RealVNC Connect vs Screens (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, RealVNC Connect grades higher than Screens: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
RealVNC Connect grades higher on the free plan and platforms. Screens grades higher on value for money. 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.
RealVNC Connect
Remote access from the makers of VNC, with end-to-end encryption
Free plan
Which one is for you
Pick RealVNC Connect if
- Fits if you already use VNC and want to stop setting up port forwarding
- Works for reaching Windows, Mac or Linux computers from a phone or tablet viewer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see prices before you sign up, as we couldn't read any
- Not for you if you connect by IP address and won't pay for Enterprise
- Pricey if you want ad-free iPhone connections to other VNC servers, as that needs a subscription
- Watch out: Home subscriptions are being retired for Lite, whose limits we couldn't read, so older free-tier guides are out of date
- Too light for support desks, as nothing on record covers file transfer or support sessions, and there's no web app
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
| 2.4GPARealVNC ConnectFair | 2.2GPAScreensFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price could be read: RealVNC's website refused our reader, so this listing has none. That's the C we give any missing price, with no figure to set against Splashtop, TeamViewer or Jump Desktop for the same job. RealVNC says free, paid and trial subscriptions exist. | 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 | CThere's a free Lite plan, which has replaced the old Home plan, and the phone viewer apps are free. But Lite's limits couldn't be read, so we can't say how far it gets you. On iPhone, connecting to other makers' VNC servers shows ads unless you subscribe. | DA 7-day trial through the App Store and no free plan, so you give a payment method to try it. |
| Features | CCloud connections with no firewall setup, end-to-end encryption, free phone viewers and a synced address book. The gaps it lists itself: connecting directly by IP address needs Enterprise, and nothing on record covers file transfer or support sessions. | 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 | BNo App Store rating on record. Sign in to the Viewer with your RealVNC account and your computers appear, with no router or firewall setup. | B4.5 from 623 App Store ratings. Install it, add a computer and connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac and Linux computers, plus viewer apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. It also connects to other makers' VNC servers, but there's no web app, integrations or API on record. | 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 | reaching your computers from the makers of VNC | 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: RealVNC Connect and Screens. How we grade
Where they differ
- RealVNC Connect is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Screens also covers file sharing and menu bar app.
In commonmacOSiOSRemote desktop
At a glance
| RealVNC Connect | Screens | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year |
| Free plan | RealVNC says free, paid and trial subscriptions exist, and its free Lite plan has replaced the old Home plan. The Lite plan's limits could not be read. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial on all your devices. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | RealVNC Limited | Edovia Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
RealVNC Connect
- RealVNC's website refused automated readers, so no prices or plan limits could be read; this listing has none.
- RealVNC is retiring its Home subscriptions and has replaced the Home plan with a new Lite plan, so older guides to the free tier are out of date.
- On iOS, connecting to non-RealVNC VNC servers shows ads unless you subscribe.
- Direct connections by IP address to RealVNC Connect need an Enterprise subscription.
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
RealVNC Connect
- Cloud connections
- Sign in to the Viewer with your RealVNC account and your remote computers appear automatically, with no firewall or router setup.
- Direct connections
- With an Enterprise subscription, or to other VNC-compatible software, connect straight to a computer by its IP address, which may need port forwarding.
- End-to-end encryption
- Each remote computer is password-protected out of the box, and RealVNC says all sessions are then encrypted end-to-end.
- Mobile viewer apps
- Free RealVNC Viewer apps for iPhone, iPad and Android turn the touch screen into a trackpad and support Bluetooth keyboards and mice.
- Synced address book
- Back up and sync your saved connections between devices by signing in to RealVNC Viewer on each one.
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
RealVNC Connect
Pricing could not be confirmed. See realvnc.com.
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, RealVNC Connect or Screens?
As of Nov 12, 2026, RealVNC Connect has no price we could confirm, and Screens starts at $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
Which has a free plan, RealVNC Connect or Screens?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only RealVNC Connect has a free plan. Screens does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do RealVNC Connect and Screens run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only RealVNC Connect lists Windows, Linux and Android apps. Both list 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.