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Remote access software by need

Best remote access software in 2026: pick by what you need

There's no single winner in remote access software: the right tool depends on whether it's for home or work, whether anyone sits at the PC, and whether you want to run a server yourself. So instead of a ranking, here are 16 popular tools grouped by what you need, with each one's free version and limits from its maker's own site.

We make RemoteAccessApp, so it's first: free for 5 Windows or Linux PCs, for personal and work use, with unattended access and no port forwarding.

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  • Grouped by need, not ranked
  • Checked October 2026
  • Facts from each maker's own site

Free for work use, nothing to host: RemoteAccessApp

Free for 5 PCs and 5 saved hosts, with 3 open at once, for personal and work use

Unattended access, browser access (phones too) and no port forwarding are all in the free plan, with no session time limit and no card.

  • Unattended access to your own PCs, turned on at the PC itself. Unattended access
  • Your PCs in any modern browser, on a Mac, a Chromebook, a phone or a tablet. Browser access
  • An Allow prompt on the PC (unless unattended access is on) and a banner during every session.
  • Chat, file transfer, clipboard sync and a remote command prompt, plus SSH, SFTP, RDP and VNC in the same app.
  • One command or a saved script on many PCs, free. With Pro, Teams with roles and per-PC permissions. Small business IT
  • Windows 10 and 11, Home and Pro, and 64-bit Linux with X11 or Wayland.

Free versions for personal use only

Popular tools whose free version is for home use. For work, they're paid.

  • TeamViewer

    Personal, non-commercial use only

    Its knowledge base counts checking your work computer from home as commercial use, and free users flagged for commercial use can get connection timeouts.

  • AnyDesk

    Personal, non-commercial use only

    Its terms say AnyDesk may suspend free use if it suspects commercial use.

  • Splashtop

    Personal, non-commercial use on your home network only

    Reaching your computers from outside your home network needs a paid add-on, and Splashtop counts working from home as commercial use.

  • Parsec

    Personal, non-commercial use only

    A streaming tool: a chat and an on-screen banner for the person at the PC aren't listed on its site.

  • Supremo

    Non-professional and/or non-continuous use

    Its site asks you to subscribe to use it without restrictions.

Built into Windows, and a free option from Google

Nothing to buy, with limits worth knowing before you rely on them.

  • Microsoft Remote Desktop

    Included with Windows

    Microsoft says Windows Home editions can't be Remote Desktop hosts, and reaching a PC from outside its network needs port forwarding or a private tunnel.

  • Quick Assist

    Built into Windows

    Each session starts with a new time-limited code, the helper needs a Microsoft account, and unattended access isn't listed.

  • Chrome Remote Desktop

    Free

    When you share your screen for support, Google's help page says you're asked every 30 minutes to confirm you want to keep sharing.

Free if you run the server or open the ports

Open source and VNC tools that are free to use, with the server, the ports or the encryption left to you.

  • RustDesk

    Open source, with a server you can run yourself

    Keeping that server online, patched and backed up is up to you, and its web console, single sign-on and access control are in the paid server edition.

  • MeshCentral

    Open source, on a web server you run yourself

    Keeping that server online, patched and backed up is up to you, and the desktop prompt is an option you turn on.

  • TightVNC

    The base version is free for personal and commercial use

    Session encryption needs TightVNC Pro, a paid subscription active on both computers, and its FAQ says to forward port 5900 to reach a PC from the internet.

  • UltraVNC

    Free

    Across the internet it needs a repeater you host or ports forwarded on your router, and encryption is a plugin.

  • NoMachine

    The free server-side edition was discontinued as of version 10

    Its Personal Edition allows one active desktop connection at a time, and reaching a PC from outside can mean mapping a port to port 4000.

Paid remote support suites for IT teams

Built for help desks and service providers, with trials or paid editions.

  • ConnectWise ScreenConnect

    No free plan: paid plans after a free trial

    Its pricing page lists command line access on plans above its entry plan.

  • LogMeIn Pro

    No free plan: a paid service with a 14-day free trial

    Reaching your own computers after the trial needs a subscription.

  • Zoho Assist

    A free plan, with remote support and unattended access sold as separate editions beyond it

    Its pricing page lists remote script execution in its Unattended Access Professional edition.

Facts about other products are from their official websites and documentation as of October 2026; products change, so check their sites for the latest. Select a name for the full comparison and its sources. RemoteAccessApp facts are for the current version. Want them in one table? See free remote desktop software compared.

How to pick remote access software in four steps

  1. Step 1: Check that the free version or plan allows your use

    Several popular free versions are for personal use only. If any of your PCs are for work, read the terms first. Free plans compared.

  2. Step 2: Decide whether you need unattended access

    To reach your own PCs when nobody is there, you need unattended access. Make sure it's switched on at the PC itself, not from somewhere else. Unattended access.

  3. Step 3: Check what it needs from your network

    Some tools need port forwarding, a repeater or a server you keep online. Others connect out through any router. Remote desktop without port forwarding.

  4. Step 4: Try it on two of your own PCs

    Use it for a week for the jobs you actually do, and check that the person at the PC can always see a session. The checklist for choosing remote desktop software has the questions to ask.

How we wrote this page

We make RemoteAccessApp, so it's listed first. We don't rate or rank other products: every statement about one comes from its official website or documentation, checked in October 2026, and each is on that product's comparison page with its sources. If we couldn't confirm something there, it isn't here. We don't quote prices, because they change.

Questions, answered

TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Splashtop and other product names on this page are trademarks of their respective owners, used only to identify those products. RemoteAccessApp isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. Facts about other products come from their official websites as of .

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