mRemoteNG vs Screens (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, mRemoteNG grades higher than Screens: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
mRemoteNG grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Screens grades higher on 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.
mRemoteNG
Free tabbed connection manager for RDP, VNC and SSH on Windows
Which one is for you
Pick mRemoteNG if
- Fits if you juggle many RDP and SSH sessions on one Windows PC
- Works for admins who want a free manager with portable installs
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, Linux or a phone, as it's Windows only
- Not for you if you want a vendor to call, as support is community and GitHub
- Watch out: the Stable release is dated April 12, 2019, and the newer builds are Preview and Nightly
- Too light on its own: the computers you reach need their own RDP, VNC or SSH servers
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
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAmRemoteNGGood | 2.2GPAScreensFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under GPL v2 with no paid plans, against a $2.50 cheaper-quarter start for remote access tools. | B$29.99 a year works out to about $2.50 a month, the cheaper-quarter line for remote access tools. Monthly is $4.99, and lifetime is $249.99. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free, as an MSI installer or a portable ZIP. | DA 7-day trial through the App Store and no free plan, so you give a payment method to try it. |
| Features | CTabbed connections, many protocols, plugin projects and PuTTYNG for SSH and Telnet. It's a connection manager, so the machines you reach still need their own servers. | CConnects to many systems, with Screens Connect, clipboard and file transfer. High Performance mode needs an Apple silicon Mac on macOS 14, and file transfer is described for remote Macs only. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You install it and add each connection by hand. | B4.5 from 623 App Store ratings. Install it, add a computer and connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only: the site lists no macOS, Linux or mobile versions. | CMac and iPhone as the controlling side, with Tailscale, Siri Shortcuts and iCloud. The app doesn't connect to iPhone, iPad or Vision Pro, and there's no Windows or Android client. |
| Best for | a tabbed manager for many remote connections on Windows | controlling Macs, PCs and Linux from Apple devices |
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: mRemoteNG and Screens. How we grade
Price against what you get
mRemoteNG has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Screens starts at $2.50 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
Screens scores higher, and starts $2.50 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 mRemoteNG for less, and 5 score higher than Screens 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
- mRemoteNG is open source, according to its own site.
- Screens also covers file sharing and menu bar app.
At a glance
| mRemoteNG | Screens | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the GNU GPL v2, with no paid plans. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial on all your devices. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | mRemoteNG project | Edovia Inc. |
| Price read from | mremoteng.org | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
mRemoteNG
- It is a Windows application; the site lists no macOS, Linux or mobile versions.
- It is a connection manager, so the computers you reach still need their own RDP, VNC, SSH or other servers running.
- The Stable release on the downloads page is dated April 12, 2019, while a Nightly build is dated September 15, 2026.
- It is maintained by volunteers, with support through the community and GitHub rather than a paid plan.
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.
Key features
mRemoteNG
- Tabbed connections
- View all of your remote connections in one window, each in its own tab.
- Many protocols
- The project's GitHub page lists RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, HTTP/HTTPS, rlogin, raw socket connections, PowerShell remoting and AnyDesk.
- Release channels
- The downloads page offers Stable, Preview and Nightly builds, with installer and portable packages.
- PuTTYNG for SSH and Telnet
- SSH and Telnet connections use a PuTTY build adapted and signed for mRemoteNG, which is released separately.
- Plugin projects
- The repository includes plugin contract and plugin projects, such as AWS and SSH transfer.
- Open source
- Source code is on GitHub under GPL-2.0 and the project accepts contributions.
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.
Plans
mRemoteNG
mRemoteNG$0
Free open-source download as an MSI installer or portable ZIP. No paid plans.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, mRemoteNG or Screens?
As of Nov 12, 2026, mRemoteNG is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $2.50 a month when paid by the year for Screens. mRemoteNG is free, and Screens starts at $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
Which has a free plan, mRemoteNG or Screens?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only mRemoteNG has a free plan. Screens does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do mRemoteNG and Screens run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only mRemoteNG lists a Windows app and only Screens lists macOS and iOS 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.