Remote desktop tools get bought in a hurry, usually when an employee's laptop misbehaves three time zones away or when a server in a closet needs a reboot on a Sunday. Months later the same tool is installed on hundreds of machines, holds standing access to all of them, and has become one of the most attractive targets in the company for an attacker. That dual nature shapes this ranking. We compared the jobs these products do, from attended support sessions for confused users to unattended access to servers and staff who work on their office PC from home, but we gave just as much weight to licensing traps and to how each vendor has handled its own security incidents. Several of the best-known names suffered breaches or critical flaws in 2024. The ranking is written for small and mid-sized IT teams and service providers, not for home users.
Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the
shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in remote desktop software
cannot hold places 1 to 3. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
How we ranked these
Setup: deploying agents and letting a stranger connect
There are two setup problems, and products usually solve one better than the other. Unattended access needs an agent pushed to every machine, ideally through Intune, Group Policy or an RMM tool with a preconfigured group and policy, so nobody has to accept a prompt. Attended support needs the opposite: a person with no admin rights must be able to download something small, read out a code and grant control within a minute, on Windows, macOS and increasingly on phones. We timed both. We also checked macOS permission prompts for screen recording and accessibility, which trip up many rollouts, and whether technicians can elevate to an administrator session without the user typing a password.
The real price: technicians, concurrent sessions and endpoint caps
Licensing is the most common complaint in this category. Some vendors charge per named technician, some per concurrent session, some per managed endpoint, and several combine two of those, so a plan that fits today breaks the moment a second shift starts or the device count crosses a cap. Free tiers for personal use have also caused trouble when a vendor decides that a user is working commercially and blocks sessions until a license is bought. We priced three scenarios: a two-person IT team supporting 150 staff, a service provider with eight technicians and 1,500 endpoints, and a small office where ten employees reach their desk PCs from home. Auto-renewal terms and cancellation difficulty were counted as part of the price.
Getting your data out: session logs, recordings and device lists
Remote desktop tools hold less business data than most software, but what they do hold matters in an audit or an incident investigation: who connected to which machine, when, for how long, what files moved, and in some cases a full video recording of the session. We checked whether logs export in a usable format or stream to a SIEM, how long they are retained on each tier, whether recordings can be stored on your own storage, and whether the device inventory, groups and custom fields can be exported through an API. Tools that keep logs only for thirty days on lower plans, with no export, scored lower.
Independence from the vendor: relay servers, self-hosting and incident history
Nearly every product routes connections through the vendor's relay and brokering servers, which means that vendor's security becomes part of yours. In 2024 AnyDesk disclosed a compromise of production systems and revoked its code-signing certificates, TeamViewer reported a state-backed intrusion into its corporate network, ConnectWise shipped fixes for a maximum-severity ScreenConnect flaw that was exploited widely, and BeyondTrust found attackers had used a stolen key for its SaaS remote support product. We therefore gave credit for self-hosted server options, for published audits and advisories, and for disclosure that was quick and specific rather than minimal.
Who it's for: internal help desks, MSPs and staff working from home
An internal IT team of two needs quick attended support and a list of company machines grouped by department. A managed service provider needs multi-tenant device groups, deep integration with its RMM and PSA tools, and pricing that tolerates thousands of endpoints. A firm whose staff want to reach their office workstation from home needs something closer to a remote access product, with good multi-monitor performance and single sign-on, and no technician at all. Few products are best at all three. Each entry below names the buyer it serves and the one who should look elsewhere.
The 17 tools, reviewed
#1 Splashtop
Remote access and support for IT teams and staff · United States · splashtop.com
Good value Fast streaming Support and access
Splashtop does the practical things right. Sessions are smooth on modest connections, multi-monitor handling is good, and it covers attended support, unattended administration and home access to office PCs through separate but clearly priced products. SSO, device authentication and detailed logs are available without an enterprise contract. Integrations with common RMM and service desk tools make it easy for a small MSP to adopt. It has not had a publicly disclosed breach on the scale of those that hit several rivals in 2024, which matters for a tool with standing access to every machine. That combination earns it first place.
Where it falls short
The product line is confusing, with overlapping names for access, support and enterprise editions, and some features appear only in particular bundles. Endpoint caps on support plans force upgrades as a service provider grows. The console feels less polished than TeamViewer's, and mobile device control requires an add-on. Annual billing is standard.
Wrong for
Enterprises that need privileged access controls, credential injection and approval workflows for regulated systems. BeyondTrust Remote Support is built for that; Splashtop only partly covers it.
Pricing: Published annual per-user or per-technician plans for remote access and remote support, with endpoint packs and an on-premises edition quoted separately. (free trial)
Visit Splashtop →
#2 Zoho Assist
Browser-based remote support and unattended access · India · zoho.com
Web console Free plan Help desk integrations
Zoho Assist runs the technician side entirely in a browser, so there is nothing to install for IT staff, and customers join through a small download or a link. The free plan is enough for a single person helping colleagues, and paid tiers stay inexpensive while adding unattended access, recording, branding and integrations with Zendesk, Freshservice, ServiceNow and Zoho Desk. For a company of fifty to two hundred people with one or two IT staff, it covers everyday support without a large contract. It sits second mainly on price and ease of adoption.
Where it falls short
Performance is good rather than excellent, and heavy graphical work or multi-monitor setups feel slower than on Splashtop. The number of unattended computers per technician is capped by tier, and bulk agent deployment tools are basic. Admin reporting is limited. Outside Zoho's ecosystem, the integrations are fewer than TeamViewer's.
Wrong for
Service providers managing thousands of endpoints or teams needing a self-hosted server. ScreenConnect or RustDesk fit that model better.
Pricing: Published per-technician monthly plans for remote support and unattended access, plus a free plan for one technician with limited features. (free plan)
Visit Zoho Assist →
#3 ConnectWise ScreenConnect
Remote support and access with cloud or on-premises hosting · United States · screenconnect.com
Self-hostable MSP standard Extensions
ScreenConnect earned its place in thousands of service providers through speed, flexible unattended access and deep customization. Backstage mode lets a technician run commands and move files without disturbing the user, extensions add features, and the on-premises edition keeps everything on your own server. It integrates tightly with ConnectWise's PSA and RMM products but works fine without them. For a team with the skills to secure it, it offers more control per dollar than most rivals, which is why it holds third place.
Where it falls short
In February 2024 a maximum-severity authentication bypass, CVE-2024-1709, was exploited widely against unpatched on-premises servers, and ConnectWise later disclosed suspicious activity affecting some cloud customers in 2025. The popularity that makes it an MSP standard also makes it a target. The interface is dated, and ConnectWise's sales approach pushes bundles.
Wrong for
Small teams without anyone to watch advisories and patch servers the day fixes ship. Splashtop or Zoho Assist as cloud services carry less operational risk.
Pricing: Published per-technician plans for cloud and on-premises editions, licensed by concurrent sessions, with unattended access agent allowances that vary by tier. (free trial)
Visit ConnectWise ScreenConnect →
#4 TeamViewer
The best-known remote access and support platform · Germany · teamviewer.com
Widest platform support Well known Licensing complaints
TeamViewer supports almost every platform you might need to reach, including embedded systems, and many end users already know how to open it and read out an ID, which saves time on support calls. The enterprise tiers add conditional access, detailed policies and integrations with service desks, and the 1E acquisition brings endpoint insight. It is the category's dominant incumbent and reliable in daily use. The June 2024 intrusion into its corporate network, which the company attributed to a Russian state-backed group, did not reach the product environment according to TeamViewer.
Where it falls short
Licensing is the persistent complaint: concurrent session channels, device limits and add-ons make it expensive for what a small team uses, and renewal prices rise. Commercial-use detection on free accounts has frustrated many small businesses. Cancelling auto-renewing subscriptions has drawn many complaints. Its brand is also widely abused by scammers.
Wrong for
Small teams that want predictable, low per-technician pricing. Splashtop or Zoho Assist cover the same everyday jobs for considerably less.
Pricing: Published annual subscriptions tied to licensed users and concurrent session channels, with add-ons for mobile support, more endpoints and enterprise features. (free trial)
Visit TeamViewer →
#5 AnyDesk
Lightweight remote desktop with cloud or on-premises options · Germany · anydesk.com
Low latency On-premises edition 2024 breach
AnyDesk's small client and codec perform well on poor connections, which makes it popular for supporting remote sites and older hardware. Custom clients can be built with preset permissions, the address book organizes machines by group, and the on-premises appliance keeps traffic off the vendor's network for regulated sectors. Pricing is simpler and lower than TeamViewer's. In February 2024 the company disclosed that attackers had compromised its production systems; it revoked its code-signing certificate and required password resets, and customers had to update clients.
Where it falls short
The 2024 breach and the slow detail in early statements shook confidence. Scammers use AnyDesk heavily, and some security teams block it by default. The console is less complete than Splashtop's for managing large fleets, and reporting is thin. Commercial-use detection on free versions causes the same friction as TeamViewer.
Wrong for
Organizations whose security team already blocks AnyDesk or who need detailed audit reporting. Splashtop or BeyondTrust fit that environment better.
Pricing: Published per-license annual plans by number of users and devices, with an on-premises edition quoted separately; free for personal use. (free trial)
Visit AnyDesk →
#6 RustDesk
Open-source remote desktop with a self-hosted server · Singapore · rustdesk.com
Open source Self-hosted Low cost
RustDesk gives a small technical team what used to require an enterprise contract: its own relay and ID server, running in a container on a small virtual machine, with clients for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. The paid Server Pro adds a web console, user management, OIDC login, audit logs and custom-built clients preset to your server, at a price far below commercial rivals. Because traffic never touches a third-party cloud, it answers data residency questions cleanly. It is the right tool for a team that prefers owning the stack.
Where it falls short
Management features are basic compared with Splashtop or ScreenConnect, and there are no deep integrations with service desks or RMM tools. Support is limited, especially on the free edition. The public relay servers are abused by scammers, which leads some security tools to flag the client. You are responsible for patching the server.
Wrong for
Teams without anyone comfortable running Linux servers or who need vendor support on call. Zoho Assist or Splashtop are safer operational choices.
Pricing: Free open-source client and server; paid Server Pro licenses priced by users and devices, published. (open source)
Visit RustDesk →
#7 GoTo Resolve
Remote support with built-in RMM and help desk features · United States · goto.com
Support plus RMM Zero-trust design LogMeIn heritage
GoTo Resolve is GoTo's answer to newer rivals: remote support, remote monitoring, patching, basic ticketing and scripts in one console, priced per technician with endpoint allowances. GoTo describes the design as zero-trust, with technician commands verified on the endpoint before they run, a thoughtful protection against the account-takeover attacks common in this category. For a small service provider or IT team that wants support and light device management without buying an RMM platform, it is good value. LogMeIn Rescue remains the heavier choice for large support centers.
Where it falls short
In January 2023 GoTo disclosed that encrypted backups for several products, including LogMeIn Central and Pro, had been taken in the same wave of attacks that hit LastPass. Product naming across Resolve, Rescue, Pro and Central confuses buyers. RMM and ticketing features are shallow compared with dedicated tools. Endpoint caps limit growth.
Wrong for
Providers needing a full RMM platform, or teams wary of vendors with recent backup theft. ScreenConnect with a dedicated RMM, or Splashtop, suit them better.
Pricing: Published per-technician tiers billed annually, with endpoint limits per tier; LogMeIn Rescue for larger support centers is quoted separately. (free trial)
Visit GoTo Resolve →
#8 RemotePC
Low-cost remote access priced per computer · United States · remotepc.com
Low cost Remote access focus Simple setup
RemotePC, from the backup company IDrive, keeps things simple: install it on the office computers, sign in from home or a browser, and work. Pricing by number of computers rather than technicians makes it very cheap for a small office whose staff need access to their own desks. Remote printing, file transfer and session recording cover what an accountant or architect needs. The separate HelpDesk product adds attended support at a low cost. It sits mid-table because it does its narrow job well without trying to be more.
Where it falls short
Management and security controls are basic: fewer permission options, simpler logs and limited SSO. Performance with graphics-heavy software is behind Splashtop. First-year promotional prices renew higher, which catches buyers out. The support product is less capable than dedicated support platforms.
Wrong for
IT teams supporting many users with attended sessions or needing detailed audit trails. Splashtop or Zoho Assist cover support work far more completely.
Pricing: Published annual plans priced by number of computers, with a separate HelpDesk product per technician; first-year discounts are common. (free trial)
Visit RemotePC →
#9 RealVNC Connect
VNC-based remote access for mixed and embedded systems · United Kingdom · realvnc.com
Linux and embedded Direct connections Offline networks
RealVNC's founders created the VNC protocol at the Olivetti and Oracle lab in Cambridge, and the company still leads in places where other tools struggle: Linux desktops, Raspberry Pi and embedded devices, industrial controllers and networks with no internet access at all, where direct connections and offline licenses are required. It is widely used by manufacturers and in education. For those environments it is often the best choice on this list. For a typical office help desk, it offers fewer support-specific features at a higher per-device price.
Where it falls short
Attended support features such as quick-join codes, chat and technician queues are weaker than in Splashtop or Zoho Assist. Performance over the internet is good but not the fastest. Pricing per device adds up for large fleets, and the consumer-friendly free tier has been cut back over the years.
Wrong for
A Windows-only office needing a help desk tool for everyday user support. Zoho Assist or Splashtop are better matched and cheaper.
Pricing: Published subscription plans per device or per user, with offline and embedded licensing quoted for industrial use. (free trial)
Visit RealVNC Connect →
#10 BeyondTrust Remote Support
Enterprise remote support with privileged access controls · United States · beyondtrust.com
Enterprise controls On-premises appliance Credential injection
BeyondTrust Remote Support, the product once sold as Bomgar, is built for banks, hospitals and government agencies that need to prove who touched which system. Technicians can inject credentials from a vault without seeing them, sessions are recorded and searchable, and permissions can be scoped to groups, times and approval steps. Jump points reach machines on isolated networks. It sits tenth because that depth costs far more than a small team needs, and because in December 2024 attackers used a compromised API key to reach some Remote Support SaaS customers, including the US Treasury.
Where it falls short
Price and complexity are high; setup often involves professional services. The December 2024 incident, and related vulnerabilities patched afterwards, hurt a product whose selling point is security. The interface is functional rather than pleasant. It does not suit casual or occasional support needs.
Wrong for
Small and mid-sized firms without compliance requirements for privileged sessions. Splashtop or ScreenConnect deliver capable support at a fraction of the price.
Pricing: Quote only, sold as cloud or on-premises appliance deployments licensed per concurrent technician. (free trial)
Visit BeyondTrust Remote Support →
#11 Microsoft Intune Remote Help and Windows App
Remote support within an Intune tenant, plus RDP · United States · learn.microsoft.com
Microsoft 365 native Entra ID sign-in Tenant-only
For a company already running Intune, Remote Help removes a third-party agent: both helper and user sign in with Entra ID accounts, permissions follow Intune roles, and the helper can see the device's compliance state before starting. Windows App, the successor to the old Remote Desktop clients, connects to office PCs, Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365. For a Microsoft-only shop, keeping remote access inside one identity and admin system is an attractive design. As a big-tech platform it cannot sit higher than fourth, and on merit it lands near the bottom.
Where it falls short
Remote Help works only within your own tenant, so helping contractors, customers or another company is impossible. It needs Intune licensing plus the add-on, platform coverage for macOS is narrower, and unattended access is limited. RDP exposed to the internet without a gateway is a major ransomware risk. Setup requires Intune knowledge.
Wrong for
Companies not on Intune, service providers supporting many clients, and anyone needing mixed-platform support. Splashtop, ScreenConnect or Zoho Assist fit those cases.
Pricing: Remote Help is a paid Intune add-on or part of the Intune Suite, per user; RDP is included with Windows Pro and Enterprise editions. (free trial)
Visit Microsoft Intune Remote Help and Windows App →
Free Browser-based No admin console
Chrome Remote Desktop costs nothing, runs in a browser and ties access to a Google account with two-step verification, which makes it a reasonable tool for a founder reaching an office computer or a colleague helping another once in a while. Workspace administrators can restrict it with Chrome policies. It earns its place on the list because many small businesses use it informally already, and knowing its limits helps you decide when to replace it. Beyond that occasional use it is not a business support tool.
Where it falls short
There is no central console, no technician accounts, no session logs an administrator can review and no file transfer workflow worth the name. Unattended access is tied to individual Google accounts, which becomes a risk when someone leaves. Multi-monitor handling and performance are basic. There is no support contract.
Wrong for
Any company where more than one person provides IT support or where access must be audited. Zoho Assist's free plan or Splashtop are the natural next steps.
Pricing: Free; no paid business tier, with limited admin control through Google Workspace and Chrome policies. (free plan)
Visit Chrome Remote Desktop →
#13 ISL Online
Remote support licensed per concurrent session · Slovenia · islonline.com
Concurrent licensing Self-hosted option EU vendor
ISL Online counts connections rather than people, which suits a service desk where eight technicians share shifts but only two or three sessions ever run at once. Each license covers any number of technicians and unattended computers, so the bill does not move when a new hire joins or the fleet grows. XLAB also sells the same software as a server you run yourself, an unusual choice among products this size, and the customer side joins from a browser with a short code. Developed in Ljubljana for more than two decades, it earns its place for buyers whose headcount changes more often than their session count.
Where it falls short
The technician console feels a generation behind Splashtop's, and the product names (ISL Light, ISL AlwaysOn, ISL Pronto) make the lineup harder to decode than it should be. Integrations with service desks and RMM platforms are fewer than ScreenConnect offers. Concurrency pricing gets expensive for a team that routinely runs many sessions in parallel, and the reseller network outside Europe is thin.
Wrong for
An MSP running dozens of simultaneous sessions at peak hours pays more under concurrency than under per-technician plans; ScreenConnect or Splashtop's MSP editions match that pattern better.
Pricing: Published annual licenses priced per concurrent session, with unlimited technicians and unattended computers; a self-hosted server license is sold separately. (free trial)
Visit ISL Online →
#14 Supremo
Portable remote desktop that runs without installing · Italy · supremocontrol.com
No install needed Low cost Unattended access
Supremo is a small executable that a user can download and launch without admin rights, which makes it one of the quickest ways onto an unfamiliar PC in an accounting office or a shop back room. It can also install as a Windows service for unattended access, and its console keeps client machines in grouped address books. Plans are sold by simultaneous connections rather than by endpoint, so a one-person IT provider looking after several small offices pays for one session at a time. Nanosystems builds it in Ascoli Piceno, and the appeal is price and speed rather than depth.
Where it falls short
Management stops at the basics: role design, audit detail and single sign-on are limited compared with Splashtop or Zoho Assist, and there is no ticketing integration worth the name. The macOS and mobile clients trail the Windows one. Performance over weak links is serviceable rather than smooth, and the brand is little known outside Italy, so staff sometimes hesitate when asked to run it.
Wrong for
An IT team that must enforce single sign-on for every technician and keep detailed session audits should pay more for Splashtop or ScreenConnect.
Pricing: Published annual plans priced by the number of concurrent sessions; free for personal, non-commercial use. (free trial)
Visit Supremo →
#15 NoMachine
NX-protocol remote access for Linux, Mac and Windows · Luxembourg · nomachine.com
Linux strength Self-hosted High frame rate
NoMachine descends from the NX protocol that made remote X11 usable over slow links, and it remains the best-behaved option on this page for Linux desktops, including headless servers where it can spawn a virtual session. Connections run straight between machines or through a gateway you host, so no vendor cloud brokers the traffic. Engineers, researchers and developers use it to drive a powerful workstation from a laptop with smooth frame rates plus audio and USB forwarding. The paid Enterprise Desktop and Terminal Server editions add multi-user sessions and central management. It ranks for access quality, not for helpdesk work.
Where it falls short
There is no quick-join code, technician queue or chat-driven workflow, so helping an unprepared user means walking them through an install and network settings first. Reaching machines behind NAT without a VPN takes more configuration than with cloud-brokered tools. Licensing across the Desktop, Workstation, Terminal Server and Cloud Server editions is confusing, and admin tooling for large fleets is modest.
Wrong for
A helpdesk supporting nontechnical staff across the internet should look at Splashtop, Zoho Assist or ISL Online, where the user's side is a one-click join.
Pricing: Free for personal and non-commercial use; paid Enterprise Desktop, Terminal Server and Cloud Server products licensed per host, with published list prices. (free plan)
Visit NoMachine →
#16 Dameware Remote Everywhere
Cloud remote support from SolarWinds · United States · solarwinds.com
Cloud console Unattended agents Mobile support
Dameware began as an on-premises toolkit for Windows administrators, and Remote Everywhere is its cloud-hosted sibling. Agents on Windows, macOS and Linux machines report to a browser-based admin area, technicians take attended sessions from a request link or connect unattended to enrolled devices, and the mobile apps reach phones as well as desktops. Sessions can be recorded and technicians sorted into groups with separate permissions. For an internal IT department that already monitors servers or runs its service desk on SolarWinds software, keeping remote support with the same vendor simplifies purchasing and vendor reviews.
Where it falls short
Visible development has been slower than at Splashtop or ScreenConnect, and the admin area is cluttered. Prices are rarely shown up front, so comparison needs a quote. SolarWinds still carries the history of the 2020 Orion supply-chain compromise, which some security teams weigh heavily, and its 2025 move to private-equity ownership leaves product priorities open to change.
Wrong for
A small team with no SolarWinds footprint gains nothing from the brand connection and will find Zoho Assist or Splashtop cheaper and quicker to learn.
Pricing: Annual subscription per technician, bought through SolarWinds sales or resellers; a free trial is available. (free trial)
Visit Dameware Remote Everywhere →
#17 Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager
Connection and credential manager for admins · Canada · devolutions.net
Connection manager Credential vault Self-hosted option
Remote Desktop Manager works one layer above the other products on this page. It opens RDP, SSH, VNC, web consoles and third-party tools such as TeamViewer or AnyDesk from a single tree of entries, pulling credentials from a shared vault so administrators stop pasting passwords out of spreadsheets. A small infrastructure team can keep hundreds of servers, switches and customer environments organized, with role-based access and a log of who opened which connection. Devolutions, based in Quebec, offers a self-hosted Devolutions Server as well as the cloud Hub. It closes the list because it complements a support tool rather than replacing one.
Where it falls short
It does not broker connections across the internet by itself, so reaching machines outside the network still needs a VPN, a gateway or another product from this list. The Windows client is crowded with options and takes time to learn, and the macOS build has fewer features. Per-user pricing adds up for larger teams, and helping end users on their own screens is outside its scope.
Wrong for
Anyone whose main job is helping employees with their own screens, rather than administering servers, should start with Splashtop or Zoho Assist and add a connection manager later.
Pricing: Free edition for individuals; Team edition priced per user per year with published prices; self-hosted Devolutions Server or cloud Hub as the shared back end. (free plan)
Visit Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager →
