Chrome Remote Desktop vs Splashtop
We give Chrome Remote Desktop a 3.2 GPA and Splashtop a 2.8, out of 4.0. Chrome Remote Desktop grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Splashtop grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Chrome Remote Desktop
Google's free remote access to your own computers from a browser
Splashtop
Remote access to your own computers, plus separate IT support plans
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAChrome Remote DesktopVery good | 2.8GPASplashtopGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$0, with nothing to upgrade to: Google lists no paid plans, and reaching your own computers and one-time support sessions are both free. Of its rivals doing the same job, TeamViewer and AnyDesk are free for personal use only, and Splashtop's free app stays on your home Wi-Fi. | CRemote Support SOS is $22 per concurrent technician a month billed annually: $259 a year with 10 managed computers, or $399 with 300. For the same job that's mid-pack, above Zoho Assist and below TeamViewer's Business. For your own computers, the Anywhere Access Pack is only $23.99 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright. Everything it does costs nothing, with no limit on computers in the listing, and there's no paid tier to push you towards. | CSplashtop Personal is free, but only on your home network, for up to 2 computers and never for work. Working from home counts as work. Business plans have a free trial with no card, though its length isn't stated. |
| Features | CIt covers reaching your own Windows, Mac and Linux computers and helping someone with a one-time code. The gaps it lists itself: sharing must be confirmed every 30 minutes, each code works once, phones can't be reached, and there's no team or business version. | BUnattended access, support by session code, file transfer, remote print, and a Performance plan with 4:4:4 colour, 240 frames per second, Wacom pens and USB passthrough. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job; single sign-on and the APIs wait for Enterprise. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record. It runs on the Google account you already have: set up access once on each computer, then pick it from a list and enter its PIN. | A4.81 from 4,713 App Store ratings for its Business app, the best on record in this category. Install the Streamer on a computer and reach it from anything. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, so it's on everything. But there are no integrations or API on record, which keeps it at B. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, iPhone and Android, with Intune, Jira, Freshservice, Jamf, Atera and Datto RMM. There's no web app on record, which keeps it at B, and the APIs are Enterprise only. |
| Best for | reaching your own computers for free | remote access from home office to help desk |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Chrome Remote Desktop and Splashtop. How we grade
Price against what you get
Chrome Remote Desktop has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Splashtop starts at $2 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.3.
Splashtop scores higher, and starts $2 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, none scores higher than Chrome Remote Desktop for less, and none scores higher than Splashtop for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Chrome Remote Desktop is free. Splashtop starts at $23.99 per year for personal use; business plans from $6 / month, billed annually.
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a web app.
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a browser extension.
- Splashtop is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Chrome Remote Desktop | Splashtop | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $23.99 per year for personal use; business plans from $6 / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | Everything is free: remote access to your own computers and one-time support sessions. Google lists no paid plans and the Android app has no in-app purchases. | Splashtop Personal is free for non-commercial use on your local home network, for up to 2 computers. Reaching them from outside the home network needs the Anywhere Access Pack. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of business plans, no credit card required; length not stated |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Splashtop Inc. | |
| Price read from | play.google.com | splashtop.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Chrome Remote Desktop
- Reaching a home or work computer from a phone, tablet or another computer at no cost
- Occasionally helping a friend or relative with their computer
- Chromebook users who need to reach a Windows, Mac or Linux machine
Splashtop
- Reaching a home computer from the couch at no cost, or from anywhere for a small yearly fee
- People working from home who need their office computer from another device
- Designers and video editors who need accurate color and a stylus over a remote link
- IT teams and MSPs supporting staff or customers by concurrent technician
Worth knowing
Chrome Remote Desktop
- Google sells no paid or business version; help comes from its help pages and the Chrome Help Forum rather than a support team.
- When you share your computer, you have to confirm every 30 minutes that sharing should continue, and each support code works only once.
- Only Windows, Mac and Linux computers can be set up for access; the phone and tablet apps connect to computers but cannot be reached themselves.
- On a work or school account an administrator may block or limit it.
Splashtop
- Splashtop Personal is free only on your home network and only for non-commercial use; working from home needs a business plan.
- Business plan prices are shown only as annual billing on the pricing page.
- Remote Support SOS is priced per concurrent technician, with the number of managed computers capped by the option you buy (10 or 300 per licence, up to 1,200).
- Enterprise, with single sign-on, APIs and the on-premises option, has no public price and is quoted by sales.
Key features
Chrome Remote Desktop
- Access your own computers
- Set up remote access once on each computer, then pick it from a list at remotedesktop.google.com/access and enter its PIN to connect.
- One-time support codes
- Someone who needs help generates a code and sends it to you; when you enter it they see your email address and choose whether to share.
- Phone and tablet apps
- Apps for Android, iPhone and iPad connect to your online computers; on a computer everything runs in the Chrome browser.
- Linux virtual sessions
- On Linux the host can start its own desktop session, and you can choose which desktop environment it launches.
- Admin controls
- Administrators of managed Google accounts can control whether and how people in their organization use Chrome Remote Desktop.
Splashtop
- Unattended access to your own computers
- Install the Streamer on a computer and reach it later from a phone, tablet or another computer, with file transfer and remote print.
- On-demand support by session code
- Remote Support SOS lets a technician connect to any computer or mobile device the user opens a session code on, with or without someone present on managed machines.
- High-performance streaming
- The Performance plan adds 4:4:4 color, up to 240 frames per second, high-fidelity audio, Wacom stylus support and USB passthrough for creative work.
- Endpoint management add-on
- Autonomous Endpoint Management adds real-time patching, monitoring and remediation, and is sold on its own or added to SOS and Enterprise.
- Enterprise and on-premises
- Enterprise adds single sign-on, granular and scheduled access, SIEM logging, cloud recording, APIs and unattended Android access, with an on-premises option.
- Help desk and RMM integrations
- Launch sessions from tools such as Freshservice, Jira, Jamf, Atera and Datto RMM, and manage Bitdefender antivirus from the Splashtop console.
Plans
Chrome Remote Desktop
Free$0
Remote access to your own Windows, Mac and Linux computers and one-time remote support sessions. No paid tier exists.
Splashtop
Personal$0
Non-commercial use only, on your home Wi-Fi network, for up to 2 Windows or Mac computers. Working from home counts as commercial use.
Anywhere Access Pack$23.99
per year ($5.99 a month billed monthly)
Add-on to Personal for reaching up to 2 home computers from anywhere over the internet. Personal use only.
Solo$6
per month, billed annually ($72 a year)
One user with unattended access from any device, file transfer with drag and drop, and remote print.
Pro$8.25
per user / month, billed annually ($99 a year)
Adds multi-monitor support, user roles and access management, chat, session recording and up to 3 users into one computer.
Performance$13
per user / month, billed annually ($149 a year)
Adds 4:4:4 color accuracy, up to 240 frames per second, high-fidelity audio, remote stylus with Wacom Bridge and USB passthrough.
Remote Support SOS$22
per concurrent technician / month, billed annually
$259 a year with 10 managed computers, or $399 a year with 300; on-demand sessions by code to unlimited computers and mobile devices.
Ways to pay less
Chrome Remote Desktop
No public discounts listed.
Splashtop
- Annual discount
Anywhere Access Pack is cheaper paid yearly
The pack costs $23.99 a year against $5.99 a month, which is $71.88 over twelve months: about two-thirds less.
- Other savings
Volume discounts on Pro and Performance
The pricing page marks volume discounts on the Pro and Performance plans for teams buying several user licences.
