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Home Remote Access Software

Best Remote Desktop Software 2021

If your business is shifting to a flexible, work-from-home setup, remote desktop software can keep your business secure
Adam Rowe November 30th 2020 12:38 pm

Our independent reviews and recommendations are funded in part by affiliate commissions, at no extra cost to our readers. Click to Learn More

Are you in the midst of transitioning your team, or even your entire company, to remote working? You're not alone.

Remote work is on the rise. That means companies need software that lets them stay in touch with a fully distributed workforce, securing their laptops and rapidly addressing IT concerns.

Tech.co has matched the core features needed against the best pricing available, in order to figure out all the top remote desktop software options on the market today. While we'd recommend TeamViewer due to its range of features and ease of use, all the services below are worth considering.

Here's what to know about each top remote service. And once you're informed, take the next step today with a taster trial of one of the brands below.

In this guide:

TeamViewer: Best overall
LogMeIn: Best for unlimited users
Anydesk: Best for small businesses
GoToMyPC: Best for performance
Zoho Assist: Best for Zoho integrations
RemotePC: Best for affordability
ConnectWise: Best for custom branding
SplashTop: Best for enterprises
Iperius Remote: Best for Windows users
Parallels: Best for mobile devices

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Tier 1 pricing (per month)
Tier 2 pricing (per month)
Tier 3 pricing (per month)
Licensed users
Maximum accessible devices

TeamViewer

LogMeIn Pro

Anydesk

GoToMyPC

Zoho Assist

RemotePC

ConnectWise

SplashTop

Iperius Remote

Parallels

$49

$30

$10.99

$35

$8

$2.46

$19

$5

$9.47

$1.67

$99

$70

$20.99

$66 (per 2 devices)

$13

$5.79

$35

Starts at $8.25/user

$24.26

$4.08

$199

$129

$52.49

Starts at $140

$21

$20.79

$45

N/A

$38.07

N/A

1-200, depending on plan

Unlimited for all plans

1-unlimited, depending on plan

1-50, depending on plan

1

1-unlimited, depending on plan

1

1

Unlimited

1-unlimited

200-500, depending on plan

2-10, depending on plan

1-unlimited, depending on plan

Unlimited, if you're willing to pay enough

25

2-100

10-unlimited

2-10 per user

Unlimited, but 2-100 concurrent connections

5 computers, unlimited mobile devices

TeamViewer

Best Overall

Starts at: $49/month

TeamViewer supports a large number of remotely managed devices (including PC, Mac, Linux and mobile), with plans starting at 200 devices and going as high as 500.

The constraints that a business is likely to run up against are TeamViewer's more limited number of licensed users, as well as the cap on the number of participants per meeting. Here's how the differences shake out across TeamViewer's three plans.

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Monthly cost
Licensed users
Meeting participants
Managed devices

Business

Premium

Corporate

$49

$99

$199

1

50

200

5

15

25

Up to 200

Up to 300

Up to 500

Need a tailored quote for your business today? Find Prices

TeamViewer meets reasonable security standards, with its 2048-bit RSA key exchange and 256-bit AES session encoding. The interface is intuitive, and thanks to the service's mass remote deployment feature, it's easy to quickly set up across multiple devices. Features include desktop sharing, online conferencing, and remote file transfers.

Support channels include email, phone, and live chat during business hours, alongside online resources such as FAQs and video tutorials. The pricing is average for the industry, and the large number of devices supported makes TeamViewer particularly attractive for large or medium-sized businesses in need of a way to remotely support hundreds of employees.

Team Viewer
TeamViewer logo
Remote access software with plenty of features
In Short

Pros

  • Supports 200-500 devices
  • Has mass remote deployment
  • Easy to use and set up

Cons

  • Base plan only supports 1 user
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

LogMeIn

Best for unlimited users

Starts at: $30/month

LogMeIn Pro is a flexible solution, great for a small business or startup with a team that frequently travels. With it, users can easily access their work computer remotely from just a mobile device. However, the number of managed devices is small, with just two, five, or ten computers made remotely accessible through LogMeIn Pro's three plans.

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Monthly charge
Annual bill
Accessable computers
Unlimited users
1TB file storage
Free LastPass Premium licenses

Individuals

Power Users

Small Businesses

$30

$70

$129

$350

$840

$1,540

2

5

10

1

3

5

Ready to explore your LogMeIn Pro options? Try LogMeIn

All plans include remote access, remote printing, 1TB file storage, and a multi-monitor display ability. LogMeIn Pro offers plenty of support across email, phone, tickets, live chat, and online resources, including a database and community forum. It comes with a unique perk, too: All LogMeIn Pro plans offer at least one free license to LastPass Premium, the company's password management service.

LogMeIn
LogMeIn Pro logo
An adaptable remote solution with no user limit
In Short

Pros

  • Supports unlimited users
  • 1TB file storage
  • Bundled with a free password manager

Cons

  • Only supports between 2 and 10 devices
  • No group collaboration features
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

Anydesk

Best for small businesses

Starts at: $10.99/month

Anydesk is the option small businesses or freelancers may want to consider, both because of its low $10.99 a month starting cost, and because it includes a free plan. However, this plan is only for individuals, and for private use rather than a work environment. Here's what to expect from each of Anydesk's three pricing plans, all of which are billed annually.

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Monthly Charge
Yearly Charge
Number of Devices
Number of Active Devices
Number of Sessions

Anydesk Lite

Anydesk Professional

Anydesk Power

$10.99

$20.99

$52.49

$132

$252

$630

1

Unlimited

Unlimited

1

1

3

1

1

Unlimited

Check out AnyDesk prices now with our handy comparison tool Compare Prices

All plans offer the core remote access functionality, as well as remote printing, file transfers, and an on-screen whiteboard feature. A 14-day free trial can help users figure out if it's for their team, as well. One drawback to this software is the limits on the number of devices and sessions, which are capped at just one of each for the most inexpensive plan. That said, the Power plan offers unlimited devices and users, while remaining inexpensive relative to similar services' highest priced plans. It supports all major devices, and offers email and phone support as well.

AnyDesk
AnyDesk Logo
Best for small to mid sized businesses
In Short

Pros

  • Supports 28 languages
  • Updates automatically
  • Free version available

Cons

  • Outdated interface
  • Occasionally buggy, particularly with bad connection
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

GoToMyPC

Best for performance

Starts at: $35/month/computer

GoToMyPC remotely connects computers with no visible lag time, allowing mouse movements and keystrokes to feel fluid. It offers a range of bandwidth settings as well, though you're unlikely to need them as long as your connection isn't terrible. The service's pricing plans vary in what they offer: The $35/month starting price is specifically for one user, letting them access unlimited devices, while the $66/month Pro plan starts with two computers per month. The Corporate plan is designed for ten or more users, and starts at $140/month.

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Price
Per month, billed annually
Number of users
End-to-end encryption
File transfer and sync
Remote printing
Mobile apps
24/7 support
Admin control of users and accounts
Centralized billing
Monitor usage
In-depth usage reporting
Wake-on-LAN
Dedicated account manager
Manage groups' features and security access
Extra admins
Remote deployment

GoToMyPC Personal

GoToMyPC Pro

GoToMyPC Corporate

$35 per computer

$66 per 2 computers

Starting at $140

1

2-50

10+

Get started with GoToMyPC Click here

Features include handy file transferring and syncing abilities as well as multiple monitors, and the software installs quickly and easily. Costs increase quickly as users increase, so larger companies may want to think twice, but GoToMyPC is a high performing service great for small and medium remote businesses.

GoToMyPC
GoToMyPC logo
A strong performing remote access software
In Short

Pros

  • Wide range of bandwidth settings
  • 24/7 support
  • Little-to-no lag time

Cons

  • Not all plans offer remote deployment
  • $66/month for every 2 devices
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

Zoho Assist

Best for Zoho integrations

Starts at: $8/month

Zoho Assist is a feature-rich remote access solution. It's a good option for larger businesses and an even better option for businesses that already use Zoho software, given the many straightforward integrations it offers. Features include the typical core abilities: File transfers, multiple monitors, remote reboots, and voice, video, or instant chat. Remote support sessions can be scheduled ahead of time through the software as well, a plus for large companies that need the infrastructure to pack in plenty of remote IT sessions.

A bulk deployment ability makes Zoho Assist easy to get up and running. It's entirely web-based – which helps keep it secure, since no installs or downloads are required – and idle sessions can be set to timeout once they've been inactive for a specific period of time. The end-to-end SSL and AES 256-bit encryption help with security as well.

Zoho Assist is available in three pricing plans, plus a more limited free one. The Standard plan costs $8/user/month, the Professional plan costs $13/user/month, and the Enterprise plan costs $21/user/month. That said, you'll only get a handful of particularly useful features with the Professional and Enterprise plans, including session scheduling, screensharing, and the mobile app, available on iOS and Android.

Zoho Assist
Zoho Assist logo
An easy-to-use remote access software that integrates with Zoho
In Short

Pros

  • Integrates with Zoho software
  • No installs or downloads needed
  • Intuitive mobile app

Cons

  • Features are limited
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

RemotePC

Best for affordability

Starts at: $2.46/month

RemotePC offers four plans. There's the Consumer plan, which costs just $29.50/year ($2.46/month) for one user and access to two computers, then the SOHO plan, which costs $69.50/year ($5.79/month) and includes unlimited users and access to ten computers. The Team plan costs then $249.50/year ($20.79/month) with unlimited users and 50 computers, while the Enterprise plan costs $499.50/year ($41.63/month) for unlimited users and 100 computers.

All plans come with core features including file transfer, remote reboot, remote printing, video conferencing, and a whiteboard feature. Audio files can be remotely played as well. 24/7 support is available for email and chat, with more limited phone support – and, for the Team and Enterprise plans, a Helpdesk offers on-demand remote support, too.

Security comes through a TLS v 1.2/AES-256 encryption for transferring authentication data, as well as “Personal Key,” a feature that gives each device a unique password set for extra protection. Single sign-on is available, but only for the Team and Enterprise plans.

RemotePC
RemotePC logo
An affordable, scalable remote access solution
In Short

Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • On-demand Helpdesk support
  • Remote-play audio files

Cons

  • Not all plans offer single sign-on
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

ConnectWise

Best for custom branding

Starts at: $19/month

ConnectWise Control's three plans start with One, which gives a single user access to ten devices remotely (one at a time) for $19/month. The Standard plan lets one user access unlimited devices, with a cap of three concurrent ones, for $35/month. Lastly, the Premium plan lets one user access unlimited devices with a cap of ten concurrent ones, and costs $45/month.

Features available across all plans include remote meetings, file transfer, remote printing, and remote support. Custom branding is also available on all plans, a perk that helps a business keep its professional brand front and center. This level of customizability is rarely included on all plans, making ConnectWise's otherwise fairly stripped-down service a cost-effective way to stay professional.

ConnectWise
ConnectWise logo
A remote access software best for small yet professional companies
In Short

Pros

  • Unlimited devices
  • Custom branding
  • Good pricing

Cons

  • Concurrent devices are capped
  • Interface is clunky
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

SplashTop

Best for enterprises

Starts at: $5/month

The web-based SplashTop Business Access has two plans, with tiered pricing for the second. The first plan, Solo, costs $5/month for a single user accessing a maximum of two computers. Most businesses will prefer the second plan, Pro, which starts at $8.25/month/user, and lets each user access ten computers. This drops 20% to $6.60/user/month if the business has between 4 and 9 users. If the business is paying for between 10 and 49 users, the cost for these users drops 45% to $4.54/month/user, and it drops further to $4.13/month/user for 50 or more users.

All plans offer file transfer, remote printing, and remote audio, but you'll need to spring for Pro to get multiple monitors, remote waking and rebooting, and instant chat. One nice Pro perk that not all remote access software offers: Two users can remotely access the same computer simultaneously. That said, SplashTop doesn't offer some moderately common bells-and-whistles features like video conferencing.

SplashTop
SplashTop logo
In Short

Pros

  • Tiered pricing is attractive to enterprises
  • Web-based, no installs needed

Cons

  • No video conferencing
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

Iperius Remote

Best for Windows users

Starts at: $9.47/month

Iperius Remote is available in seven plans, all of which offer the same features and unlimited remote devices. They are differentiated entirely by how many concurrent connections are allowed in each: The Small plan costs €96/year (about $9.47/month) for two connections; the Medium plan costs €246/year (about $24.26/month) for five connections; The Large plan costs €386/year (about $38.07/month) for 10 connections; The X-Large plan costs €596/year (about $58.78/month) for 15 connections; The Huge plan costs €1,129/year (about $111.33/month) for 30 connections; The Fifty plan costs €1,849/year (about $182.33/month) for 50 connections; And the Cento plan costs €3,609/year (about $355.88/month) for 100 connections.

The service is installable as a Windows service. This means that, while operators will be able to connect from Windows, Mac, and Linux machines alike, only computers running on Windows can be automatically accessed remotely.

Features include file transfer, instant chat, screensharing, historical data, multiple monitors, and multiple connections allowed to the same computer. Support is limited to email and online documentation, which includes an FAQ and tutorials. The software is fully portable, with no installation or firewall configuration needed. Security measures include integrated encryption and HTTPS, and custom passwords can be set on each remotely accessed device.

Iperius Remote
Iperius Remote logo
A solid remote access software aimed at Windows users
In Short

Pros

  • No installation needed
  • Supports custom passwords for each device

Cons

  • Functionality is more limited with non-Windows computers
  • No phone support
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

Parallels

Best for mobile devices

Starts at: $1.67/month

Parallels Access has a personal plan and a business plan. The one-user personal plan offers five remote computers plus unlimited mobile devices, and is available in a one-year subscription for $19.99 ($1.67/month) or for a two-year $34.99 subscription ($2.92/month). The business plan is $49 per year ($4.08/month), and includes unlimited users, but still caps remote computers at just five, although mobile devices are unlimited. Additional five-computer packs will cost another $49/year each.

In other words, while this is the cheapest service on our list, the fact that it only supports five remote computers makes it limited enough that we didn't list it as our affordable pick. It's best for small businesses or startups with tiny teams, and it offers a great set of features for mobile devices.

Parallels is available for both iOS and Android, although some abilities (opening desktop applications while on mobile, support for Samsung S Pen) are specific to Android devices. Adding it to mobile is a quick process, too, using an installation link or QR code rather than an app download.

Parallels
Parallels logo
A limited remote access solution, but great for mobile use
In Short

Pros

  • Unlimited users
  • Unlimited mobile devices
  • Starts at $1.67/mo

Cons

  • Only supports five remote computers
  • Some features only work on Android devices
First Look Click to expand
Compare Prices

What Is Remote Access Software?

Remote access software applications allow a business's IT team to remotely view and interact with files and programs across all work computers used by their distributed workforce. This allows them to monitor and assist their entire team, no matter where they are in the world.

Remote Access Software Benefits

Remote access software helps a business meet its employees wherever they are, reducing stress in a variety of ways while saving on their bottom line as well. Here are the core benefits you can expect:

  • Increased flexibility is a top reason to adapt remote access software. With it, teams can work entirely or partially from home, setting the hours that work best for them rather than shoehorning themselves into a strict nine-to-five job.
  • Reduced distractions can improve workers' focus, as their meetings can be turned into emails and their home environment won't include chatty coworkers.
  • Reduced travel costs can help a company save funds, while letting employees avoid the rush hour commute.
  • Minimized office space overhead, as the physical office is another big budget item that can be reduced or cut out entirely thanks to a distributed workforce.

And, thanks to the mass deployment functionality available through many remote access services, IT departments will be able to automate some of their workload as well.

Who Needs Remote Desktop Software?

You won't be surprised to hear that any business which is making remote work a part-time or full-time option for their employees should adapt remote access software as a way to assist them. And furthermore, any business should consider a flexible work schedule policy: indeed, 100% remote work was the most popular flexible work option in one 2019 survey.

But the software remains a useful tool for businesses that aren't remote: It helps IT teams resolve software issues from their desks, streamlining the entire process. In short, remote desktop software can help any modern business.

Verdict: What's the Best Remote Desktop Software?

TeamViewer and LogMeIn Pro are our two top picks – they're both easy and intuitive to use, while offering all the core abilities most businesses look for in remote access software. Their support teams are also both strong.

So which should you chose? They're differentiated by their limits. TeamViewer supports fewer users, while LogMeIn Pro supports fewer devices. Thus, if you have a vast number of employees working remotely but a smaller IT team, TeamViewer is for you. If you have a small team, LogMeIn Pro is a great fit. Plus, LogMeIn Pro lets non-IT users remotely access their work files or programs, a benefit that goes beyond the traditional use of remote access software but opens up more collaboration opportunities for remote workers.

We've broken down the differences between the two services in more depth in this TeamViewer vs LogMeIn comparison article. And in the end, all of the ten services listed here are worth considering, so don't feel as though you can't roam outside of our chosen few.

Try Teamviewer
Try LogMeIn

FAQs

We answer common questions you may have about choosing and using remote access software.

Security risks are a big concern with any business software, but remote access software is a particularly attractive target for hackers, given that the point of the service is to make it easy to remotely access an organization's distributed data.

  • No data encryption – standard secure connections tend to use TLS and 256-bit AES (also called AES-256) encryption.
  • Poor access tools – role-based access tools can help ensure users only have access to the computers they need
  • Two-factor authentication – this adds an additional step before a device can be accessed. While inputting an extra passcode can be tedious, it's a big step towards bolstering security
  • Cybersecurity – a good antivirus software can filter your employees' online activity

A remote workforce should vet its remote access software of choice, as well as its business-wide safety protocols, to ensure they address these issues.

Yes, remote access software is safe and secure – provided you meet safety standards and ensure your employees take all needed precautions.

If you're concerned about security, a password manager can ensure your employees stay safe without the added pressure of remembering all their passwords. We've rounded up all the top password keepers to consider.

Antivirus software is another way to stay safe, and we have a guide to the top antivirus vendors as well. Finally, a virtual private network, or VPN, can add a layer of security and anonymity to your online browsing activity. And, as you may have guessed, we have a VPN guide that we think you'll like.

Yes, more than a few of the remote access desktop services listed in the above article offer a limited free plan. Typically, these free offerings are kept to a single user and just two remotely accessible devices.

This means free remote access software isn't great for remote IT support. It's still a fine option for a freelancer that wants to work on two different computers, or one who wants to access their personal computer from their mobile device while on the go. However, a business that needs to supply remote IT support to more than just a couple of employees will likely find a paid service suits their needs better.

Good remote desktop access software should work as well as your existing internet connection. If your computer has a laggy connection, the IT pro viewing it remotely will see the same lag. A high speed connection of at least 10 Mb/s of download speed and upload speed is needed. Lowering your latency will help as well. However, this is unlikely to be a problem for typical internet connections.

GoToMyPC, TeamViewer, Splashtop, LogMeIn Pro, and Anydesk all offer fluid, seamless keystrokes and mouse movements across remote connections in typical conditions.

Remote access software allows one user's device to remotely connect directly to another device, to access data that would typically be accessed on that second device. Terminal emulation software lets multiple users remotely connect to a single central server, viewing data that is designed to be accessible primarily through this terminal emulation process.

Common features of remote access software include file transfer, multiple monitors, and remote reboots. Other useful abilities include remote audio playback and video conferencing, or instant chat functions. Larger companies might also prioritize software that is easy to deploy and to use, so that all their employees will be able to benefit from it without a time-consuming training session.

The benefits of remote access software boil down to better flexibility. When properly protected with the online IT support that remote access software supplies, employees can work from home on a full or part-time basis. They can set their own hours and avoid the distractions of a physical office (including meetings!), while fulfilling all their work obligations.

In addition, remote workforce powered by remote access software will save a business money by allowing them to avoid travel costs, and to stop paying for their physical office space. While this benefit won't directly boost productivity, it will free up funds that can be reinvested in the business's growth.

Role-based access ensures that each user of a software will only have access to the features, data, and – in the case of remote access software – other devices that are relevant to them. If every IT worker has access to every device, the entire group can be compromised with a security breach of any account. But when the security settings offer more contained access, a bad actor can only compromise a limited amount of data.

Yes, it's fairly safe to use remote desktop software when on a public wifi, as long as the service has encrypted its data – as any trustworthy remote access software does. However, we'd recommend a VPN as well. While your data will be safe, the network itself could be compromised, and a VPN adds a layer of protection.
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Adam Rowe
@AdamRRowe

Adam is a writer at Tech.co and has worked as a tech writer, blogger and copy editor for the last decade. He's also a Forbes Contributor on the publishing industry (and Digital Book World 2018 award finalist) and has appeared in publications including Popular Mechanics and IDG Connect. When not glued to TechMeme, he loves obsessing over 1970s sci-fi art.

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