head to head · open source
RustDesk vs BleachBit
RustDesk has 123,854 GitHub stars, 19,128 forks, 147 open issues and last shipped yesterday. BleachBit has 6,930 stars, 455 forks, 313 open issues and last shipped yesterday. RustDesk leads on adoption by 1,687% (123,854 vs 6,930 stars). RustDesk is written in Rust under AGPL-3.0; BleachBit is written in Python under GPL-3.0. RustDesk has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, BleachBit 7%. RustDesk was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (linux), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| RustDesk | BleachBit | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 124K | ★ 6.9K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Rust | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 455 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick RustDesk if
- You weight community size — 124K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick BleachBit if
- You want the BleachBit feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and BleachBit fits your workflow better
About RustDesk
RustDesk is an open source remote desktop application written in Rust, designed for self hosting as a privacy focused alternative to proprietary solutions like TeamViewer. It enables remote control of machines across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms using a peer to peer (P2P) architecture by default, with optional relay and rendezvous servers for NAT traversal. The project lives in the remote access and productivity ecosystem, targeting users who require full control over their infrastructure and data.
read the full RustDesk overview →
About BleachBit
BleachBit is a free, GPL 3.0 system cleaner written in Python that deletes files on Windows and Linux to free disk space and protect privacy, made for desktop users and administrators who want a cross platform alternative to commercial cleanup tools.
read the full BleachBit overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is RustDesk or BleachBit more popular?
RustDesk has 123,854 GitHub stars and BleachBit has 6,930. RustDesk has the larger community by that measure.
Are RustDesk and BleachBit free?
Both are open source. RustDesk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and BleachBit under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between RustDesk and BleachBit?
RustDesk is written in Rust and BleachBit in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, RustDesk or BleachBit?
Choose RustDesk if you want the larger community (123,854 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose BleachBit if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.