.
Based in Singapore. RustDesk scores 50 out of 100 (grade D) on the remote desktop criteria. It meets 2 of 4 criteria: open source and no ads or data sales.