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RustDesk: Sell Private Remote Support for Small Businesses
Give a small business its own private remote-desktop system — set up once, then managed by you for a monthly fee.
Every small office has the moment where somebody needs to “just get on my computer” — the owner fixing the back-office PC from home, a bookkeeper, a relative with a TeamViewer account. Those sessions run on consumer accounts, through a stranger’s servers. RustDesk lets you hand a business its own private version — and charge for setting it up and looking after it.
What RustDesk is
RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop app, a free alternative to TeamViewer. With 126k GitHub stars it is the most-starred open-source remote desktop on GitHub; app and server are both AGPL-3.0 licensed.
- Works out of the box: install it, share the ID and code, and you are connected.
- Your own server: the ID and relay server is open source too, so sessions run entirely through a server you control.
- Every platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS, plus a web client.
- Built for support: file transfer, clipboard, and unattended access with a permanent password.
- Free or Pro: the open-source server is $0; Server Pro adds a web console and address book from $11.88 a month, billed annually.
The service: private remote support, set up for them
You deploy the client’s own RustDesk server on a small cloud server, point every office computer at it, and set unattended access on the machines they are responsible for. Their remote help never touches the public relay, and you can look after the system in minutes a month.
Why not just install the free app? Because they are paying for the sessions running through their server, the right machines enrolled, strong passwords, and somebody who answers when it breaks.
Who buys it: small offices with no IT staff — retailers with a back-office PC, accountants, realtors, repair shops, and any owner who is currently their own IT department.
Pricing and costs
A sensible package: $299 one-time setup (server, enrollment, testing) plus $79 a month to manage up to ten computers. Those are this guide’s suggested prices, not RustDesk’s — the software itself is free.
| Clients | Monthly recurring | Your hours a month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $79 | ~1 |
| 10 | $790 | ~10 |
Your costs: a small cloud server per client (typically under $10 a month), plus Server Pro at $11.88 a month billed annually for clients who want the web console. The free server covers everything else.
How to find clients
- Ask any owner: “Who gets on your computers when something breaks?” The answer reveals the consumer tools they rely on today.
- Offer a free remote-access check: list which remote tools are installed and whose servers the sessions pass through.
- Demo it live: connect to their spare PC through a private server you stood up that morning.
Getting started
- Deploy the open-source RustDesk server with Docker on a small cloud server.
- Install the client on two of your own machines, set permanent passwords, and test unattended access.
- Set up one friendly business at a discount and turn it into your reference install.
Watch-outs
- Written permission, always: only enroll machines you have explicit consent to access — RustDesk’s developers warn against unauthorized use.
- Use strong permanent passwords, turn on two-factor authentication where offered, and review the device list with the owner regularly.
- The free server is AGPL: modifying it and running it for others carries source-sharing obligations — read the license first.
- Do not promise Pro features like the web console and central address book on the free plan; those are the paid tier.
Sources
- RustDesk on GitHub (126k stars, AGPL-3.0), checked October 20, 2026
- RustDesk Server on GitHub, checked October 20, 2026
- RustDesk self-hosting pricing, checked October 20, 2026