Screens vs TeamViewer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, TeamViewer grades higher than Screens: 2.6 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
Screens 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.
TeamViewer
Remote access and IT support, free for personal use only
Which one is for you
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 TeamViewer if
- Fits if you're the one the family calls when the computer plays up
- Works for help desks already running ServiceNow, Jira or Intune that can pay $619.99 a year or more
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're a one-person IT shop, as Business is $619.99 a year for one user
- Skip it if you need to control iPhones or iPads, which only share their screen, and phones need a paid add-on
- Not for you if your use is really work and you want it free, as the free version is personal only
- Tight if you need more than one connection at a time, which Business doesn't allow
- Watch out: prices change by visitor location, and the Remote Access, Premium and Corporate prices couldn't be read in dollars
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAScreensFair | 2.6GPATeamViewerGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | DA 7-day trial through the App Store and no free plan, so you give a payment method to try it. | 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 | 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. | 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 | B4.5 from 623 App Store ratings. Install it, add a computer and connect. | 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 | 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. | 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 | controlling Macs, PCs and Linux from Apple devices | 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: Screens and TeamViewer. How we grade
Price against what you get
Screens starts at $2.50 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TeamViewer starts at $51.67 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
TeamViewer scores higher, and starts $49.17 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, 5 score higher than Screens for less, and 2 score higher than TeamViewer 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
- TeamViewer is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Screens also covers file sharing and menu bar app.
At a glance
| Screens | TeamViewer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year | $619.99 per year (Business, as an in-app purchase on the US App Store) |
| Free plan | None | Free for personal use only: helping friends and family and reaching your own devices. Commercial use needs a paid licence. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on all your devices. | 14-day trial of a commercial plan |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Edovia Inc. | TeamViewer Germany GmbH |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
Screens
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Screens or TeamViewer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Screens is cheaper to start with: $2.50 a month when paid by the year, against $51.67 a month when paid by the year for TeamViewer. Screens starts at $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year, and TeamViewer starts at $619.99 per year (Business, as an in-app purchase on the US App Store).
Which has a free plan, Screens or TeamViewer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only TeamViewer has a free plan. Screens does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Screens and TeamViewer run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only TeamViewer lists a web app and 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.