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Chrome Remote Desktop vs Steam Link (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Chrome Remote Desktop: it is first in our ranking of remote desktop apps, and they share a 3.2 GPA.

Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA

They get the same grade on all five counts.

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

Free
Full detailsremotedesktop.google.com

Steam Link

Stream Steam games from your PC to phones, TVs and other PCs

Free
Full detailsstore.steampowered.com

Which one is for you

Pick Chrome Remote Desktop if

  • Fits if you just want to grab a file off your home PC while you're out
  • Works for helping a relative now and then with a one-time code, without buying anything

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you support people for a living, as there's no team version, help desk or support staff
  • Too light for long support sessions, since sharing needs re-confirming every 30 minutes and each code works once
  • Not for you if you need to reach a phone or tablet, as only Windows, Mac and Linux computers can be set up
  • Watch out: on a work or school account an administrator may block or limit it
  • Too light for linking into other tools, as no integrations or API are on record

Pick Steam Link if

  • Fits if you own games on Steam and want to play them on a TV, phone or laptop
  • Works for couch co-op with Remote Play Together

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you want to administer a PC for support or unattended work, as it is not a general remote-access tool
  • Watch out: it needs a computer running Steam as the host
  • Tight if you play on a small screen, as the App Store reviews note games play worse there
  • Watch out: quality depends on your network and device

How we grade them

3.2GPAChrome Remote DesktopVery good3.2GPASteam LinkVery good
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.
AThe app is free, with no plan or subscription to buy.
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.
AFree outright: the Steam Link app costs nothing and has no cap listed, though the host computer must run Steam and own the games.
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.
CIt does one job: streaming games, with PC-to-PC streaming, Remote Play Together and game controls. That is a smaller job than a full remote desktop.
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.
BNo store rating on record. You install it and pair it with a Steam computer, which is a short setup.
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, iPhone and Android are listed, tied to Steam. No API is listed.
Best forreaching your own computers for freestreaming PC games to a phone, TV or laptop

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 Steam Link. 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. Steam Link has no paid plan and scores 2.7.

On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, none scores higher than Chrome Remote Desktop for less, and none scores higher than Steam Link for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$0.5$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessChrome Remote DesktopSteam Link

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
The full chart of remote desktop apps, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroidReal-time collaborationRemote desktop

    At a glance

    Chrome Remote DesktopSteam Link
    PricingFreeFree
    Starts atFreeFree
    Free planEverything 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.The Steam Link app is free; it connects to a computer running Steam, which hosts the games you own.
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    Web
    macOS
    Windows
    Linux
    iOS
    Android
    Browser extension
    Made byGoogleValve Corporation
    Price read fromplay.google.comapps.apple.com
    CheckedOct 18, 2026Nov 13, 2026

    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.

    Steam Link

    • It needs a computer running Steam as the host, and it streams games rather than a full remote desktop session.
    • It is not a general remote-access tool for managing a computer for support or unattended work.
    • Quality depends on the network and the device; the App Store reviews note that games play worse on small screens.
    • The listed platforms include Apple TV and Meta Quest, which this directory does not list as separate platforms.

    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.

    Steam Link

    Stream to many devices
    Valve lists iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Android phones, tablets and TV, Amazon Fire TV, Raspberry Pi, Meta Quest, Windows, Linux and macOS.
    PC to PC streaming
    Log in to Steam on two computers and stream games from one Steam library to the other.
    Remote Play Together
    Share a local multiplayer game with Steam friends online, with each player on their own controller or sharing the keyboard and mouse.
    Controls tuned for games
    The page says control schemes are optimized for hundreds of top titles when playing on a phone or tablet.
    Play on lower-end hardware
    Demanding games run on the host PC, so a weaker device or an operating system without native support can still show them.

    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.

    Steam Link

    • Steam Link$0

      Free app listed on the App Store. Remote Play Together is described as free on Valve's page.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, Chrome Remote Desktop or Steam Link?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both Chrome Remote Desktop and Steam Link are free to use.

    Which has a free plan, Chrome Remote Desktop or Steam Link?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both Chrome Remote Desktop and Steam Link have a free plan.

    Which platforms do Chrome Remote Desktop and Steam Link run on?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a web app and a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.

    More comparisons

    How this page was made

    • The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
    • The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
    • Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
    • The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.
    How we review and grade