Teamviewer is a popular remote desktop software tool. You can use it to access another desktop remotely and view that desktop computer’s screen.
For example, your IT team might use it to provide support to customers. Or, you might use it to see what a friend is doing and help them solve a problem they are facing.
A lot of people also use remote desktop software for themselves. In other words, they might be at work and need to do something on their home computer.
In that case, they would be able to use a remote desktop software tool to activate and control their home computer. They might need to send a file to themselves via Gmail, for example, or they might want to check on their crypto – whatever you need to do, you can do it with a remote desktop software tool like Teamviewer.
Teamviewer is a pretty good tool. However, there are many reasons you might be looking for an alternative to Teamviewer – for example, while there is a free version for personal use, some features are restricted to premium users.
Also, while there is a free version, it is only available for personal use. If you want to use a remote desktop software tool for commercial reasons, such as to help out customers, you will need to pay more than $50/month for just one user (as of this writing).
Fortunately, however, there are many free Teamviewer alternatives out there. Whether you can’t afford to pay for Teamviewer or you simply don’t like the layout of the software and how it works, this article is for you, because I will be showing you the 12 best FREE Teamviewer alternatives.
Many of these Teamviewer alternatives are not just free for personal use but are free for commercial use as well. There may be some limitations on their free versions, but if you are a small business with a small team, it might be enough.
Using these Teamviewer alternatives, you will be able to share your screen and access another screen remotely, for free.
Let us get into it.
The 12 Best Free Teamviewer Alternatives
1. Microsoft Remote Desktop
You might not have known that Microsoft actually has a free remote desktop software that you can download from the Microsoft Store as an alternative to Teamviewer. Using the Microsoft Remote Desktop app, you will be able to connect to a remote screen or apps.
The Remote Desktop Assistant will help you with the process of setting your screen up for remote access. It’s important to note, however, that as this is a Microsoft app, it will only work on Windows devices.
So, if you have a Mac, I would recommend sticking with the next option on this list. However, for Windows computers, Microsoft Remote Desktop is one of the best apps – and one of the easiest to use – for accessing other desktops remotely.
You’ll need a Windows 8.1 or higher.
If you only have a Windows 7 or even a Windows XP, don’t worry! You can use the next option on this list.
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2. AnyDesk
AnyDesk is one of the best free alternatives to Teamviewer for personal use. Not only is there a forever free version for personal use, but it is free for students as well, so you can use it for educational purposes (though the free version does have some limitations).
Using AnyDesk, you can connect with a friend or a fellow student and help them with either a technical problem they are facing while using a program or with a problem they are struggling with within their coursework.
Although the free version has some limitations, it includes all of the top-notch security features that the paid version has, so you won’t have to worry about your online safety or privacy when using the free version of AnyDesk.
Using AnyDesk, you can do things like transfer files from one computer to another and even print something remotely. For example, if you need to print a document that is on the remote desktop on a local printer, you can do so.
You can do a lot with the free version, but you can also upgrade to the premium version for more customization, commercial use, and more.
3. Chrome Remote Desktop
Chrome Remote Desktop is another free alternative to Teamviewer. One of the things going for Chrome Remote Desktop, sometimes referred to as Chrome RDP, is that it is incredibly easy to use, even if you do not have a lot of technical knowledge.
It’s very simple to use Chrome Remote Desktop. When you download it, you will be able to generate a code for your computer.
Using that code, the person you are sharing your device screen with will be able to access your device.
You need a Chrome or a Firefox browser to use Chrome Remote Desktop, as it is available as a Chrome and Firefox app.
However, you do not need to have a specific type of operating system. Any device that can use the Chrome or Firefox browser is able to use Chrome Remote Desktop.
That includes Chromebooks. It can be hard to find a good remote desktop software for Chromebooks, so if you have a Chromebook, I would recommend Chrome Remote Desktop as the best remote desktop operating system.
Using Chrome Remote Desktop, you can access another screen remotely on a Linux, Windows, Mac, or Chromebook device. It is fully functional and is a cross-platform solution.
I also recommend Chrome Remote Desktop for those without a lot of technical experience. However, I wouldn’t say it is the best remote desktop sharing app out there.
As you can see in the screenshot, it has a bunch of reviews on the Chrome Web Store that are not that great. The quality can sometimes leave room for improvement, and there can be occasional bugs.
Nevertheless, it is still a good Teamviewer alternative overall, especially if you can’t find another software that works on your operating system.
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4. NoMachine
NoMachine is another excellent Teamviewer alternative that is entirely free to use. If your operating system does not support Microsoft Remote Desktop, I would recommend NoMachine as your next best option – that includes older Windows operating systems, Macs, Linux devices, and even Raspberry Pi.
NoMachine even works on iOS and Android devices! Not many remote desktop software tools work on mobile phones, so if you are looking for a good Teamviewer alternative for your phone, consider using NoMachine – though your Android or iPhone will have to meet the system requirements.
Here is a full list of operating systems you can use NoMachine with:
- Windows
- Windows XP
- Windows Vista
- Windows 7
- Windows 8
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 10
- Mac OS
- 10.7
- 10.12
- 10.13
- 10.14
- 10.15
- 11
- Linux
- RHEL 4.4 and later
- SUSE 10 and later
- Fedora 10 and later
- Debina 4 and later
- Ubuntu 8.04 and later
- iOS
- iOS 8.0 and later
- Android
- Android 4.1 and later
- Raspberry Pi (some flavors)
- ARM (some versions)
Keep in mind that for computers, you will need to have 64 bit to use NoMachine, whether you are using it on a Linux, Windows, or Mac machine.
The fact that you can use NoMachine across multiple devices regardless of the operating system they use is one of the reasons I recommend NoMachine as the best Teamviewer alternative after Microsoft Remote Desktop. Also, NoMachine doesn’t even have any ads!
NoMachine makes money by selling software solutions as packages to businesses and corporations. However, for personal use, NoMachine is entirely free.
It uses NX protocol for screen sharing, which is pretty quick, so you won’t experience lags or delays.
There are some limitations on the free version, however. For example, you can have only one concurrent connection running at once.
You also won’t get technical assistance or desktop access via a browser if you have the free version. However, since it’s free, you can’t really complain about the lack of technical assistance.
Also, the free version, although lacking a few features, includes most of the features you will need. For example, even though you won’t be able to record your screen automatically with the free version, you can still benefit from most of the other features.
For most people, the free version will be just fine.
For a full comparison of the free vs the paid version, go to this page.
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5. Lite Manager
Lite Manager is another excellent Teamviewer alternative with a forever free version. One of the cool things about Lite Manager is that its free version allows you to connect up to 30 computers, which is more than many other free remote desktop software applications.
You don’t need to use an IP address to set up a connection with LIte Manager. Instead, you can program unique IDs for individual machines and connect one machine to another using those unique IDs.
The free version of Lite Manager includes almost all of the features of the paid version, including:
- Remote viewing
- File transfer
- Remote task management
- Text chat
- Remote launch
- Remote installation
- Many more
There are a few features that are limited to the Pro version, but most users will not need those features unless they are using Lite Manager for commercial reasons. Here are some of the features not included in the free version:
- Screen recording
- A ticket system for customer support
- A device manager
- A few other features
As you can see, the free version will be sufficient for most people, as you can connect up to 30 computers and make use of most of the features.
Not only can you view another screen remotely, but you can communicate with the person behind the other screen via text chat, audio chat, and video chat. That makes it incredibly easy to provide support to others via the remote desktop solution.
Here are the operating systems you can use Lite Manager on:
- Windows
- Mac
- iOS (iPhones and iPads)
- Android
- Linux
- Wine (an emulator for running Windows programs on operating systems like BDS and Solaris)
In other words, you can use Lite Manager on basically any device.
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6. UltraVNC
UltraVNC is an awesome free alternative to Teamviewer for Windows devices. It allows you to view and operate another screen remotely, using the software and your mouse and keyboard.
UltraVNC uses encryption to ensure your connection with the remote computer is safe. Using UltraVNC, you can transfer files easily from one computer to the other.
Also, you can use the text chat feature to communicate with the person on the other computer, if you are helping someone out. You can minimize the text chat to better see the screen without losing your text chat history.
As of this writing, the last version of UltraVNC was released in December 2020. However, you can go to the downloads page to see the latest version of this software and download it or a previous version.
6. PCHelpWare
There are a number of other VNC (Virtual Network Computing) products that you can use instead of UltraVNC, all released by the same company. However, they might not have all the features that UltraVNC has.
For example, you can also use PCHelpWare. PCHelpWare is also entirely free to use, and it can be used as an alternative to Teamviewer too.
Since PCHelpWare is fully customizable, you can customize it with your company’s design and logo. Like UltraVNC, you can take advantage of features like excellent security, file transfer, clipboard transfer, and text chat.
PCHelpWare is only recommended for older Windows devices. It has not been updated as UltraVNC has been, but it does work on extremely old Windows versions, including:
- Windows 95
- Windows 98
- Windows ME
- Windows 2000
- Windows 2003
- Windows XP
- Windows Vista
It can be incredibly hard to find remote desktop software that works on older Windows versions like Windows 95 or Windows 98. Almost nobody uses those versions of Windows anymore, but if you do, and you are looking for a Teamviewer alternative, consider using PCHelpWare.
8. ConnectWise Control
While some free Teamviewer alternatives require you to buy a premium package if you want to use it for commercial or business purposes, ConnectWise Control does not. It has a free plan for businesses that you can use forever, without ever upgrading to a premium plan.
ConnectWise Control is meant for businesses who want to provide tech support via remote screen sharing. When you sign up, you will automatically get a 14-day free trial of the premium version, but once your trial ends, you can continue using the free version forever.
With the free version, your business will face some limitations, however. For example, you will only be able to connect to one end-user during a session.
However, you can use ConnectWise to take control of another screen from a computer or mobile phone, whether you have Windows, iOS, or Android.
All in all, if you run a small business with a small tech support team and you are looking for a free alternative to Teamviewer to provide support for your clients, I think ConnectWise’s free plan might be just what you need.
9. Jump Desktop
Jump Desktop is an excellent free Teamviewer alternative for Windows devices. It is free for both personal and business use, something that not all free Teamviewer alternatives offer.
While you must install it on a Windows computer to access the free version of Jump Desktop, you can control and view not only other Windows computers but Mac computers as well. Although Jump Desktop does have versions for iOS and Android devices, those versions cost a small fee.
You need to have Windows 7 or later to install Jump Desktop. It offers secure connections, and it allows many people to connect to a single host computer at once, with each person getting their own cursor so they don’t have to fight over it.
Although the Mac version (for controlling and viewing other devices from your Mac device) is not free, it does come with a free trial for 14 days. It includes features like tags for organizing connected devices and a battery saver.
10. Splashtop
Splashtop Personal is a remote desktop app that works on various operating systems. Since it is entirely free for personal use, it can be a great alternative to Teamviewer.
While Splashtop Personal is entirely free for Windows and MAC devices, there is a small fee if you want to use it on iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads. That is one downside of Splashtop, but if you don’t plan on using it on iOS devices, it will remain free forever.
Not only can you access your computer from another computer, but you will be able to access it from your Android phone, for free. Using the free version of Splashtop, you will be able to connect and access up to five different computers.
Therefore, if you have one computer at work, another computer at home, and your friend’s computer, you can access all of them for free using Splashtop.
You can do pretty much anything with Splashtop. You can transfer files, play games that are on other devices, operate apps, and much more.
Although Splashtop is free, there are some add-ons available for purchase that can help enhance your productivity. For example, you can get the Productivity Pack to add features like live annotation and screen shortcuts or Anywhere Access to access your computer from any device across the world over the internet.
11. Zoho Assist
Zoho Assist is a remote desktop and support software that has a free edition, making it a great alternative to Teamviewer. Using Zoho Assist, you or your support team can connect to customers’ computers and provide them with real-time support.
The free plan does have some limitations, but it includes a lot of important features. Using the free plan, only one support technician can connect, but they can connect to up to five remote computers.
They can use features like instant chat to connect with customers, clipboard sharing, and more. Only one session can be active at a time.
As you can see, Zoho Assist is free not only for personal use but for businesses too. Even if you decide to upgrade later, you can always cancel your subscription or downgrade your plan whenever you want.
12. DWS Remote Control
The final free Teamviewer alternative on our list is not only entirely free to use but also open source. Most remote desktop software solutions may be free or have a free version, but they still won’t be open-source, which is what makes DWService so cool.
Since it is open-source, you will be able to view the source code, edit it, copy it, distribute it, and contribute to fixing bugs.
Not only that, but DWS allows you to view a computer remotely using your web browser. In other words, while you need to download software on the host computer (the computer you will be monitoring), you can view that computer’s screen on another computer using just your web browser, without downloading anything on the second computer.
DWS Remote Control has a community behind it, and anyone can contribute to the project. It is entirely free to use and you will never need to pay anything to use it, ever.
However, there are optional plans you can subscribe to. These plans will help fund the developers and keep the project going.
Again, payment is optional, and it’s not required.
DWService is available for:
- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
- Raspberry
- Wandboard
- Pine64
Wrapping It Up: What Is The Best Free Teamviewer Alternative?
If you use Windows, I would recommend Microsoft Remote Desktop due to its ease of use. However, if you have a Mac, Linux, or another operating system, consider NoMachine instead.
Some operating systems might only work with specific options on this list. Also, you might be looking for something specific – for example, not all of these free options allow commercial use, and not all of them are open source.
If you are looking for an open-source alternative to Teamviewer, I would recommend DWS Remote Control, also known as DWService. If you’re looking for commercial use, consider ConnectWise or Zoho Assist.
