Best Open-Source Remote Desktop Software in 2026

The ranking

1. 1
   

   RustDesk

   An open-source remote desktop app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, with self-hosted servers for full control of connection data. It is free under AGPL-3.0, but you run and secure the server yourself.

   Best for Self-hosted remote access with open-source software

   WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidSelf-hosted·Free and open source·Open source

   87.0of 100

   Visit Alternatives
2. 2
   

   Apache Guacamole

   A free, open-source gateway that gives browser-based access to desktops through an HTML5 client, under Apache-2.0. You install and maintain the server yourself, so setup is more involved than hosted apps.

   Best for Browser access to desktops on a server you run

   WebSelf-hosted·Free and open source·Open source

   79.5of 100

   Visit Alternatives
3. 3
   

   Remmina

   A free GPL-2.0-or-later remote desktop client for Linux with RDP, VNC, SSH and SPICE in one app. It is a client only, so the computer you connect to needs a server, and it runs on Linux only.

   Best for Linux users who connect to Windows and Linux machines

   Linux·Free and open source·Open source

   78.0of 100

   Visit Alternatives
4. 4
   

   TightVNC

   Free, GPL-licensed VNC remote desktop software with server builds for Windows, Linux and macOS, and a Windows release from October 2026. It is self-run, so you handle network and firewall setup, and it overlaps with TigerVNC.

   Best for Admins who run their own VNC servers

   WindowsLinuxmacOS·Free and open source·Open source

   76.0of 100

   Visit Alternatives
5. 5
   T

   TigerVNC

   A free, open-source VNC server and viewer under GPL-2.0, packaged by major Linux distributions and available for Windows and macOS. It is software rather than a hosted service, so you set up network access yourself.

   Best for Open-source VNC access managed by administrators

   LinuxWindowsmacOS·Free and open source·Open source

   74.0of 100

   Visit Alternatives