Remmina vs TightVNC (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Remmina and TightVNC share a 2.6 GPA, both have a free plan, and Remmina has no paid plan to buy, against $1 a month when paid by the year for each person for TightVNC.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TightVNC
Free VNC remote desktop for Windows, with paid Pro encryption
Which one is for you
Pick Remmina if
- Fits if you use Linux and connect to Windows or Linux machines through RDP or SSH
- Works for people who want kiosk mode and several monitors
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or a Mac, as there's no build for either
- Not for you if you want a vendor to call, as support is IRC, Matrix and forums
- Too light on its own, since the machine you connect to needs its own server
- Watch out: no mobile app is listed
Pick TightVNC if
- Fits if you want to control Windows machines on your own network for free
- Works for people who want a small VNC server and viewer with open-source roots
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, Linux or a phone, as the downloads are Windows only
- Not for you if you need encrypted sessions on the free version, because encryption is Pro only
- Pricey if you need Pro on both ends, as checkout starts with two licenses at $12 each a year
- Watch out: a Corporate license allows one interactive Pro session per computer, so it does not suit terminal servers
- Watch out: Pro is billed once a year and needs internet access to activate
How we grade them
| 2.6GPARemminaGood | 2.6GPATightVNCGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source with optional donations, against a $2.50 cheaper-quarter start for remote access tools. | AFree outright, so it sits well under 60% of the $4.17 the cheaper quarter of remote access tools starts at. Pro encryption is $12 a user a year. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free, with nothing held back. | AThe base version is free for personal and commercial use and its features do not expire. The catch is that sessions are not encrypted without Pro. |
| Features | CProtocol plugins, RDP options, SSH tunnels, kiosk mode and multi-monitor. It's a client only, so the other end needs its own RDP, VNC or SSH server. | CRemote view and control, plus TLS 1.3 with Pro and a viewer SDK. The listing shows no encryption in the free version, which is a gap for a tool you point at the internet. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You install it from your distribution and add each connection profile yourself. | CNo store rating on record. You install a server, set a password and sort out how to reach the machine, which is more than a click-and-go app. |
| Platforms and integrations | DLinux only: the install guide covers Linux distributions and offers no Windows or macOS build. | DThe download page lists Windows installers only. No Mac, Linux or phone version, and no integrations. |
| Best for | a free remote desktop client for Linux | free VNC remote control of Windows PCs |
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: Remmina and TightVNC. How we grade
Price against what you get
Remmina has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TightVNC starts at $1 a month when paid by the year for each person and scores 1.7.
They score the same, and Remmina starts $1 a month lower. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, none scores higher than Remmina for less, and 4 score higher than TightVNC 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
At a glance
| Remmina | TightVNC | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $12 per year per user license (Pro); $1 / month, billed once a year |
| Free plan | None | TightVNC 4 base version is free for personal and commercial use, with features that do not expire. Connections are not encrypted without Pro. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Remmina | PE Konstantin Kaplinskii |
| Price read from | remmina.org | tightvnc.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Remmina
- The install guide covers Linux distributions only; no Windows or macOS build is offered.
- It is a client: the machine you connect to needs its own RDP, VNC or SSH server.
- Support comes from the community channels (IRC, Matrix, forums), not a paid vendor.
TightVNC
- TightVNC 4 is remote desktop software for Windows; the download page lists Windows installers only.
- Without Pro, sessions are not encrypted, and Pro needs a license at each end of the connection.
- Pro is billed once a year and needs internet access to activate.
- A Corporate license allows only one interactive Pro session per computer at a time, so it does not fit a terminal server.
Key features
Remmina
- Protocol plugins
- The home page lists RDP, SSH, SPICE, VNC, X2Go and HTTP/HTTPS plugins, and the features page also covers SFTP, NX and XDMCP.
- RDP options
- The RDP plugin settings include Remote Desktop Gateway servers, folder, printer and smartcard sharing, microphone redirection and color depth.
- SSH tunnels and sessions
- Connections can use an SSH tunnel, and the SSH plugin offers key-based authentication, proxy commands and optional session logging.
- Kiosk mode and multi-monitor
- The site mentions kiosk mode and multi-monitor support, plus tabbed connections, a toolbar and view-only mode in the settings.
- Wide distribution support
- The site says Remmina is available in 67 languages and 50+ distributions, with guides for Flatpak, Snap, Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and others.
TightVNC
- Remote view and control
- See the remote screen and use its keyboard and mouse, opening files and launching applications almost as if sitting at it.
- TLS 1.3 encryption with Pro
- Pro encrypts the whole session. Both the Viewer and the Server need a Pro license for a connection to be encrypted.
- Free base version that does not expire
- The free features stay available if a Pro subscription ends; only the Pro features switch off.
- Open-source TightVNC 2
- TightVNC 2 is available under the GNU GPL, with maintenance and security updates, and commercial source-code licenses are sold.
- Viewer SDK and source licenses
- Developers can license the source code or a Viewer SDK with libraries for .NET and other platforms.
- MightyViewer companion
- A separate paid viewer from the same authors monitors several VNC desktops on one screen and offers a 30-day trial.
Plans
Remmina
Free$0
Free and open-source under a copyleft license; the project accepts donations.
TightVNC
Free$0
TightVNC 4 base features for personal and commercial use, with no time limit. No session encryption.
Pro User License$12
per user account on one computer / year, billed annually
Adds TLS 1.3 encryption and email support. Encryption needs Pro at both ends, so checkout starts with two licenses.
Pro Corporate License$18
per computer / year, billed annually
Covers all user accounts on one computer, with one interactive Pro session at a time. Not suited to terminal servers.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Remmina or TightVNC?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Remmina is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $1 a month when paid by the year for each person for TightVNC. Remmina is free, and TightVNC starts at $12 per year per user license (Pro); $1 / month, billed once a year.
Which has a free plan, Remmina or TightVNC?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Remmina and TightVNC have a free plan.
Which platforms do Remmina and TightVNC run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Remmina lists a Linux app and only TightVNC lists a Windows app. 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.