RealVNC Connect vs Splashtop
We give RealVNC Connect a 2.4 GPA and Splashtop a 2.8, out of 4.0. Splashtop grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
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
Splashtop
Remote access to your own computers, plus separate IT support plans
How we grade them
| 2.4GPARealVNC ConnectFair | 2.8GPASplashtopGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CRemote Support SOS is $22 per concurrent technician a month billed annually: $259 a year with 10 managed computers, or $399 with 300. For the same job that's mid-pack, above Zoho Assist and below TeamViewer's Business. For your own computers, the Anywhere Access Pack is only $23.99 a year. |
| 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. | CSplashtop Personal is free, but only on your home network, for up to 2 computers and never for work. Working from home counts as work. Business plans have a free trial with no card, though its length isn't stated. |
| 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. | BUnattended access, support by session code, file transfer, remote print, and a Performance plan with 4:4:4 colour, 240 frames per second, Wacom pens and USB passthrough. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job; single sign-on and the APIs wait for Enterprise. |
| 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. | A4.81 from 4,713 App Store ratings for its Business app, the best on record in this category. Install the Streamer on a computer and reach it from anything. |
| 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. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, iPhone and Android, with Intune, Jira, Freshservice, Jamf, Atera and Datto RMM. There's no web app on record, which keeps it at B, and the APIs are Enterprise only. |
| Best for | reaching your computers from the makers of VNC | remote access from home office to help desk |
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 Splashtop. How we grade
Where they differ
- RealVNC Connect is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Splashtop is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| RealVNC Connect | Splashtop | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $23.99 per year for personal use; business plans from $6 / month, billed annually |
| 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. | Splashtop Personal is free for non-commercial use on your local home network, for up to 2 computers. Reaching them from outside the home network needs the Anywhere Access Pack. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of business plans, no credit card required; length not stated |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | RealVNC Limited | Splashtop Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | splashtop.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
RealVNC Connect
- Reaching your own Windows, Mac or Linux computers from a phone or tablet
- IT teams already using VNC who want cloud connections without opening ports
- Connecting to VNC servers from other vendors as well as RealVNC's own
Splashtop
- Reaching a home computer from the couch at no cost, or from anywhere for a small yearly fee
- People working from home who need their office computer from another device
- Designers and video editors who need accurate color and a stylus over a remote link
- IT teams and MSPs supporting staff or customers by concurrent technician
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.
Splashtop
- Splashtop Personal is free only on your home network and only for non-commercial use; working from home needs a business plan.
- Business plan prices are shown only as annual billing on the pricing page.
- Remote Support SOS is priced per concurrent technician, with the number of managed computers capped by the option you buy (10 or 300 per licence, up to 1,200).
- Enterprise, with single sign-on, APIs and the on-premises option, has no public price and is quoted by sales.
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.
Splashtop
- Unattended access to your own computers
- Install the Streamer on a computer and reach it later from a phone, tablet or another computer, with file transfer and remote print.
- On-demand support by session code
- Remote Support SOS lets a technician connect to any computer or mobile device the user opens a session code on, with or without someone present on managed machines.
- High-performance streaming
- The Performance plan adds 4:4:4 color, up to 240 frames per second, high-fidelity audio, Wacom stylus support and USB passthrough for creative work.
- Endpoint management add-on
- Autonomous Endpoint Management adds real-time patching, monitoring and remediation, and is sold on its own or added to SOS and Enterprise.
- Enterprise and on-premises
- Enterprise adds single sign-on, granular and scheduled access, SIEM logging, cloud recording, APIs and unattended Android access, with an on-premises option.
- Help desk and RMM integrations
- Launch sessions from tools such as Freshservice, Jira, Jamf, Atera and Datto RMM, and manage Bitdefender antivirus from the Splashtop console.
Plans
RealVNC Connect
Pricing could not be confirmed. See realvnc.com.
Splashtop
Personal$0
Non-commercial use only, on your home Wi-Fi network, for up to 2 Windows or Mac computers. Working from home counts as commercial use.
Anywhere Access Pack$23.99
per year ($5.99 a month billed monthly)
Add-on to Personal for reaching up to 2 home computers from anywhere over the internet. Personal use only.
Solo$6
per month, billed annually ($72 a year)
One user with unattended access from any device, file transfer with drag and drop, and remote print.
Pro$8.25
per user / month, billed annually ($99 a year)
Adds multi-monitor support, user roles and access management, chat, session recording and up to 3 users into one computer.
Performance$13
per user / month, billed annually ($149 a year)
Adds 4:4:4 color accuracy, up to 240 frames per second, high-fidelity audio, remote stylus with Wacom Bridge and USB passthrough.
Remote Support SOS$22
per concurrent technician / month, billed annually
$259 a year with 10 managed computers, or $399 a year with 300; on-demand sessions by code to unlimited computers and mobile devices.
Ways to pay less
RealVNC Connect
No public discounts listed.
Splashtop
- Annual discount
Anywhere Access Pack is cheaper paid yearly
The pack costs $23.99 a year against $5.99 a month, which is $71.88 over twelve months: about two-thirds less.
- Other savings
Volume discounts on Pro and Performance
The pricing page marks volume discounts on the Pro and Performance plans for teams buying several user licences.
