In today’s interconnected world, remote access tools have become indispensable for businesses, individuals, and IT professionals. Whether you’re troubleshooting technical issues, providing remote support, or collaborating with a geographically dispersed team, having a reliable and secure remote access solution is essential.
While TeamViewer has been a popular choice for many, there are several excellent alternatives available that cater to various needs. In this article, we’ll explore the thirteen best TeamViewer alternatives, helping you make an informed decision about which to adopt.
- Dameware Remote Everywhere
- Dameware Remote Support
- Mikogo
- Ammyy Admin
- Chrome Remote Desktop
- GoTo Meeting (formerly Join.Me)
- Webex Remote
- LogMeIn Pro
- VNC Connect
- Splashtop
- RemotePC
- Zoho Assist
- ConnectWise Control
Remote Access Isn’t Going Anywhere
Remote access has been in use for a while now, especially since companies have transitioned to remote work-from-home policies in this post-pandemic era. It enables users to connect to devices and access files on a network from any location. Tools like TeamViewer and its alternatives take it one step further by allowing users not only to connect but also to control the devices, just like with remote support, which businesses have used as a standard customer service solution for years to provide quick response times around the clock. Remote desktop access benefits more than customers. Companies also enjoy being able to address their customers’ needs from virtually anywhere in the world at reduced manpower costs.
Establishing a strong remote desktop connection is more prevalent today than ever. Adopting a remote access strategy offers companies fluidity in employee collaboration and productivity. They can hire the best talent regardless of location, remove silos, and promote collaboration between teams and locations around the world. Whether because of the rise of remote work, global collaboration, or the need for efficient technical support, the demand for reliable remote access solutions is not diminishing. Let’s delve into the best TeamViewer alternatives that can step up to the plate.
The Best TeamViewer Alternatives for Remote Access
Whether your focus is complex remote management or holding online meetings with different participants, the following list should help you select a suitable TeamViewer alternative. From free versions to free trials, these options deliver everything TeamViewer offers and more. With employees working from home, it’s important for businesses to understand and adopt measures to maintain a productive work environment outside a typical office setting.
1. Dameware Remote Everywhere
A cloud-based solution, Dameware Remote Everywhere (DRE™) typically connects to workstations in less than eight seconds and includes encryption protocols to help keep data safe over the connection. With two-factor authentication and multi-level permissions, DRE’s security features alone position the software as a strong TeamViewer alternative.
Establish quick remote access, either attended or unattended, from Windows, macOS X, or Linux to any desktop or mobile device such as Android or iOS. DRE users can also take screenshots and record videos during a remote desktop session. This reporting feature can then be saved to a file and uploaded to the cloud for future troubleshooting reference. In addition, DRE enables IT professionals to reboot unresponsive computers via Wake-on-LAN, so they don’t need to wait for the end user to be present before troubleshooting.
Other remote desktop features include pre-session or in-session chats with end users, video conferencing, multi-monitor support, and multi-window toggling to run several sessions simultaneously.
DRE may not be a free alternative to TeamViewer, but it offers a fourteen-day trial for users to see how comprehensive, robust, and safe it is.
2. Dameware Remote Support
For slightly different use cases than DRE, Dameware Remote Support (DRS™) is on-premises software that works with an unlimited number of end users over Linux, Windows, and macOS X. Remote connections are safely established over the internet or via LAN. In simplifying the Windows administration process, the software also accesses reboot systems and allows users to view and clear event logs and delete or move files.
Built-in remote admin tools facilitate remote management of Active Directory environments and deliver remote support from iOS and Android devices at any time from anywhere. A distinct feature of DRS is its partly remote system, which uses system tools to troubleshoot issues on a device without needing to launch a full remote-control session on the host. It also allows for mass deployment of agents to devices and help desk integration. Additionally, DRS offers user account and permissions management.
Users can try DRS with its fully functional fourteen-day trial.
3. Mikogo
Mikogo runs directly within the browser on most primary operating systems with no download or installation necessary, saving businesses and end users time. It features all the standard components of strong online meeting software, such as chat features, interactive whiteboard functionality, recording and playback tools, and more. Admin roles can be switched out quickly and easily, and with the Mikogo HTML viewer, teams of up to twenty-five users can access a computer simultaneously.
With high-quality VoIP and teleconferencing numbers for many countries, Mikogo makes virtual meetings easy. Users will enjoy the convenience of multiple monitor support for up to four screens and a data transfer function to safely share and exchange sensitive files up to 200MB with each other.
A fourteen-day trial for a single user per session is available.
4. Ammyy Admin
With a zero-configuration requirement, Ammyy Admin users can immediately and easily share a remote desktop or control a server. No complicated firewall or router configurations mean straightforward security features and a unique ID is created for each user to avoid unauthorized entry. Ideal for remote system administration, distance learning, remote support, and data isolation, Ammyy Admin is a simple but robust multi-tasking TeamViewer alternative you can use anywhere at any time.
Free for personal use, this remote desktop software enables direct data transfer and basic chat functions. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support full-screen mode.
5. Chrome Remote Desktop
Perhaps the simplest and most straightforward TeamViewer alternative on this list, Chrome Remote Desktop, runs as an extension within the Google Chrome browser. You’ll need a Google account to access it, but as lots of people already use a Gmail address, this shouldn’t be too much of a hindrance. Simply add the extension to the browser on the computers to which you want access, and you’ll instantly have remote control via an HTTPS connection.
This Chrome extension may be free to use, but as with most “you-get-what-you-pay-for” instances, limitations come with the free price tag. If you’re looking for functionalities like chat, video calls, and screen-sharing, Chrome Remote Desktop is, unfortunately, not the remote access solution for you.
6. GoTo Meeting (formerly Join.Me)
As its name suggests, GoTo Meeting is a useful alternative to TeamViewer for setting up remote meetings. Users can customize online meetings, share screens, record sessions for future playback and tracking, and use an interactive whiteboard feature with real-time discussions via a personalized URL. Its integration with Google Calendar and Outlook also facilitates easy scheduling.
It’s free for basic voice-over IP and meetings with up to ten participants upon downloading and registering. It also offers paid versions with additional administration capabilities for individuals and enterprise users. With one click, paid users can connect to one another simultaneously from anywhere in the world and host meetings with up to 250 participants. As it’s restricted to Windows and macOS X, it’s less than ideal for larger, varied enterprises.
7. Webex Remote
Cisco acquired Webex Communications in 2007. Now running on Cisco’s cloud servers, Webex Remote is a powerful cloud-based TeamViewer alternative offering maximum bandwidth and availability for large, distributed teams. Aimed to help organizations and individuals conduct online training and web conferencing, it integrates seamlessly with Outlook for convenient scheduling and enables real-time access to screen sharing. A great alternative to TeamViewer, Webex Remote makes it easy to transfer files, keep pace with regulatory changes, and manage company software, thereby reducing maintenance delays.
With its free version, users can hold online meetings with up to two other participants. Premium packages will grant access to additional features such as password protection, setting up web conferences with as many as a hundred guests, screen-sharing, and personalized user profiles and permissions.
8. LogMeIn Pro
LogMeIn Pro provides 1TB of cloud space to store relevant files, applications, and projects in one centralized place. While this TeamViewer alternative caps access to ten computers, an unlimited number of users can access these files in the cloud.
LogMeIn Pro also features a cross-platform browser application to establish remote connections in local networks and over the internet, with all sessions protected via SSL/TLS. Additionally, it uses a public key infrastructure to verify the identity of both the server and the host. While its other features, like multi-monitor display, task automation, and remote printer access, are impressive, LogMeIn Pro doesn’t support web conference meetings.
Users can try out these features with a fourteen-day trial before committing to a paid version.
9. VNC Connect
With both free and paid versions, VNC Connect may appeal more to small businesses. It holds a security advantage with its password-protected 128-bit AES encryption and two-factor authentication. It also features a server app installed on the computer you’re controlling and a viewer application accessed from your work device. Users will appreciate high-speed streaming for remote access across cloud and offline connections.
While its strength lies in its security, VNC Connect, unfortunately, lacks web conferencing features. However, its paid version gives enterprises comprehensive control over unlimited devices and standard features like data transfer and chat. There’s also a thirty-day trial so that users can fully explore its features.
10. Splashtop
Splashtop is a highly rated and performant remote access solution for personal and business use. It offers features like cross-platform access, multi-monitor support, and file transfer capabilities. It’s best known for its security and privacy features and offers all the standards and compliance for traditional business uses.
It’s highly versatile as it supports a variety of operating systems, including the most common ones, such as Android, Windows, iOS, and Linux. It also has a feature where you can get remote access to multiple monitors. This can be extremely useful for tasks that require a larger screen real estate.
Where Splashtop shines with respect to its speed and low latency, its free version restricts the number of computers you can access. You’ll need to pay for a higher-tier plan in order to use some features like accessing remote devices from mobile. Moreover, these advanced features may also have a learning curve.
Splashtop offers a seven-day free trial for the business plan that you can use to explore the tool.
11. RemotePC
RemotePC supports secure file transfers and even allows you to perform search and download operations. It allows unattended remote access when users are not present, and more than one user can access the remote computer at a time. It offers built-in collaboration features such as chat, whiteboard, and remote printing, and you can listen to audio files remotely.
RemotePC has great features that come at a cost-effective price, along with essential security considerations. However, cloud backups and roles and permissions access are things that are only available in high-end plans. It has a seven-day free trial for all of its plans, so you can use it to explore its features in-depth.
12. Zoho Assist
Zoho Assist is a secure cloud-based remote access tool. It offers features like unattended remote access, live chat support, and integration with other Zoho products. If you’re looking for an all-in-one tool that offers easy integration with other tools of your choice, it’s the ideal solution. It’s fairly simple and easy to set up and use, and it offers enterprise-grade security and cross-platform support. One of its outstanding features includes augmented reality remote assistance. You can use this to access users’ cameras remotely and use AR to offer remote assistance to them.
It has a completely free plan that offers instant chat features, multi-monitor and cross-platform support, and remote audio. Its paid plans offer some advanced features such as remote printing, screen sharing, group permissions, etc. It offers security compliance in almost all plans, including the free one. Its remote support and unattended assistance are different plans altogether, so it can be difficult to decide which plan to use.
13. ConnectWise Control
ConnectWise Control is a powerful remote access tool that offers all the capabilities and features provided by TeamViewer but also includes backstage, which TeamViewer doesn’t have. Its overall cost per agent is also cheaper than TeamViewer’s. Moreover, it offers features like user permissions, agent deployment, and advanced filtering that other tools like Splashtop don’t have.
It has a free fourteen-day trial that you can use to explore this tool and its features.
Choosing the Right TeamViewer Alternative for You
Remote work is rapidly becoming the norm. Cloud-based programs like Dropbox and Google Drive already embody some aspects of remote access, but unlike remote access software like the thirteen we’ve shared above, these programs don’t grant users the control they need to remotely troubleshoot or host virtual meetings. As mentioned earlier, TeamViewer has consistently been a popular tool, but these alternatives offer expanded capabilities to propel businesses and individuals into the future of remote access and IT support.
Naturally, the right TeamViewer alternative depends on your business scale, budget, and remote needs like web conferencing and screen-sharing. In my opinion, good remote access software should offer a secure connection, comprehensive troubleshooting, Active Directory integration, and scalability. Dameware Remote Everywhere checks all those requirements and positions itself as a powerful alternative to TeamViewer. In comparison to TeamViewer, DRE includes more functionality within an intuitive user interface, offering full remote control over a vast network of remote workstations companies need in today’s remote-working world. However, if your needs aren’t that big and you’re looking to get your hands on a tool quickly without any overhead, you can also consider Zoho Assist.
This post was written by Siddhant Varma. Siddhant is a full stack JavaScript developer with expertise in frontend engineering. He’s worked with scaling multiple startups in India and has experience building products in the Ed-Tech and healthcare industries. Siddhant has a passion for teaching and a knack for writing. He’s also taught programming to many graduates, helping them become better future developers.