Remote access software enables you to access everything on your computer from anywhere. And perhaps more importantly, it lets you take control of someone else’s computer. It’s extremely useful for helping friends and family remotely troubleshoot their devices and providing IT support to employees at a business. PCMag has been reviewing remote access software for more than 15 years, so we can help you pick the best solution for your needs. Here, we examine software for individuals and small businesses, as large organizations typically require more specialized technical support. Based on our testing and analysis, TeamViewer and RemotePC are our Editors’ Choice winners for individuals and businesses, but they aren’t the only services we recommend. Read on to learn about all of the best remote access software we’ve tested and everything you need to know to determine what’s right for you.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
EDITORS’ NOTE
October 24, 2025: With this update, our lineup of recommended remote access software remains unchanged. We have vetted the existing picks for currency and availability.
- Affordable
- Excellent performance while accessing Windows PCs
- Works in the browser
- Convenient drag-and-drop file transfer between computers
- No free version
- No built-in audio or video chat
RemotePC matches TeamViewer’s features and works nearly as well, especially if you’re connecting Windows devices to each other. Its capabilities include audio chats, file transfers, and whiteboards. It’s much more affordable than TeamViewer, too.
RemotePC hits the sweet spot for small businesses, particularly those that want to access just a few computers without breaking the bank.
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RemotePC Review
- Completely free for non-commercial use
- Easy access
- Works with or without an account (for now)
- Seamless file transfers
- Expensive for business use
- No self-service way to unsubscribe
TeamViewer does everything. It’s easy to use, provides great support, and works well for remotely accessing your devices. File transfer, remote audio, and video chat features make it one of the more complete tools on this list. Best of all, it offers a capable free version for personal use.
If you’re the informal IT person for your family and need to access their devices. TeamViewer is what you should use. The same goes for occasional remote access to your home server. TeamViewer also has all the capabilities necessary for larger corporate environments.
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TeamViewer Review
- Impressive performance
- Click-and-drag file transfer, even across platforms
- Enthusiastic customer service
- Whiteboard only works on mobile
- Complicated pricing
Splashtop provides excellent performance, seamless drag-and-drop file transfers, and even audio chat. It’s a little complicated to set up, but the app makes up for that with a very responsive customer service team—one that proactively reaches out to answer your questions.
Splashtop offers competitive prices and works reliably, both things that medium and large businesses will value. It’s especially strong on the customer service front.
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Splashtop Review
- Smooth, consistent performance
- Direct access to host PC’s command line
- Simple file transfers, including via dragging and dropping
- Includes chat, laser pointer, and whiteboard features
- More expensive than some competitors
- No free version
LogMeIn Pro stands out for its IT-friendly features: It lets you directly access a host machine’s command line and supports several file transfer methods. It performed relatively well in our tests simulating standard remote access sessions and doesn’t require much in the way of setup. Chat, laser pointer, and whiteboard features allow for convenient communication and collaboration with the people whose computers you access. All of these tools are helpful if you need to walk someone through an installation or process.
Given its somewhat high price and lack of a free version, LogMeIn Pro is best for corporations that can take advantage of its IT-focused functionality. It asks owners of a host machine to confirm that they trust the person who is trying to remotely access their PC, too, a good practice for minimizing security risks.
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LogMeIn Pro Review
- Affordable
- Generous free version, even for business use
- Can control mobile devices
- Integrations with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Contacts.
- Can be laggy, especially across platforms
- Cluttered user interface
Most remote access software focuses on PCs, but Zoho Assist also supports mobile devices. In other words, you can remotely control phones and tablets. Zoho Assist suffers from some lag because it runs entirely from a browser, but this setup means you can use the software from practically any device. We like that there’s a free version, too.
Zoho Assist primarily targets technical support teams, though savvy Android users should check it out for mobile remote access.
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Zoho Assist Review
- Free version for personal use
- Quick and reliable connections
- Mobile support for remote viewing
- Low frame rate compared with other apps
- No built-in audio chat, video chat, or whiteboard
- Confusing to set up
VNC Connect fully supports the original VNC remote access protocol and adds chat, file transfer, and session recording functions. An instant support feature lets an IT worker easily take control of a computer via temporary software. This cloud service also lets you connect to VNC servers outside your network in a couple of clicks, a trick that’s hard to pull off otherwise.
Given its base tier’s limits on concurrent sessions, VNC Connect is best for small businesses that don’t need to access many computers simultaneously.
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VNC Connect Review
- Can access your PCs from any browser
- Quick access to files and diagnostic information
- Expensive
- Personal plans not built for providing remote support
GoToMyPC lets you access your macOS or Windows PC from a desktop app, mobile app, or web browser. The latest version of the software includes file transfer and resource monitoring features, and the company says it’s bringing over others from the legacy app, such as a guest access capability. Just prepare to pay a hefty price for GoToMyPC and know that you must preemptively set up any computer for remote access.
If you already use other GoTo products and appreciate a straightforward experience, GoToMyPC is worth trying. However, it’s better for accessing files on your computer than remotely troubleshooting other people’s machines.
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GoToMyPC Review
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Buying Guide: The Best Remote Access Software for 2025
What’s the Best Free Remote Access Software?
TeamViewer is our top pick for free remote access software because it offers free use for personal purposes. With this tier, you get all the same features as commercial customers. Just note that TeamViewer utilizes AI to detect commercial usage. If it ever picks you up illegitimately, a quick email to customer support should get you back up and running.
If you need a free application for a commercial environment, check out Zoho Assist. It offers a limited free version that lets one technician access five computers. However, it doesn’t match TeamViewer’s features.
TeamViewer’s remote access view (Credit: TeamViewer/PCMag)
Is Remote Access Software Safe to Use?
Because remote access software provides total access to your device, all of your data is potentially at risk. However, you don’t need to worry too much because all the applications here use encryption to ensure that bad actors can’t intercept your remote activity.
As with most software, a lot of the security is on you. Ensure you’re using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication to prevent easy account compromise. Most of these applications also require a password for connecting to specific devices after you sign in, so someone would have to go through a lot of trouble to get access to your devices. Be sure to set up a password manager if you struggle to keep track of all your accounts.
You should never install remote access software if someone you don’t know tells you to do it. Hackers and scammers frequently use such software to steal sensitive information and gain unauthorized access to financial accounts. A common scam involves someone from “tech support” calling you, unprompted, to “diagnose a problem” or similar. If this happens, hang up—tech support for major companies will never call you out of the blue and ask you to install such software. You can always call the company back if you’re worried. Just make sure you look up and call the actual customer service number, not the number that called you.
What’s the Best Remote Access Software for Windows?
Every application on this list works well on Windows; however, TeamViewer is the best choice for most people. It’s a very feature-complete application with a generous free version.
However, TeamViewer’s paid plans for businesses start at $50.90 per month (billed annually), which is a lot for small organizations. If that’s outside your budget, consider RemotePC instead.
RemotePC’s interface (Credit: RemotePC/PCMag)
What’s the Best Remote Access Software for Mac?
Most applications on this list work about as well on macOS as they do on Windows, but at least one feature is usually missing. That’s not the case with Splashtop. It’s the only application we tested that lets you easily drag and drop files between macOS and Windows computers. It’s hard to overstate the value of that.
Recommended by Our Editors
That said, Splashtop does not offer a free version for home use. TeamViewer is the best option for Mac users who want a free tool.
Splashtop’s file transfer window (Credit: Splashtop/PCMag)
What’s the Best Remote Access Software for Mobile Devices?
Every application in this list allows you to access computers from mobile devices. If you want remote access to mobile devices from a computer, though, try Zoho Assist. It lets you fully control Android phones and tablets from a computer and remotely monitor an iPhone or iPad. Zoho is primarily designed for IT staff, so setting it up may require additional effort.
Can You Use Zoom Instead of Remote Access Software?
Zoom, like other video conferencing software, lets you share your screen and control another person’s screen. As such, you might wonder why you need remote access software at all. One major difference is that remote access software allows for unattended access, meaning you can connect to another computer even if no one is sitting at it. A second problem with Zoom in this context is performance. Zoom’s screen-sharing feature works well, but it creates more lag than the other apps.
