Chrome Remote Desktop vs TeamViewer
We give Chrome Remote Desktop a 3.2 GPA and TeamViewer a 2.6, out of 4.0. Chrome Remote Desktop grades higher on value for money and the free plan. TeamViewer grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
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
TeamViewer
Remote access and IT support, free for personal use only
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAChrome Remote DesktopVery good | 2.6GPATeamViewerGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | D$619.99 a year for Business, one licensed user and up to 200 managed devices, is the only dollar price on record: it's the in-app purchase on the US App Store. For one technician doing the same job, Zoho Assist, Splashtop and LogMeIn Resolve's Starter all cost less. Its other plans couldn't be read in dollars. |
| 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. | BFree for personal use, with no cap on record for helping friends and family or reaching your own computers, phones and tablets. That's a plan one person can live on. Any work use needs a licence, which you can trial for 14 days. |
| 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. | CAttended and unattended access, file transfer, remote printing, Wake-on-LAN, black screen, session recording and AI summaries. The gaps it lists itself: phones and tablets need a paid add-on, iPhones and iPads only share their screen, and Business allows one connection at a time. |
| 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. | B4.67 from 44,790 App Store ratings, just short of our A line. The person at the other end accepts and you're in, so there's not much to learn. |
| 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. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with an API and connections to Intune, ServiceNow, Jira, Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. That's everything we look for. |
| Best for | reaching your own computers for free | helping family for free, or paid IT support |
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 TeamViewer. 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. TeamViewer starts at $51.67 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
TeamViewer scores higher, and starts $51.67 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 2 score higher than TeamViewer 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. TeamViewer starts at $619.99 per year (Business, as an in-app purchase on the US App Store).
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a browser extension.
- TeamViewer is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Chrome Remote Desktop | TeamViewer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $619.99 per year (Business, as an in-app purchase on the US App Store) |
| 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. | Free for personal use only: helping friends and family and reaching your own devices. Commercial use needs a paid licence. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day trial of a commercial plan |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | TeamViewer Germany GmbH | |
| Price read from | play.google.com | apps.apple.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
TeamViewer
- Helping friends and family with computer problems at no cost
- IT staff and help desks supporting employees' or customers' computers
- Small businesses that need unattended access to up to 200 devices
- Organizations that connect remote support to ServiceNow, Jira or Intune
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.
TeamViewer
- TeamViewer's website shows prices by visitor location and could not be read in US dollars; Remote Access, Premium and Corporate prices are missing here.
- The free version is for personal use only; any business or work use needs a paid licence, which TeamViewer offers to trial for 14 days.
- Licences are billed yearly and cap the number of managed devices and simultaneous connections, e.g. one connection at a time on Business.
- Supporting phones and tablets is a paid add-on; for iPhones and iPads it is screen sharing rather than control.
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.
TeamViewer
- Attended and unattended access
- Connect to any number of devices when someone at the other end accepts, or to a set number of managed devices without anyone present, depending on the licence.
- File transfer and remote printing
- Send and queue files between devices and print documents from the remote computer to your local printer.
- Wake-on-LAN and black screen
- Power on a remote computer, block local keyboard and mouse input, and black out its screen while you work on it.
- Session recording and switch sides
- Record and replay sessions, and swap who controls whom during a session. Custom branding of support sessions comes with paid licences.
- TeamViewer AI
- Business includes 25 AI credits a month, one per support session, for AI-guided troubleshooting and written session summaries.
- Mobile device support add-on
- An add-on to reach and support Android devices and share the screen of iPhones and iPads, alongside desktop-to-desktop connections.
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.
TeamViewer
Free (personal use)$0
For non-commercial use only: remote help for friends and family and access to your own computers, phones and tablets.
Business$619.99
per year, as an in-app purchase in the iOS app
One licensed user, one connection at a time and up to 200 managed devices, with 25 AI credits a month. Price read on the US App Store.
Ways to pay less
Chrome Remote Desktop
No public discounts listed.
TeamViewer
- Nonprofit
30% off for nonprofits and education
Registered nonprofit and educational organizations that apply through TeamViewer's form get a 30% discount.
