Jump Desktop vs NoMachine
We give Jump Desktop a 3.2 GPA and NoMachine a 2.2, out of 4.0. Jump Desktop grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Jump Desktop
Remote desktop with one-time app licences and a per-user team plan
NoMachine
Self-hosted remote desktop sold as yearly server subscriptions
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAJump DesktopVery good | 2.2GPANoMachineFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree on Windows, Android and the web, with no limit on computers or connections. On Apple devices you pay once: $34.99 for the Mac app and $14.99 for iPhone and iPad. Against Parsec's and Splashtop's paid personal plans for the same job, which renew every year, that's cheap. | CPersonal Edition is $24.50 a year per computer, so two computers come to $49, and getting past a firewall by Machine Id adds Network Personal at $84.50, or $133.50 a year in all. RustDesk, Parsec and Jump Desktop reach your own computers for nothing, so for the same job it's on the dear side. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe Windows, Android and web apps are free with unlimited computers, 480 fps, 4:4:4 colour and controllers, a plan one person can live on. The Mac and iPhone apps aren't free, though; the Mac app has a 14-day trial. | CNo free plan: only the Player is free, and it needs a paid server edition to connect to. Each server edition has a free trial, and NoMachine Network has a 7-day one; the listing doesn't mention a card. |
| Features | CThe Fluid protocol at up to 480 fps, plus RDP and VNC, virtual displays, controllers and Mission Control for AI agents. The gaps it lists itself: Linux hosts are alpha only, and 10-bit colour, extra displays, USB and more than 20 mbps need Teams Enterprise. | CThe NX protocol with hardware H.264, multi-monitor, terminal sessions, file, disk, printer and USB sharing, Wake-on-LAN and recording. The gaps it lists itself: Personal Edition allows one desktop connection at a time, and browser access, VPN and single sign-on are Enterprise only. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from 1,692 App Store ratings for the iPhone and iPad app. Install Jump Desktop Connect on the computer you want to reach and pick it from the list on the other device. | CNo App Store rating on record. You connect by IP address on your own network, and reaching a machine behind a firewall by ID needs a separate Network subscription. That's a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android, plus Linux in alpha, with a REST API on Teams and single sign-on through Okta and Azure AD. It speaks RDP and VNC too, so it reaches machines without Jump on them. | BWindows, Mac, Linux and Raspberry Pi, with a free Player for iPhone and Android and browser access on Enterprise. Sign-in works with Okta, Entra ID and Active Directory, but there's no API on record. |
| Best for | paying once for remote access to your Mac or PC | fast remote desktops for Linux and your own network |
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: Jump Desktop and NoMachine. How we grade
Where they differ
- Jump Desktop starts at $14.99 one-time (iPhone and iPad app); Teams from $7.99 per user / month, yearly. NoMachine starts at $24.50 per year (Personal Edition, one computer).
- Jump Desktop has a free plan. NoMachine does not, though it has a free trial.
- Jump Desktop can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- NoMachine is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Jump Desktop | NoMachine | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $14.99 one-time (iPhone and iPad app); Teams from $7.99 per user / month, yearly | $24.50 per year (Personal Edition, one computer) |
| Free plan | Free on Windows, Android and the web, with unlimited computers and connections, up to 480 fps, one virtual display, 4:4:4 color, game controllers and privacy mode. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Teams plans, no credit card required; 14-day trial of the Mac app | Free trial of each server edition; NoMachine Network has a 7-day trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Phase Five Systems | NoMachine S.à r.l. |
| Price read from | jumpdesktop.com | nomachine.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Jump Desktop
- Mac or iPad owners who would rather pay once than subscribe
- Video editors and designers working on a powerful remote workstation
- Gamers streaming PC or Mac games to another device
- Small teams that want managed remote access for a few dollars per user
NoMachine
- Reaching your own home or office computer over your own network
- Linux users who need fast remote desktops, including Raspberry Pi
- Businesses running several virtual Linux desktops on one server
- People who want remote access without a vendor cloud in the middle
Worth knowing
Jump Desktop
- The Mac and iPhone or iPad apps cost extra as one-time purchases; Teams plans include the Mac app but not the iPhone and iPad app.
- 10-bit color, more than one virtual display, USB redirection and bandwidth above 20 mbps need Teams Enterprise.
- Linux computers can be reached only through Connect for Linux, which is in alpha and meant for testing.
- Single sign-on and SCIM provisioning are Teams Enterprise features.
NoMachine
- Personal Edition is now an annual subscription; only the Player client is free, and it needs a NoMachine server edition to connect to.
- Reaching a computer behind a firewall by Machine Id needs a separate NoMachine Network subscription on top of the server edition.
- Personal Edition allows one desktop connection at a time; browser access, VPN and single sign-on are Enterprise only.
- Terminal Server and Workstation editions host virtual desktops on Linux only.
Key features
Jump Desktop
- Fluid protocol with RDP and VNC
- Its own Fluid protocol uses the host's GPU for encoding at up to 480 frames per second; the apps also connect to computers over standard RDP and VNC.
- Virtual displays
- Give the host a display that matches your screen's resolution and refresh rate even with no monitor attached; Teams Enterprise allows up to 4.
- Creative and gaming input
- Game controllers work on every plan; Enterprise adds USB drawing tablets, Stream Deck, color panels, pen pressure and tilt, and 10-bit color.
- Ask to share screen
- Ask the person at a computer to share their screen; they choose whether you can view or control, and several people can join one computer.
- AI agents with Mission Control
- Give AI agents a full desktop on a computer or virtual machine and watch, or step in, while they set up machines, test apps or fix problems.
- Team management
- Teams get a web dashboard for users, computers and permissions, access groups, a REST API, a command-line tool in beta and session watermarks on Enterprise.
NoMachine
- NX protocol
- Hardware-accelerated H.264 encoding and decoding, audio and video streaming, and multi-monitor support, for work, media and games.
- Free Player on every platform
- NoMachine Player is free for commercial and non-commercial use on Windows, Mac, Linux, ARM, Raspberry Pi, iOS and Android, with no limit on machines.
- Terminal access
- Open remote command-line sessions to Windows, macOS or Linux NoMachine systems without a full desktop and without SSH on the server.
- Devices and files
- File transfer with drag and drop, disk and printer sharing in both directions, USB device forwarding, port forwarding and Wake-on-LAN.
- Recording and guest sharing
- Record your session on the fly, and let guests join your desktop to collaborate or help troubleshoot.
- Enterprise sign-in and browser access
- Enterprise editions add access from any browser, a built-in VPN, and sign-in with Okta, Entra ID, Google Cloud Identity, Keycloak, LDAP or Active Directory.
Plans
Jump Desktop
Free$0
The Windows, Android and web apps, with no recurring fees and no limit on computers or simultaneous connections.
iPhone and iPad app$14.99
one-time, on the US App Store
A one-time purchase with no subscription. Not included in Teams plans, which cover the Mac app only.
Mac app$34.99
one-time, on the US Mac App Store
A one-time purchase with no subscription, also sold directly with a 14-day trial. Included with Teams plans.
Teams Pro$7.99
per user / month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly)
Teams Dashboard, 5 access groups, Mac app licences, REST API, automated custom installers and 5 years of cloud access logs.
Teams Enterprise$15.99
per user / month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly)
Unlimited access groups, up to 4 virtual displays, 10-bit color, 60 mbps, USB and stylus pressure, security keys, SSO and SCIM.
NoMachine
Personal Edition$24.50
per year per computer
For individuals and businesses: 1 desktop connection and up to 4 terminal connections from the same client. Also sold in packs of 5 to 100.
Enterprise Desktop$44.50
per year per computer
Unlimited connections, access from any browser, a built-in VPN and single sign-on. Also sold in packs of 10 to 100; the support table lists a pack at $244.50.
Network Personal$84.50
per year ($8.50 billed monthly)
Optional: 1 connection at a time over NoMachine Network by Machine Id, for computers behind a firewall. Plans for 4 to 32 connections cost more.
Workstation$124.50
per year per server
Runs up to 4 virtual Linux desktops and apps on one server, with unlimited connections and browser access.
Small Business Terminal Server$744.50
per year per server
Runs up to 10 virtual Linux desktops and apps on one server, for departments and small businesses.
Ways to pay less
Jump Desktop
- Annual discount
Yearly billing saves 20% on Teams
The pricing page says yearly billing saves 20%: Teams Pro is $95.90 a year against $9.99 a month, and Enterprise $191.88 a year against $19.99.
NoMachine
- Annual discount
Network subscriptions cheaper paid yearly
Network Personal is $84.50 a year against $8.50 a month, which is $102 over twelve months: about 17% less.
