RealVNC Connect vs TeamViewer
We give RealVNC Connect a 2.4 GPA and TeamViewer a 2.6, out of 4.0. RealVNC Connect grades higher on value for money. TeamViewer grades higher on the free plan and platforms. 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
TeamViewer
Remote access and IT support, free for personal use only
Free plan · from $619.99/yr
How we grade them
| 2.4GPARealVNC ConnectFair | 2.6GPATeamViewerGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | D$619.99 a year for Business, one licensed user and up to 200 managed devices, is the only dollar price on record: it's the in-app purchase on the US App Store. For one technician doing the same job, Zoho Assist, Splashtop and LogMeIn Resolve's Starter all cost less. Its other plans couldn't be read in dollars. |
| 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. | BFree for personal use, with no cap on record for helping friends and family or reaching your own computers, phones and tablets. That's a plan one person can live on. Any work use needs a licence, which you can trial for 14 days. |
| 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. | CAttended and unattended access, file transfer, remote printing, Wake-on-LAN, black screen, session recording and AI summaries. The gaps it lists itself: phones and tablets need a paid add-on, iPhones and iPads only share their screen, and Business allows one connection at a time. |
| 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. | B4.67 from 44,790 App Store ratings, just short of our A line. The person at the other end accepts and you're in, so there's not much to learn. |
| 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. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with an API and connections to Intune, ServiceNow, Jira, Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet. That's everything we look for. |
| Best for | reaching your computers from the makers of VNC | helping family for free, or paid IT support |
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 TeamViewer. How we grade
Where they differ
- Only TeamViewer lists a web app.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroidEnd-to-end encryptedRemote desktop
At a glance
| RealVNC Connect | TeamViewer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $619.99 per year (Business, as an in-app purchase on the US App Store) |
| 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. | Free for personal use only: helping friends and family and reaching your own devices. Commercial use needs a paid licence. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day trial of a commercial plan |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | RealVNC Limited | TeamViewer Germany GmbH |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | apps.apple.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
TeamViewer
- Helping friends and family with computer problems at no cost
- IT staff and help desks supporting employees' or customers' computers
- Small businesses that need unattended access to up to 200 devices
- Organizations that connect remote support to ServiceNow, Jira or Intune
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.
TeamViewer
- TeamViewer's website shows prices by visitor location and could not be read in US dollars; Remote Access, Premium and Corporate prices are missing here.
- The free version is for personal use only; any business or work use needs a paid licence, which TeamViewer offers to trial for 14 days.
- Licences are billed yearly and cap the number of managed devices and simultaneous connections, e.g. one connection at a time on Business.
- Supporting phones and tablets is a paid add-on; for iPhones and iPads it is screen sharing rather than control.
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.
TeamViewer
- Attended and unattended access
- Connect to any number of devices when someone at the other end accepts, or to a set number of managed devices without anyone present, depending on the licence.
- File transfer and remote printing
- Send and queue files between devices and print documents from the remote computer to your local printer.
- Wake-on-LAN and black screen
- Power on a remote computer, block local keyboard and mouse input, and black out its screen while you work on it.
- Session recording and switch sides
- Record and replay sessions, and swap who controls whom during a session. Custom branding of support sessions comes with paid licences.
- TeamViewer AI
- Business includes 25 AI credits a month, one per support session, for AI-guided troubleshooting and written session summaries.
- Mobile device support add-on
- An add-on to reach and support Android devices and share the screen of iPhones and iPads, alongside desktop-to-desktop connections.
Plans
RealVNC Connect
Pricing could not be confirmed. See realvnc.com.
TeamViewer
Free (personal use)$0
For non-commercial use only: remote help for friends and family and access to your own computers, phones and tablets.
Business$619.99
per year, as an in-app purchase in the iOS app
One licensed user, one connection at a time and up to 200 managed devices, with 25 AI credits a month. Price read on the US App Store.
Ways to pay less
RealVNC Connect
No public discounts listed.
TeamViewer
- Nonprofit
30% off for nonprofits and education
Registered nonprofit and educational organizations that apply through TeamViewer's form get a 30% discount.
