Screens vs Splashtop (2026): which should you pick?

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

Pick Splashtop if

• Fits if you want your home PC from anywhere for $23.99 a year
• Works for help desks that support people by session code at $22 per concurrent technician

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you hoped the free app would reach your PC from outside the house, as it's home Wi-Fi only
• Not for you if you work from home and want it free, as that counts as commercial use
• Pricey if you need single sign-on, the APIs or on-premises, which sit on an Enterprise plan quoted by sales
• Watch out: business plans are shown on annual billing only, the trial's length isn't stated, and there's no web app
• Tight if SOS outgrows its cap, as each license covers 10 or 300 managed computers, up to 1,200

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Screens

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.