GlassUpdated · by Nathan Tarasiuk, who makes Glass
The best free and open-source remote desktop apps for Mac
Short answer: for controlling your own Mac from an iPad or any browser, Glass (free, open source) is the lowest-friction: nothing to install on the device in your hands, about 20 ms. For Mac and Windows computers, RustDesk is the open-source all-rounder, and Chrome Remote Desktop is the simplest free option. Between two Macs, the built-in Screen Sharing is excellent. For games, Moonlight with Sunshine.
I make Glass, so weigh that. This list says where each of the others is the better choice, and every fact links to its source.
Compared
| Free for | Open source | Mac host | Windows host | Linux host | iPad | Browser client | Account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass | Everyone | Yes (MIT) | macOS 13+ | No | Wayland (beta) | Safari | Yes | None |
| RustDesk | Everyone (paid plans for self-hosted teams) | Yes (AGPL-3.0) | Yes | Yes | Yes; Wayland experimental | App | Limited | Public server: sign-in on the controlling side |
| Chrome Remote Desktop | Everyone | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (X11) | App | Chrome | Google account |
| Moonlight + Sunshine | Everyone | Yes (GPL-3.0) | macOS 14.2+ | Yes | Yes | App | No | None |
| Screen Sharing (built in) | Everyone | No | Yes | No | No | No Apple app | No | Mac user account |
| TeamViewer | Personal use only | No | macOS 14+ | Yes | Yes; Wayland experimental | App | — | — |
| AnyDesk | Personal use, limited features | No | macOS 11+ | Yes | X11 only | App (controlling iPads is paid) | No | Optional |
| Parsec | Personal, non-commercial | No | Yes, with fewer features | Yes | No | Not supported | Chromium, not for Mac hosts | Required |
Checked October 2026 against each project's own pages, linked below.
Glass: best for a Mac (or Linux) from an iPad or browser
Free, MIT licensed, no account. Install on the Mac with one line (curl -fsSL glassdesk.dev | sh), then open its address in Safari on the iPad or in any browser.
Strengths:
- hardware H.264 or HEVC with no buffering: about 15–30 ms on a home network, up to 120 fps
- Apple Pencil pressure and tilt
- the iPad as a second display for the Mac
- audio, microphone, clipboard and files both ways
- one-line quick support that leaves nothing installed
- AI agents that work while you watch
Not for: Windows computers. It reaches a Mac over your Tailscale network or one-time links, and setup takes a few minutes. Features · Docs
RustDesk: best open-source option for Windows too
AGPL-3.0, with apps on every platform, and you can run your own relay server for free. On RustDesk's public server, the person controlling has signed in with Google or GitHub since July 2026. Wayland support is experimental. rustdesk.com · Glass vs RustDesk
Chrome Remote Desktop: simplest free option
Free, from Google, for Mac, Windows and Linux (X11), used from Chrome or the iPad app. It runs over WebRTC through Google's infrastructure, so there's no self-hosting. Touch modes work only with Windows computers. Help page
Moonlight with Sunshine: best for games
Open source (GPL-3.0). Sunshine now hosts on macOS 14.2 and later as well as Windows and Linux, and Moonlight has iPad and Apple TV apps, with up to 4K HDR. It's built for games rather than desktop work. moonlight-stream.org · Sunshine docs
Screen Sharing: best between two Macs
Built into macOS. High Performance mode (Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later on both Macs) gives 60 fps, stereo audio and HDR on a fast network. There's no Apple client for iPad. Apple's guide
TeamViewer and AnyDesk: free for personal use, with limits
Both are free for personal use and well known. TeamViewer blocks or times out connections it suspects are commercial. AnyDesk's free plan is limited, needs X11 on Linux, and charges to control iPads. TeamViewer personal use · AnyDesk pricing
Parsec: free for gaming on Windows
Free for personal, non-commercial use. On a Mac host it lacks 4:4:4 colour, gamepads and the microphone, and it has no iPad client. Glass vs Parsec
Paid options worth knowing
- Jump Desktop: $34.99 for the Mac app and $14.99 for the iPad app, one-time. It's polished, and reaches Windows over Fluid, RDP or VNC. Glass vs Jump Desktop
- Screens 5: $29.99 a year or $199.99 for life, VNC, Apple devices only.
Questions
What is the best free remote desktop for Mac?
It depends on what you control it from. From an iPad or a browser: Glass. From Windows, or to reach Windows too: RustDesk or Chrome Remote Desktop. From another Mac: the built-in Screen Sharing.
Is there an open-source remote desktop for Mac?
Yes: Glass (MIT), RustDesk (AGPL-3.0) and Sunshine with Moonlight (GPL-3.0) all host on macOS.
What's the best free way to control a Mac from an iPad?
Glass runs in Safari on the iPad, so there's no app to buy, and it supports Apple Pencil pressure. Sidecar is free too, but only within 10 metres, and it gives you a second display rather than the Mac's own screen. See how to control a Mac from an iPad.
curl -fsSL glassdesk.dev | shTry Glass: run this on the Mac or Linux computer you want to reach. Free and open source.