Jump Desktop vs Screens (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Jump Desktop if

• Fits if you'd rather pay once than rent a remote desktop by the month
• Works for reaching Windows and Mac machines, including ones that only speak RDP or VNC

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if the computer you need to reach runs Linux, as Connect for Linux is still alpha
• Pricey if you need 10-bit color, extra displays, USB or over 20 mbps, which need Teams Enterprise at $15.99 a user
• Watch out: the Mac app is $34.99 and the iPhone app $14.99, and Teams plans don't include the iPhone app
• Tight if your team needs single sign-on or SCIM, as both are Teams Enterprise only

Pick Screens if

• Fits if you control other Macs and PCs from your own Mac or iPhone
• Works for people on Apple devices who already use Tailscale

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use Windows or Android as your controlling device
• Not for you if you want a free plan, as there's only a 7-day trial
• Tight if you need file transfer to a Windows or Linux machine, because it's described for remote Macs only
• Watch out: the US listing shows two yearly prices, $29.99 and $29.49, and no billing basis for Lifetime

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.

Screens

• Apple devices only as the controlling side; the app does not connect to iPhone, iPad or Vision Pro.
• Prices come from the US App Store listing, which also shows two yearly options ($29.99 and $29.49) and no billing basis for Lifetime.
• High Performance mode needs an Apple silicon Mac on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and audio is unavailable over SSH.
• File transfer is described for remote Macs only, and Linux and Windows clipboards share plain text.

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.

Screens

Connects to many systems

Screens reaches Macs, Windows PCs, Linux PCs and Raspberry Pi from iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro.

Screens Connect

Screens Connect sets up remote access over the Internet without complicated network configuration; the Mac app has it built in.

High Performance Screen Sharing

For Apple silicon Macs on macOS 14 or later, the listing describes dynamic resizing, HEVC video, remote audio and display privacy.

Secure connections

Built-in SSH tunnelling and custom SSH keys are supported, and the app can be locked with Face ID or Touch ID.

Clipboard and file transfer

Clipboard sharing works with Macs, Windows and Linux (text only on the latter two); file transfer is described for remote Macs.

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.

Screens

• Monthly$4.99

  per month

  In-app subscription on the App Store; the vendor says a plan covers all your Apple devices.

• Yearly$29.99

  per year

  In-app yearly subscription; the US listing also shows a second yearly option at $29.49.

• Lifetime$249.99

  one-time

  One-time in-app purchase; the listing also shows a $0.00 Lifetime Family Upgrade item.

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.

Screens

No public discounts listed.