“Your own relay server” sounds much the same in every brochure. In practice, it can mean three very different things: a separate enterprise product with custom pricing, an open‑source project you maintain yourself, or a feature you enable in the admin panel of a standard plan. In this article, we compare how self‑hosted relays work in eight popular remote desktop tools and where Remotly fits in.
The short version: if you want session traffic to stay within your own network, your options today are RustDesk (free, but you handle maintenance), enterprise solutions costing tens of dollars per user or requiring a custom quote (AnyDesk On‑Premises, Splashtop On‑Prem, HP Anyware and NoMachine Enterprise), or Remotly, which includes a self‑hosted relay in business plans starting at USD 8 per user, running on Windows, Linux or a Raspberry Pi.
What a self‑hosted relay server really means
Every remote desktop tool needs two things from a server: help establishing a connection (rendezvous and NAT traversal), and traffic forwarding (relay) when a direct connection cannot be established. In the standard model, the vendor’s cloud handles both. “Your own relay” means that at least traffic forwarding, and often rendezvous and the device registry as well, takes place on a server you control.
There are three approaches on the market:
No self‑hosted relay. Traffic always passes through the vendor’s infrastructure. This is how Parsec, Chrome Remote Desktop and standard TeamViewer plans work. At most, you can choose a server region.
Relay as an enterprise product. The vendor offers a separate on‑premises version with its own pricing, deployment process and minimum licence count. AnyDesk, Splashtop, NoMachine and HP Anyware take this approach. It works well, but the entry point is usually hundreds of users or a conversation with sales.
Relay as a plan feature. You download and run the relay server yourself, then configure your organisation to use it in the admin panel. The rest of the product — the application, admin panel and licences — stays the same. This is how Remotly works, and RustDesk takes a similar approach in its open‑source version.
The difference between the second and third approaches is more than price. It is also time: in the enterprise model, server deployment is a project involving documentation and support. When relay is a plan feature, it takes half an hour with the instructions on the website. For a large corporation, a deployment project can be an advantage. For an IT support business with five technicians, it can be an insurmountable obstacle.
A product‑by‑product comparison
RustDesk. An open‑source solution with rendezvous (hbbs) and relay (hbbr) servers that you run on any Linux system or in Docker. Here, self‑hosting is the recommended way to use the product rather than just an option. Licence cost: zero (the Pro version, with a web console and permission management, is paid). The hidden cost: maintenance, updates, and the lack of formal support or a contract you can rely on during an audit. For companies subject to NIS2 requirements, this is often a supply chain issue rather than a technical one.
AnyDesk. The standard Solo, Standard and Advanced plans use AnyDesk’s global server network. The On‑Premises version puts the entire stack — rendezvous, relay and registry — in your network, but it is a separate enterprise offering with custom pricing, its own deployment process and minimum licence requirements.
TeamViewer. It does not offer a conventional relay server that customers can deploy on their premises. Tensor provides dedicated infrastructure, conditional access and a data location policy, but still within TeamViewer’s infrastructure. For organisations that need physical control over the relay server, that means “no”, regardless of budget.
Splashtop. It offers a separate product, Splashtop On‑Prem: a gateway and relay server installed in the customer’s network, with its own per‑technician or per‑user pricing, usually higher than the cloud‑based Business Access plans. The on‑premises version is intended for larger IT departments and managed service providers.
Parsec. A very low‑latency tool popular with gamers and creative studios. Parsec for Teams adds user management, but connections still use Parsec’s infrastructure (Unity). There is no self‑hosted relay option.
HP Anyware (formerly Teradici). The PCoIP protocol with a broker and connection manager that you install in your own infrastructure or cloud. It gives you full control over the traffic path, but targets VFX and engineering workstations, with per‑host pricing in the hundreds of dollars per year.
NoMachine. The Enterprise editions include Cloud Server, which acts as your own gateway and relay. This is a mature solution with per‑server pricing, aimed at Linux and HPC environments.
Apache Guacamole. An HTML5 gateway for RDP, VNC and SSH, hosted entirely by you. It offers full sovereignty and zero licence cost, but it is an access layer for existing protocols rather than a remote desktop client. Image quality and multimedia support depend on RDP/VNC, and maintenance is your responsibility.
Remotly: Relay as a plan feature
Remotly always attempts a P2P connection first. When NAT or a firewall prevents this, traffic goes through a relay: by default, the Connect Anywhere cloud, with the server selected based on ping, or your own Relay Server once enabled in the admin panel.
What sets this approach apart from the options above:
Available in every business plan. Pro (USD 8 per user per month) includes one self‑hosted relay; Admin, Support and Ultra‑High Quality include an unlimited number. There is no separate on‑premises version or minimum licence count.
Server platforms. Windows x64 and Linux amd64, arm64 and arm7. The relay can run on a virtual machine, in a private cloud or on a Raspberry Pi in the server room.
End‑to‑end encryption, regardless of the relay. The session is encrypted between the client and host (TLS 1.2/1.3, RSA-4096, AES-256), and the relay only forwards encrypted packets. This applies both to Remotly’s cloud and to your own server.
Bandwidth. Through Remotly’s relay, streaming is limited to 4–10 Mbps depending on the plan. With your own relay, the limit increases to 5–15 Mbps, while the Ultra‑High Quality plan offers unlimited bandwidth. This matters for 6K HDR and video workflows.
Wake‑on‑LAN from outside the network. Your own relay lets you wake computers on the corporate network from outside it and put them to sleep after hours through the admin panel.
The rest of the product stays the same. The same client, admin panel, Microsoft Entra ID integration and QuickHost deployment at scale through Intune, whether traffic goes through the cloud or your own server.
What Remotly does not provide: with a self‑hosted relay, rendezvous and the device registry remain on Remotly’s side, so this is not a fully on‑premises stack like AnyDesk On‑Premises or RustDesk. For most organisations, the session traffic path and logs are what matter, and a self‑hosted relay addresses those needs. For environments completely disconnected from the internet (air‑gapped), a fully on‑premises solution will still be necessary.
| Product | Self‑hosted relay | Availability | Entry point | Server platforms | What stays with the vendor | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remotly | Yes | Feature of business plans | From USD 8/user/month, 1 relay (Pro); unlimited from Admin | Windows x64, Linux amd64/arm64/arm7 | Rendezvous and device registry | Lightweight server; instructions on the website |
| RustDesk | Yes | Open source (hbbs + hbbr) | Free; Pro is paid | Linux, Docker | Nothing (fully on‑premises) | Entirely your responsibility; no SLA |
| AnyDesk | Yes | Separate On‑Premises product | Custom pricing, enterprise | Windows/Linux (according to documentation) | Nothing (fully on‑premises) | Deployment project; vendor support |
| TeamViewer | No | Tensor = dedicated vendor infrastructure | Enterprise | – | Everything | – |
| Splashtop | Yes | Separate On‑Prem product | Per‑technician/user pricing, higher than cloud plans | Windows/Linux (according to documentation) | Nothing (fully on‑premises) | Deployment project; vendor support |
| Parsec | No | – | – | – | Everything | – |
| HP Anyware | Yes | On‑premises broker + connection manager | Hundreds of USD/host/year | Linux, public clouds | Licensing | Deployment project |
| NoMachine | Yes | Cloud Server in Enterprise editions | Per‑server pricing | Linux, Windows, macOS | Licensing | Server administration |
| Apache Guacamole | Yes (gateway) | Open source | Free | Linux, Docker | Nothing | Entirely your responsibility; quality depends on RDP/VNC |
As of October 2026, based on vendors’ public documentation. Entries marked “according to documentation” and enterprise pricing should be confirmed with the vendor, as they change between versions.
Scenario: A ten‑person IT team that needs its own infrastructure
Imagine a manufacturing company subject to NIS2: ten administrators and technicians, around 200 computers across two sites, and a security policy that prohibits remote access traffic from passing through third‑party servers.
Remotly, Admin plan: 10 users × USD 38 = USD 380 per month, excluding tax; two self‑hosted relays (one per site), Entra ID integration and deployment at scale through Intune. The relay servers run on two existing virtual machines. Deployment time: one afternoon. With Pro (USD 80 per month), one relay would suffice, but without full administrative permissions or a limit of 10 computers per user.
RustDesk: zero licence cost, with a Linux server. You need to factor in administrator time for installation, updates and monitoring, and accept the lack of a contract and support. An NIS2 auditor will ask about your risk assessment of this provider.
AnyDesk On‑Premises / Splashtop On‑Prem: custom pricing. Ten users is often below the threshold at which the vendor offers an on‑premises version, or requires a minimum licence package that significantly exceeds your needs.
TeamViewer Tensor: it does not meet the requirement for a self‑hosted server, so it is ruled out regardless of price.
This does not mean Remotly wins in every scenario. For 500 VFX workstations with a PCoIP requirement, the choice is HP Anyware. For an air‑gapped environment, it is a fully on‑premises solution. But in the most common case — a small or medium‑sized IT department that needs to show an auditor where traffic goes — Remotly is the only option that combines a self‑hosted relay, a contract with an EU‑based vendor and standard‑plan pricing.
Which solution suits which needs
You have a team that enjoys maintaining servers and do not need a contract with a vendor → RustDesk or Guacamole.
You are a corporation with the budget for a deployment project and need a fully on‑premises stack → AnyDesk On‑Premises, Splashtop On‑Prem or NoMachine Enterprise.
You work with VFX/CAD graphics workstations in the cloud → HP Anyware.
Integrations and certifications for a tender are the priority, and physical control over the server is not a requirement → TeamViewer.
You want your own relay without a deployment project, at the price of a standard plan, with high image quality and a contract with an EU‑based company → Remotly.
The quickest way to try it: register a business account, download Relay Server and select it in the admin panel. Business plans include a 30-day trial with no credit card required. If you have an unusual network topology or audit requirements, write to us. We will help you plan how many servers you need and where to deploy them.
Disclosure and sources
This article was prepared by the Remotly team. Information about competitors’ products comes from their public documentation and pricing pages, as of October 2026. Each vendor determines enterprise pricing and minimum licence packages individually. If you spot an inaccuracy, write to us and we will correct it.
Remotly — pricing and plan comparison
Remotly — Relay Server, downloads and instructions
RustDesk — self‑hosted server documentation
Product pages for AnyDesk On‑Premises, Splashtop On‑Prem, HP Anyware, NoMachine Enterprise and Apache Guacamole