Research » Remote Desktop Software

Research » Remote Desktop Software

TeamViewer alternatives, but free and without limits

  • Anydesk: unattended, no known limits - no cap on computers and no time limit per session, no address book but can use favorites as alternative Only the system’s discovery is not there, but I’m using Favorites as a workaround Well, from 2023 it started forbidding free access

  • Distant Desktop: perfectly simple. 100% free forever, has unattended access, no address book; client visible on startup so I disabled auto-startup

  • TeamViewer: unattended with address book, but a lot of limits in free version

  • Parsec: via web (chrome only); amazing latency; part of Unity now and that’s the biggest problem; awkward interface as it targets gaming; buggy

  • Ignore: http://litemanager.com/, free up to 30 computers, has windows IP server

  • Ignore: https://remotely.one/, one man dev, via web

  • Ignore: https://desktopable.com/, only 5 computers


Anydesk: use no more

It appears that Anydesk is not as “unlimited” as I and many others thought. They have started to disconnect connections and I believe they will go down the same path as TeamViewer. It’s time for me to look for an alternative. Here is a official statement on their fair-use policy that they have posted it on a Reddit post at: Official Statement: Professional Use Monitoring : AnyDesk

RustDesk

I recently came across RustDesk, a cutting-edge tool that made its debut in 2022. It is completely open-source, making it both reliable and user-friendly. The fact that it is available on scoop is particularly important to me.

RustDesk allows for unattended access, allowing remote access to the desired computer at any time. Although it may not be obvious, it is sufficient to install RustDesk as a service with privileges.

Very noticeable warning, located in the lower left corner: “Due to UAC, RustDesk may not function properly as the remote side in some cases. To avoid UAC, please click the button below to install RustDesk to the system.” should be initiated. Additionally, a password can be set. All other settings can be accessed by clicking the three dots next to the user ID.

Setup your Server

If you are interested in hosting a RustDesk server, this Linux script techahold/rustdeskinstall might be helpful. And if you prefer to set it up on a Windows Server, here is a guide: Setting up self hosted RustDesk server on Windows that might be useful.

DWService

DWService is an excellent remote access solution that offers many valuable features. It is completely free to use and open-source, forever, and can be accessed via web browser. It offers unattended access and an address book, which makes it easy to manage and connect to multiple computers. The service is very reliable, and has all the functionality that one would need.

One thing that I don’t like about it is that it doesn’t have a proper client, you have to access it through a browser, which sounds great - but in reality it never is.


Screensy is an incredibly easy-to-use screen sharing tool that allows you to simply share a URL with everyone who needs to view your screen. It is fast and actively maintained on the screensy/screensy repository.

Screego is a simple yet very effective screen sharing tool that allows everyone to share their screens without the need for remote control, making it perfect for developers. The tool is available on the screego/server repository.


Aspia is a remote desktop and file transfer tool that includes an address book and has a well-polished appearance. I cannot believe I only discovered it now. The source code is available on the dchapyshev/aspia repository and it is actively maintained. However, it does not have a Scoop setup yet.

DeskX11/DeskX is a lightweight and fast program for remotely controlling a Linux computer, with client support for Win/MacOS. However, it seems to have stopped development or at least slowed down.


date 09. Nov 2022 | modified 29. Dec 2023
filename: Workflow » Research » Remote Desktop Software