Remote control software for the pc

AnyDesk was designed by a group of developers who participated in TeamViewer's development. These are not exactly the same, but it is a fairly practical, fast tool and does everything you expect from a remote access program. AnyDesk is compatible with several operating systems.

Moreover, it offers a free and professional version. Download: AnyDesk Free, premium version available. Chrome Remote Desktop is a well-known extension for the Google Chrome web browser. It can work on any platform.

Its use is as simple as installing the add-on in your browser from the Chrome Web Store on both computers, the one that will act as a client local and the other that will work as a server remote. To use the Google Chrome remote desktop, you must have a Google account since this tool works through it. This tool also offers a security PIN so that even if someone accesses your account, they cannot access your computer remotely also.

Download: Chrome Remote Desktop Free. Splashtop allows you to remotely control a Windows computer from a mobile device quickly. This application, available on Google Play and the App Store, will enable you to remotely access everything on the computer. In the free version, you can remotely access up to five devices in a local network.

This version is for personal use and is not authorized for commercial purposes. Meanwhile, the paid version is focused on companies and allows professional remote control of corporate network devices. Download: Splashtop Free, premium version available. The fastest remote desktop software can be hampered by poor connections or overloaded CPUs on the host or the agent device. Be careful when reading the sales copy on websites selling remote desktop software because nearly all of them claim to be the fastest in the industry.

In practice, sufficient speeds to provide almost instant response times can be achieved with any commercial remote desktop software. Our research reveals that the top five remote desktop tools for remote assistance are:.

Any internet-connected application can create security weaknesses if it's not properly configured or kept up to date. Apply all available protection measures, such as 2FA, and update the software whenever a patch becomes available to keep TeamViewer secure.

A terminal emulator opens up a session on a remote server. This usually involves giving access to an authorized user on that remote server through an account that has already been allocated to that person.

A terminal emulator also usually just gives access to the command prompt on the remote device. A remote desktop system serves the desktop environment to the user. This diverts the image usually sent to a screen attached to the computer to the computer that runs the remote desktop controlling software. However, it is also available for Macs. So, you can install this service on your Mac and remotely access a Windows computer. There are many remote desktop packages that run on Windows.

Microsoft Remote Desktop is the obvious choice because it is already available within the operating system. However, probably the best system that you could opt for would be Dameware Remote Everywhere. Terrible article mostly focused on free trials, which by definition is NOT free. Best part was a suggestion by one of the commenters not the author of this article.

It is very sadly when the article lists only the well-known products. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Comparitech uses cookies. More info. Menu Close. We are reader supported and may receive a commission when you make purchases using the links on our site. Need to remote access your work computer while telecommuting? Or log in to network devices to solve technical issues and deploy software?

We show you the best free remote desktop software available. Stephen Cooper. This system is also available as on-premises software for installation on Windows and Windows Server. Two options for business with a day free trial. TeamViewer A widely-used paid remote desktop system that is free to use for private individuals. Chrome Remote Desktop A straightforward, easy-to-access remote desktop system that runs through a Google Chrome browser.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Free utility provided by Microsoft that enables remote desktop access to devices running Windows. How does a remote desktop work? Remote desktop software has two components.

The console and the agent. The best free remote desktop software This list of remote desktop software is a mixture of utilities for business and personal use. What should you look for in free remote desktop software? We reviewed the market for remote desktop software and analyzed the options based on the following criteria: The option to upgrade from a limited free version to a higher paid edition A tool that offers direct access to the remote operating system as well as the desktop The ability to manage connections to multiple devices simultaneously Options for sessions to be attended by the user or unattended A system that includes live channels to communicate with the user A system that offers team operations for use by support departments An easy to use technician console.

We feature the best remote desktop software to make it easy to control and access PCs and deploy software remotely. RemotePC 2. Zoho Assist 3. Splashtop 4. Parallels Access 5. LogMeIn 6. ConnectWise Control 7. Teamviewer 8. Chrome Remote Desktop 9. Remote Desktop Manager View Deal. Reasons to avoid - No general plan with all features - Free tier is very limited. Reasons to avoid - Different features available on different devices - Can be expensive.

Reasons to avoid - Some advanced features are absent - Not suitable for remote network control. LogMeIn Pro. Reasons to avoid - Expensive - Could be overkill for many users. Connectwise Control. Highly specialized remote access for support and unattended access. Reasons to avoid - Can be expensive. Reasons to avoid - On the expensive side - Can be laggy with slow connections. Reasons to avoid - Lacks advanced features - Can only be used with Google Chrome.

Reasons to avoid - Quite expensive - Can be a little slow. Remote Utilities for Windows. Reasons to avoid - Only compatible with Windows devices - Setting up a network can be time consuming.

You can also connect to the host from AnyDesk's web client. If unattended access is set up, the client doesn't need to wait for the host to accept the connection. The program auto-updates and can enter full-screen mode, create a balance between quality and speed of the connection, transfer files and sound, sync the clipboard, record the remote session, run keyboard shortcuts, take screenshots of the remote computer, and restart the host computer.

AeroAdmin is probably the easiest program to use for free remote access. There are hardly any settings, and everything is quick and to the point, which is perfect for spontaneous support. Just open the portable program and share your IP address or the given ID with someone else. This is how the client computer will know how to connect to the host.

You can choose View only or Remote Control before you connect, and then just select Connect to request remote control. When the host computer confirms the connection, you can start controlling the computer and share clipboard text. It's great that AeroAdmin is absolutely free for both personal and commercial use, but it's too bad there isn't a chat option included, and really too bad that you can't transfer files.

It can be installed on bit and bit versions of Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and XP. Iperius Remote is one of the easiest to use remote desktop programs with some awesome features like a robust file transfer tool and chat application. It also lets you connect to a computer remotely with their mobile app. Open the program and select Allow connections to see your password. Share that and the ID next to it with the client so that they can connect to the computer.

Enter the host computer's ID into the second text box, press Connect , and then enter the password when you see the password prompt. This free remote access program is perfect for on-demand access.

You and the other person can download and start using Iperius Remote in just a minute or two. The program interface is extremely simple and easy to understand. If you want more control you can open the settings to enable continuous access, a custom password, a proxy, etc. Supported operating systems include bit and bit versions of Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP, as well as Windows Server , , , and Zoho Assist is yet another remote access tool that has a free edition for both personal and commercial use.

You can share screens and files, and chat remotely with the other user through a unique session ID and password. You can copy the ID and password manually, share a unique URL with the client, or just enter their email address to have the connection info emailed to them.

The host also needs to download a small tool so that the client can remotely access in order to control the computer. Once the host computer is fully set up and ready to go, the client needs to access the Join Screen Sharing Session page and enter the ID and password of the client computer. Or, if the host shared the information over email or the URL, then, of course, the client can just use that information to connect to the host. By default, the client doesn't have full control rights, only viewing permissions.

Some other features included in this program are clipboard sharing, a pause button for the host, and an annotation tool so that the host and client can draw on the screen. The Zoho Assist free plan supports only five unattended computers and one concurrent session. For more features, you can order the Standard, Professional, or Enterprise edition.

The free Quick Assist remote access program is easy to understand and doesn't require a download because it's built-in to Windows 11 and Search for it through the Start menu, or browse the Windows Accessories Start menu folder, to open the program. Type into the text box the 6-digit code that the client's computer generated, and then select Share screen.

Once the client has done their part, you need to confirm that they can have access to your computer before the connection can be established.

Choose Assist another person and then log in to your Microsoft account. Give the security code to the host and then choose Take full control or View screen to get remote access to their computer.

Once the client has connected to the host, they can change which monitor to control, annotate directly on the screen, restart the computer, and quickly open Task Manager. The multitude of options could be overwhelming and confusing if you just want a simple remote access tool.

LiteManager is strikingly similar to Remote Utilities, explained above. However, unlike that program, which can control a total of only 10 PCs, this one supports up to 30 slots for storing and connecting to remote computers, and also has lots of useful features. The computer that needs to be accessed should install the LiteManager Pro — Server. There are numerous ways to ensure a connection can be made to the host computer. It can be done through the IP address, computer name, or an ID.

The easiest way to set this up is to right-click the server program in the notification area of the taskbar, choose Connect by ID , erase the contents that are already there, and click Connected to generate a brand new ID.

The other program, called Viewer, is installed for the client to connect to the host. Once the host computer has produced an ID, the client should enter it from the Connect by ID option in the Connection menu to establish a remote connection to the other computer. Once connected, the client can do all sorts of things, much like with Remote Utilities, such as work with multiple monitors, transfer files silently, take full control or read-only access of the other PC, run a remote task manager, launch files and programs remotely, capture sound, edit the registry, create a demonstration, lock the other person's screen and keyboard, and text chat.

There's also a QuickSupport option, which is a portable server and viewer program that makes connecting much quicker than the above method. This program is available for macOS and Linux, too. ShowMyPC is portable and similar to some of these other programs, but uses a password to make a connection instead of an IP address.

This ID is the number you must share with others so they can connect to the host. Open the same program on another computer and enter the ID from the host program to make a connection. There are additional options here that aren't available in UltraVNC, like webcam sharing over a web browser and scheduled meetings that allow someone to connect to your PC via a personal web link that launches a Java version of ShowMyPC. Clients can only send a limited number of keyboard shortcuts to the host computer.

It works on all versions of Windows. After optionally forwarding the proper port number in your router, and signing up for a free account, you can access your PC from anywhere through a web browser. The computer that will be accessed remotely needs to have the DesktopNow software installed. When the program is first launched, your email and a password should be entered so you can use the same credentials on the client side to make the connection.