Jump Desktop vs Parsec
We give Jump Desktop a 3.2 GPA and Parsec a 2.6, out of 4.0. Jump Desktop grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
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
Parsec
Low-latency remote desktop for games and creative work
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAJump DesktopVery good | 2.6GPAParsecGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CGaming at home is free, and Warp, the personal plan with extra monitors and 4:4:4 colour, is $8.33 a month billed annually. Any work use needs Teams at $30 a user a month, though, well above what Splashtop's Performance plan and Jump Desktop's Teams Enterprise charge for the same creative job. |
| 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. | BPersonal Use is free for gaming and other non-commercial use, with 60 FPS, controllers and link sharing, and one person can live on that. It's one monitor only, no 4:4:4 colour and no work use at all; Teams has a 14-day trial. |
| 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. | CLow-latency streaming at up to 4K and 240 frames per second, controllers, Wacom pressure, shared sessions and guest access. The gaps it lists itself: only Windows and Mac computers can be hosts, there's no iOS app, and outside guests cost $25 an invitation. |
| 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. | BNo App Store rating on record. Install it on the computer you want to reach and the one you're sitting at, and connect. There's nothing to configure for a game at home. |
| 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, Android and a Chrome browser client, with a Teams API on Enterprise. There's no iPhone or iPad app, and Linux, Android and the browser can only connect, not host. |
| Best for | paying once for remote access to your Mac or PC | streaming games and creative work with no lag |
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 Parsec. 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. Parsec starts at $8.33 per user / month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly).
- Only Jump Desktop lists an iOS app.
- Jump Desktop can be bought with a one-time purchase.
At a glance
| Jump Desktop | Parsec | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $14.99 one-time (iPhone and iPad app); Teams from $7.99 per user / month, yearly | $8.33 per user / month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly) |
| 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. | Personal Use is free for non-commercial use: low-latency 60 FPS desktop capture, link sharing, keyboard, mouse and gamepad support and encrypted peer-to-peer connections, on one monitor. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Teams plans, no credit card required; 14-day trial of the Mac app | 14-day free trial of Teams and Enterprise |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Phase Five Systems | Unity Technologies SF |
| Price read from | jumpdesktop.com | parsec.app |
| 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
Parsec
- Playing games on a home PC from another computer or an Android device
- Game studios and VFX artists who need accurate color and low lag remotely
- Video editors and designers using a Wacom tablet on a distant workstation
- Studios inviting outside playtesters to a machine for a few days
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.
Parsec
- The free and Individuals plans are for personal, non-commercial use only; any work use needs Teams or Enterprise.
- Only Windows 10+ and macOS 10.15+ computers can be hosts; Linux, Android and the Chrome web client can only connect. There is no iOS app.
- Guest access for external users costs $25 per invitation on top of the Teams plan.
- Parsec does not offer volume discounts, and Enterprise is sold with annual billing 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.
Parsec
- Low-latency streaming
- Up to 4K resolution and up to 240 frames per second (60 at 4K), with 4:4:4 color on paid plans, over direct peer-to-peer connections.
- Controllers and Wacom tablets
- Keyboard, mouse and gamepad input on every plan; paid plans add pressure- and tilt-sensitive Wacom tablet support.
- Shared sessions
- Share a link so someone can watch or take control of your computer, for co-op games, live reviews or working on something together.
- Team computers
- Teams can provision computers on demand to a team member or group, and block computers inside the network from hosting connections.
- Guest access
- Invite outside people into a Teams computer for up to five days, for playtests, events or user research, using separately bought credits.
- Enterprise relay and API
- Enterprise adds a high-performance relay that sits in your firewall, a Teams API for automating deployment, SCIM and role-based admin roles.
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.
Parsec
Personal Use$0
Free for gaming and other non-commercial use. No multi-monitor streaming, 4:4:4 color, privacy mode or Wacom pressure support.
Individuals (Warp)$8.33
per user / month, billed annually ($9.99 billed monthly)
Personal, non-commercial use with up to 3 monitors, 4:4:4 color, virtual monitors, privacy mode and Wacom pressure and tilt.
Teams$30
per user / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
Licensed for work: admin panel, SAML single sign-on, team-managed computers and groups, 7 days of audit logs and paid guest access.
Enterprise$45
per user / month, billed annually only
Adds the high-performance relay server, Teams API, role-based access, SCIM provisioning, full audit logs and usage analytics.
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.
Parsec
- Annual discount
Annual billing saves up to about 17%
Individuals is $8.33 a month paid annually against $9.99 monthly, about 17% less; Teams is $30 against $35, about 14% less.
