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Backdraws of Teamviewer. Why do I need a TeamViewer alternative?
The main back draw of TeamViewer is that the commercial license is a bit too expensive to purchase. Especially for people looking to manage small-scale remote vendors. Or administrating in-house tech support. Additionally, although TeamViewer is feature-rich, it has its fair share of issues. It has complaints levied against its performance on slower connections. Occasionally, you can notice quite an obvious lag in the connection. It’s not a light software. So it is wise for a user to consider alternatives. There are many alternatives to TeamViewer that offer just the features that you might be looking for. Nothing less and nothing more. In this post, we bring to you the best alternative to TeamViewer that are powerful and free to use.
What are some of the best TeamViewer alternatives for remote desktop software?
Here is a list of our top four picks for the best TeamViewer alternatives. You will find the following tools most suitable for people looking for basic to mid-level features in terms of complexity.
AnyDesk
Hands down, the most popular alternative to Teamviewer.
Pros
- Multi-platform presence is a huge selling point for Anydesk. The software can run on basically every major OS you can think of. Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, ChromeOS, RPi and FreeBSD. That’s a very enticing list for an IT professional who might have to deal with different systems in their workplace.
- It provides TLS 1.2 encryption technology for end-to-end encryption.
- Incredibly lightweight files. The Windows version of this remote desktop software has a size of just 3MB.
- Automatic, constant and free updates. This is kind of an important feature with remote desktop software. That is because if you are using the latest version of AnyDesk to control a device that’s running an older version, then there are going to be compatibility issues. These give rise to a laggy and non-uniform experience. It’s just best for everyone if both the devices have the same version of the software.
- AnyDesk is one of the few remote desktop solutions that has gotten the chat function with the client just right.
- Fullscreen access and file transfer feature.
- Simple to set up, easy to use.
- It has one of the cleanest user interfaces in comparison to the other remote desktop software available on the market.
Cons
- Some users might prefer a properly configured VPN layer as a security measure.
- Admin access is a bit tricky to obtain especially if the client is not tech-savvy.
- You are going to have to maintain a separate list of the computers you manage on a daily basis.
- The mobile apps for AnyDesk are not as feature-rich as their desktop counterparts. This makes for a non-uniform experience in technical accessibility across different device types.
- It’s laggy on a slow internet connection.
Chrome Remote Desktop
This is the simplest, least feature-packed remote desktop software in our list. So if you are a professional user, steer away and scroll down to the next one. This one’s for us common folk out there who are just trying to share a screen. Chrome Remote Desktop first made its appearance as a Chrome extension. However, it is now directly accessible as a web app that can be accessed by just visiting its website. The client software is app-accessible too. It’s available for Android and iOS.
Pros
- Free. It’s completely free. That’s it.
- Easy to use. The level of understanding this remote desktop app is low.
- You can connect up to 100 clients. This makes it very lucrative to small scale applications.
Cons
- There aren’t a tonne of features here. The software does barely anything more than what its name conveys.
- You have the functionality to copy-paste items and share your audio feed but that’s pretty much all.
- You can access it using only a Chrome browser.
- There is a noticeable lag for graphics-intensive screen sharing.
- No remote control features to shutdown or wake.
- No file-sharing or chat capability.
ConnectWise Control
This one is the best suited off the ones on this list for professional IT needs. It shines among its counterparts due to its robust software and intuitive features. Additionally, it helps that the software just works regardless of the scale of its application. Remote user support is its main feature and it does that well. However, for remote meetings and conferences, you might want to consider something else.
Pros
- ConnectWise offers diverse cross-platform functionality.
- A secure end-to-end connection is established using two-factor authentication, SSL, AES-256 encryption and more. However, 2FA can be annoying for some users.
- Session timelines are a nifty feature.
- The ConnectWise user interface is a thing of beauty. It’s simple, elegant and easy to use.
- It has a central toolbox feature where you can store clients’ software and other items.
- It offers control to all equipment that you can control from a console. That’s an amazing feature as you can execute commands remotely through the CMD.
- It has a built-in chat feature.
- File drag and drop functionality.
- It’s possible to share a session with a second technician.
- You can take a video of a session.
- You can capture screenshots too.
- A good feature for businesses is that they can personalize the remote desktop software. You can add your own branding and logos. This gives off a professional vibe to the client.
- It supports a ton of add-ons. These add-ons increase the functionality of the software.
Cons
- The CMD access functionality has a restriction of 5000 characters.
- Administrating remote servers without a screen is not easy.
- No dual monitor support if the client has multiple monitors.
- File transfer takes place over the internet and not LAN. This can be an issue for larger files as the speed then gets restricted.
- The documentation is not too helpful.
JumpDesktop
JumpDesktop is well known for providing you a mobile-first approach to remote desktop sharing. It is built to control macOS and Windows desktops using Android or iOS applications. The macOS and Android version of this remote desktop software is paid. The other versions are free. But trust us, the paid version of this app is totally worth it. It’s a really nifty app that provides the bare basic function of providing lag-free remote desktop access from a smartphone. And it does that excellently.
Pros
- You can choose either Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or Virtual Network Computing (VNC) protocol.
- The app runs smoothly on a smartphone even while multitasking. You can resume your control of the remote client desktop after spending a few minutes on another app too.
- It has manually customizable preferences and settings. In addition to that, for the everyday user, it has an automatic mode where the settings are taken care of by the app.
- It adapts to the resolution of the device automatically.
- Wake support to access the client device even after it is in Sleep mode.
- You can use special mice to connect with phones.
- It supports connection with external monitors.
- It supports control with an Apple pencil.
- Consistent updates.
Cons
- Using the desktop from a smartphone is still tricky. Especially, when it comes to clicks and operating the pointer. However, this slight adaptation curve is present in all remote desktop solutions that are made for smartphones.
- It needs a fast internet connection.
- Wake support is only available via LAN.
Bonus resource – Comparison of all remote desktop software solutions
Here is Wikipedia’s exhaustive comparison list comparing almost all major remote desktop software for every feature and parameter. It’s probably the best resource if you are looking for comparison charts.
This post is brought to you by RocketFiles.
