The Chrome Remote Desktop Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Chrome Remote Desktop in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Chrome Remote Desktop
The Insider’s Guide
Google's free remote access to your own computers from a browser
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among remote desktop apps, read from Chrome Remote Desktop’s own pages.
Made by Google · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Chrome Remote Desktop’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Chrome Remote Desktop’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 14 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade
Chrome Remote Desktop is Google's free remote access tool, run from a website in Chrome with a small host app on each Windows, Mac or Linux computer and apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. It is mainly for reaching your own computers from anywhere with a PIN, though it also has a one-time code for helping someone else with their computer.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Chrome Remote Desktop, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Set it up once on each machine, pick it from a list, type a PIN, done.
- 1
Best for reaching your own computers for free
Chrome Remote Desktop is Google's free way to reach your own computers from a browser or phone.
- 2
It is free
Chrome Remote Desktop has no paid plan at all. Everything is free: remote access to your own computers and one-time support sessions. Google lists no paid plans and the Android app has no in-app purchases.
- 3
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 4
Access your own computers
Set up remote access once on each computer, then pick it from a list at remotedesktop.google.com/access and enter its PIN to connect.
- 5
One-time support codes
Someone who needs help generates a code and sends it to you; when you enter it they see your email address and choose whether to share.
- 6
Phone and tablet apps
Apps for Android, iPhone and iPad connect to your online computers; on a computer everything runs in the Chrome browser.
- 7
A 3.2 GPA, above 14 of 15
That is against the other remote desktop apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Chrome Remote Desktop is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Chrome Remote Desktop at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Category
- Remote Desktop
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for reaching your own computers for free
Chrome Remote Desktop is Google's free way to reach your own computers from a browser or phone. Set it up once on each machine, pick it from a list, type a PIN, done. It's bare-bones, though: there's no paid version, no support team, and sharing your screen with someone needs re-confirming every 30 minutes.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $0, with nothing to upgrade to: Google lists no paid plans, and reaching your own computers and one-time support sessions are both free. Of its rivals doing the same job, TeamViewer and AnyDesk are free for personal use only, and Splashtop's free app stays on your home Wi-Fi. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright. Everything it does costs nothing, with no limit on computers in the listing, and there's no paid tier to push you towards. |
| Features | C | It covers reaching your own Windows, Mac and Linux computers and helping someone with a one-time code. The gaps it lists itself: sharing must be confirmed every 30 minutes, each code works once, phones can't be reached, and there's no team or business version. |
| Ease of use | B | No App Store rating on record. It runs on the Google account you already have: set up access once on each computer, then pick it from a list and enter its PIN. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, so it's on everything. But there are no integrations or API on record, which keeps it at B. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Chrome Remote Desktop is for
- Great if you just want to grab a file off your home PC while you're out
- Handy when a relative needs a quick hand and you don't want to buy anything
- Good for Chromebook owners who need to reach a Windows, Mac or Linux machine
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you support people for a living, as there's no team version or help desk
- Not for you if your work account's administrator has switched it off
- Too light for long support sessions, since sharing needs re-confirming every 30 minutes
Good to know
Good for
- Reaching a home or work computer from a phone, tablet or another computer at no cost
- Occasionally helping a friend or relative with their computer
- Chromebook users who need to reach a Windows, Mac or Linux machine
Worth knowing
- Google sells no paid or business version; help comes from its help pages and the Chrome Help Forum rather than a support team.
- When you share your computer, you have to confirm every 30 minutes that sharing should continue, and each support code works only once.
- Only Windows, Mac and Linux computers can be set up for access; the phone and tablet apps connect to computers but cannot be reached themselves.
- On a work or school account an administrator may block or limit it.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Chrome Remote Desktop is free to use.
Of its rivals doing the same job, TeamViewer and AnyDesk are free for personal use only, and Splashtop's free app stays on your home Wi-Fi.
Free
$0
Remote access to your own Windows, Mac and Linux computers and one-time remote support sessions. No paid tier exists.
The free plan
Everything is free: remote access to your own computers and one-time support sessions. Google lists no paid plans and the Android app has no in-app purchases.
Read from play.google.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
7
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Google's free remote access to your own computers from a browser. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: real-time collaboration, remote desktop.
It covers reaching your own Windows, Mac and Linux computers and helping someone with a one-time code.
- Access your own computers
- Set up remote access once on each computer, then pick it from a list at remotedesktop.google.com/access and enter its PIN to connect.
- One-time support codes
- Someone who needs help generates a code and sends it to you; when you enter it they see your email address and choose whether to share.
- Phone and tablet apps
- Apps for Android, iPhone and iPad connect to your online computers; on a computer everything runs in the Chrome browser.
- Linux virtual sessions
- On Linux the host can start its own desktop session, and you can choose which desktop environment it launches.
- Admin controls
- Administrators of managed Google accounts can control whether and how people in their organization use Chrome Remote Desktop.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Chrome Remote Desktop is made by Google.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
14/15
Other remote desktop apps it is graded above
Chrome Remote Desktop's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 14 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 14 of 15) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Chrome Remote Desktop has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 16 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Chrome Remote Desktop’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 13 of 15
- AFree plan and trialAbove 14 of 15
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 15
- BEase of useAbove 5 of 15
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 15
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 12 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Chrome Remote Desktop is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Chrome Remote Desktop is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 14 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade.
What you could not
- A fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
What this rests on. Chrome Remote Desktop’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
RustDesk, AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Splashtop and Jump Desktop
The 5 tools Chrome Remote Desktop is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
RustDesk
Free plan · from $11.88/mo
Open-source remote desktop you can run on your own server.
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a browser extension.
- RustDesk is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
AnyDesk
Free plan
Remote desktop app, free for personal use, licensed for business.
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a web app.
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a browser extension.
- AnyDesk is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
TeamViewer
Free plan · from $619.99/yr
Remote access and IT support, free for personal use only.
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a browser extension.
- TeamViewer is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Splashtop
Free plan · from $23.99/yr
Remote access to your own computers, plus separate IT support plans.
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a web app.
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a browser extension.
- Splashtop is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Jump Desktop
Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
Remote desktop with one-time app licences and a per-user team plan.
- Only Chrome Remote Desktop lists a browser extension.
- Jump Desktop can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
9
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Chrome Remote Desktop free?
Yes. Chrome Remote Desktop is free to use.
How much does Chrome Remote Desktop cost?
Chrome Remote Desktop lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Chrome Remote Desktop work on?
Chrome Remote Desktop is available on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
Is Chrome Remote Desktop open source?
Chrome Remote Desktop is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Who makes Chrome Remote Desktop?
Chrome Remote Desktop is made by Google.
What are the alternatives to Chrome Remote Desktop?
The closest alternatives to Chrome Remote Desktop in our directory are RustDesk, AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Splashtop and Jump Desktop.
How does Chrome Remote Desktop compare with other remote desktop apps?
Chrome Remote Desktop's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 14 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 1.
Is Chrome Remote Desktop good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Chrome Remote Desktop A for value for money. Chrome Remote Desktop has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Chrome Remote Desktop?
Chrome Remote Desktop is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Chrome Remote Desktop’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Google's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices change, so check remotedesktop.google.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Chrome Remote Desktop, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/chrome-remote-desktop
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Chrome Remote Desktop: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/chrome-remote-desktop
Know someone choosing between remote desktop apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/chrome-remote-desktop/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded remote desktop apps after Chrome Remote Desktop, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Remote Desktop Insider's GuideEvery one of the 16 remote desktop apps we grade, compared
- Jump Desktop Insider's GuideRemote desktop with one-time app licences and a per-user team plan3.2 GPA
- RustDesk Insider's GuideOpen-source remote desktop you can run on your own server3.0 GPA
- Zoho Assist Insider's GuideRemote support and unattended access for help desks and IT teams3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Chrome Remote Desktop’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Chrome Remote Desktop is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Google. Prices and plans change: check remotedesktop.google.com before you buy.