Best Remote Desktop App for SMBs: LogMeIn
Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS Price: $350/yr for access to 2 computers up to $7,000/yr for access to 50 computers It’s the variety of functionality that makes LogMeIn pro best for small businesses. SMBs usually have a small IT team where each person does a bit of everything, so they need a remote desktop app that does a bit of everything also. A key feature is unattended remote access with Wake On LAN when support is required, but the user is busy with something else. Centralized management of anti-virus and firewalls, plus Active Directory group policy management multiplies the capabilities of your smaller IT team. It’s the ease of use that can make it worth the price for growing businesses and commercial use. LogMeIn used to have a free version but dropped it abruptly several years ago.
Best Remote Desktop App for Linux: TeamViewer
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux Price: $450/yr for single admin, up to 200 managed devices to $1750.yr for 30 admins, up to 500 managed devices. It’s an understatement to say TeamViewer is only the best remote desktop access for Linux. TeamViewer is the only remote desktop app on this list that boasts its ability to access Linux. Yet it may be the best option for anyone, from the individual IT support person up to large, multi-location businesses. If using VPNs for remote access is a problem for you, TeamViewer provides secure end-to-end AES encryption without a VPN. Perhaps the most useful feature of TeamViewer is that you can ask a user to download the remote desktop software, which can be branded for your business, and in seconds you can be on their device.
Best Remote Desktop App for Limited Budget: Splashtop
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome OS Price: $60/yr for a single user and up to $99/yr/user for business users The most affordable remote support app on the list, Splashtop does have complicated licensing and pricing. The single-user plan has the lowest price but has limited features such as only being able to view one monitor at a time. Yet if you just need to remote control your own computer, this may be enough. The enterprise option has all the features anyone may want, like session recording, remote reboot, and cloud options. There are several options for small businesses, managed service providers, and educational institutions. So it may take some time to figure out exactly what is needed for your situation. There are also many reports of remote connection instability.
Best Remote Desktop App Overall: AnyDesk
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, FreeBSD, Raspberry Pi, Chrome OS Price: $120/yr for a single user, $238/yr for 3 hosts and up to 3000 devices Whether you want this just for yourself or for your corporate help desk, AnyDesk provides an affordable, powerful, easy to use solution. If you’re supporting desktops and mobile devices in a corporate environment or providing remote support for IoT devices in an industrial setting, AnyDesk can help. AnyDesk has the greatest cross-platform capabilities supporting any operating system. It’s also the most user-friendly in our testing. AnyDesk’s pricing makes it available to most people and the functionality is as great or better than any of the remote support apps on this list. Security is also top of mind for AnyDesk with end-to-end AES encryption and RSA 2048 asymmetric key exchange. AnyDesk is the best remote access solution in our opinion.
Which Remote Desktop Support Solution Is Best for You?
We’ve compared four of the best remote desktop access solutions and in which situations they excel. However, what’s best for you requires looking at what pricing works for you and what features you need. Some options include whiteboards and tools for online meetings that might replace things like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Some are easier for the end-user to access. And some will work better over limited internet connections if you have users who live rurally. Put together your criteria, test all the remote access solutions, and see what’s best for you.
