Whether in the workplace or as part of a distributed workforce around the globe, practically all modern white collar workers use computers that IT teams will need to access. As a result, remote access software can be a huge boon for most businesses.
TeamViewer is one such feature-rich option. Here's what you need to know about it.
In this guide:
- TeamViewer Pricing Plans
- TeamViewer Integration & Add-Ons
- Is TeamViewer free?
- TeamViewer Pros and Cons
- TeamViewer Features
- TeamViewer Benefits
- Technical Details
- TeamViewer Alternatives
- TeamViewer FAQs
TeamViewer Pricing Plans
TeamViewer's cheapest plan costs $49 per month, billed annually for $588 per year. TeamViewer also offers two other plans, which allow more participants, devices and controls, starting at $99 per month and $199 per month.
TeamViewer also offers add-ons and third-party integrations, as well as a free 14-day trial.
Here's a breakdown of each of the three main plans, all of which include phone-based tech support.
| 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 |
Business License
The Business license costs $49 per month, and is billed annually at $588. It's for a single user, and allows them to connect up to three devices, with nine additional movements per year for any users who need to exchange one device for another. The number of managed devices is capped at 200.
It'll let the user connect and control computers remotely and securely, with remote printing access, file sharing, and cross platform access (from Windows to Mac or vice versa, in other words). Meeting participants are capped at five.
Premium License
The Premium license costs $99 per month, billed annually at $1,188. It's best for businesses with multiple people who need access, as its user cap is 50 – significantly up from the single Business user – with up to 300 managed devices, and 15 meeting participants.
It offers all the same features, plus customized device information and user access reporting, so you'll always know who accessed what and when. One channel is included, though businesses can add up to 10, in order to allow multiple sessions at a time.
Corporate License
The Corporate license costs $199 per month, billed annually at $2,388. It's aimed at teams, as they may need to remotely access a device as a group, or simultaneously access multiple devices. One license includes 200 users, 25 meeting participants, and up to 500 managed devices.
Features include everything in Premium, plus a mass deployment feature for installing TeamViewer across hundreds of devices at once, device access reporting for better audits, and the tools to add third-party integrations with CRM, customer support, or help desk systems.
TeamViewer Integration & Add-Ons
Add-Ons
TeamViewer offers five add-ons.
First, there's TeamViewer Remote Management, a general term for three different services from which users can choose which they need: Monitoring & Asset Management, which costs $1.91 per month per endpoint, billed annually; Endpoint Protection, a randsomware protection service costing $1.91 per month per endpoint, billed annually; and Backup, for just $0.10 per month per endpoint, also billed annually.
Then there's Support for Mobile Devices, an add-on that supports iPad, iPhone, and Android devices from your desktop computer for $32.90 per month, billed annually at $394.80.
TeamViewer's Servicecamp service desk lets users offer simple ticket management to their customers, costing $9.90 per month per agent, billed annually at $118.80 per agent. The TeamViewer Pilot add-on takes the remote service desk even further, empowering technicians to guide customers through complex processes with an augmented reality tool, for $39.00 per month per technician, billed annually at $468.00 per technician.
Finally, there's Extra Concurrent Users, the add-on that businesses should opt for if they need more users than the Premium plan's 50 users, or the Corporate plan's 200 users. This add-on isn't available for the Business plan, which is only for a single user.
Integrations
The third-party integrations available for TeamViewer users come in six main categories: CRM, Internet of Things, IT Service Management, Remote Monitoring and Management, Unified Endpoint Management, and User Account Creation.
The CRM category includes Helpdesk tools as well, with four integrations: ZenDesk, Salesforce, Zoho, and Microsoft Dynamics 365. The Internet of Things include IBM Maximo and Synology; IT Service Management includes Freshworks, JIRA, Cherwell, and Servicenow; while Remote Monitoring and Management includes SysAid and Ninja RMM.
Unified Endpoint Management has the most integrations: Microsoft Intune, IBM MaaS360, EloView, Sophos, AppTec360, and MobileIron. Finally, there's User Account Creation/Deactivation, which includes Active Directory and Okta.
Is TeamViewer free?
In an unusual move, TeamViewer is indeed free for personal use.
Students can download a free copy for their own use, and so can anyone who needs to offer the occasional IT support to a Luddite friend or family member. The software will work forever, at no charge.
Anyone who wants to use it for commercial purposes, however, will be limited to the 14-day free trial, which offers full functionality and should be enough to let users know if they'll benefit from the paid service.
TeamViewer Pros and Cons
TeamViewer is a great application for a specific challenge that many modern companies face: How to quickly and easily address all their workers' IT needs. The software offers an IT team remote control of all employees' devices. This can be used for desktop sharing to install new services or troubleshoot problems, and it can also support online meetings and conferences as well as remote file transfers.
On the “cons” side, first and foremost there's the price, which many users find a little too high – particularly once the add-ons are factored in. In addition, there's a lag problem that is unavoidable if the destination device's software is too old, though it's not a concern as long as the client computers or mobile devices are kept up to date.
Finally, some features offered by competitor services are missing from TeamViewer: There's no ability with the basic plans to freeze screens remotely, or to see through a client device's camera.
TeamViewer Features
TeamViewer packs plenty of general features, even beyond the ones that this article highlighted earlier. Here are the noteworthy examples:
- Remote Access
- Remote Support
- File Sharing
- Real-time Chat
- Screen Sharing
- Session Recording
- Session Transfer
- Access Control
- Collaboration
- Diagnostics Tools
- File Transfer
- Mobile Access
- Remote Printing
- Reporting and Analytics
- Customizable customer modules
- Meetings and Presentations
- Wake-on-LAN
Ultimately, TeamViewer offers all the essential abilities and tools a remote access software should, even if some of them are only available through additional paid add-ons.
TeamViewer Benefits
Due to its feature-rich approach to remote device access, TeamViewer offers a range of benefits that can all add up to a lot of money saved at the end of the year.
First, TeamViewer makes it simple to transfer or pass control from one party to another, speeding up the workflow and boosting productivity as a result. How often does your business need to pass control of a device to someone else? The more you do, the greater the benefit of using TeamViewer.
Another big TeamViewer benefit is support for team sessions, which let administrators manage multiple parties at the same time. If you have tight-knit teams that may need upgrades or new software as a group, TeamViewer is an easy way to bring them on board.
And if any of your employees need to share files with any other teammates on a regular basis, TeamViewer's quick and easy file sharing ability uses a drag-and-drop interface to help employees collaborate.
So, is TeamViewer worth shelling out for? It depends on your business's needs: If you frequently find yourself facing technical challenges due to the wide range of platforms and devices used by your employees, adapting TeamViewer might ultimately save you money in the long run. But if you don't, it may not justify the price tag.
Technical Details
The TeamViewer remote access software works across all the main devices and platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, iPhone/iPad, Windows Mobile, and web-based services.
Deployment can be web-based, cloud-based, or via SaaS.
Training options include an online knowledge base and community forum, an academy, and customized packages that include in-person training. Have any questions or concerns? Support is available during business hours via email, phone, or live chat.
TeamViewer Alternatives
If you're still not sold on TeamViewer, that's okay. It's not the only remote access software in the game, and the two top competitors aren't too shabby.
LogMeIn Central costs just $9.95 per month per user, making it the clear budget choice. It's available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, and offers the suite of features needed to address your clients' IT problems in stride. However, lag time is a concern, and the support team isn't as responsive as one would hope, according to user reviews.
See how the two tools stack up in our Teamviewer vs LogMeIn head-to-head guide
Zoho Assist offers diagnostic tools and live chat alongside the file and screen sharing, session transfer, and remote access features you'd expect. The software doesn't offer some features unless you shell out for a higher-priced plan. In addition, the phone and browser apps can occasionally take a few moments to properly sync, which bugs some customers. It starts at $18 per user, per month.
Splashtop Remote Support is another popular option, with support for all major platforms and clients including big brands like Toyota, AT&T, and UPS. Plus, there's the Germany-based AnyDesk, priced at a bracing $10.99 per month and with over a hundred million users across the globe.
Any one of these four remote access solutions is a reasonable alternative to TeamViewer, offering the features and functionality businesses are looking for.
TeamViewer FAQs
What is the difference between TeamViewer free and paid?
The free version of TeamViewer is only for personal use, while the paid version is for commercial use. If you're not a business and you don't directly profit from using TeamViewer, you're free to download the complimentary version available from the TeamViewer website.
If you use TeamViewer within an organization, even a nonprofit one, you'll need to pay for a subscription. Furthermore, if you use a personal version, you'll have more limited features, as some abilities can only be unlocked with a license.
How long does a free TeamViewer session last?
TeamViewer's sessions will last just as long for the free version as for the paid one, with a maximum time limit of 8 hours.
However, if users would like to set a limit in order to avoid idle sessions that last all day despite no one benefiting from them, users can define an idle session timeout from anywhere between 30 minutes to 8 hours.
How many members can connect in TeamViewer?
The amount of members who can connect in TeamViewer depends on which plan you have licensed. The Business plan allows five meeting participants, the Premium plan allows 15, while the Corporate plan allows 25 participants.
If you're just looking for the number of users whose devices can be accessed one at a time by TeamViewer technicians, the Business plan supports 200, the Premium plan supports 300, while the Corporate plan supports 500.
Can TeamViewer spy on you?
No, TeamViewer can't be used to spy on your device without your consent.
Can TeamViewer see what I am doing?
Yes – if the TeamViewer software is currently connected to your device, then an agent can potentially be watching your screen. TeamViewer is connected when the TeamViewer panel is visible, typically on the upper righthand side of the screen on a desktop view. If you'd like to disconnect from TeamViewer, just click the dropdown menu and select the “close” option.
