The NoMachine Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about NoMachine 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.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

NoMachine

The Insider’s Guide

Self-hosted remote desktop sold as yearly server subscriptions

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among remote desktop apps, read from NoMachine’s own pages.

Made by NoMachine S.à r.l. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.2GPA

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 NoMachine’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on NoMachine’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

2.2

GPA, above 0 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade

NoMachine is remote desktop software built on its own NX protocol, mainly for reaching your own computers and servers, with Enterprise editions for businesses and Linux terminal servers. You install a paid server edition, from Personal Edition upward, on each Windows, Mac, Linux or Raspberry Pi machine and connect with the free NoMachine Player, which also runs on iOS and Android. Connections go by IP address or, with a separate subscription, through NoMachine Network.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about NoMachine, taken from its own pages and our grades.

You connect by IP address on your own network, and reaching a machine behind a firewall by ID needs a separate Network subscription.

From our grade for ease of use

1
Best for fast remote desktops for Linux and your own network
NoMachine is fast, especially on Linux and Raspberry Pi, and it keeps a vendor cloud out of the middle: you install a server edition on each machine and connect straight to it.
2
Paid plans start at $2.04 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $24.50 per year (Personal Edition, one computer).
3
You can try it first
Free trial of each server edition; NoMachine Network has a 7-day trial
4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
5
NX protocol
Hardware-accelerated H.264 encoding and decoding, audio and video streaming, and multi-monitor support, for work, media and games.
6
Free Player on every platform
NoMachine Player is free for commercial and non-commercial use on Windows, Mac, Linux, ARM, Raspberry Pi, iOS and Android, with no limit on machines.
7
Terminal access
Open remote command-line sessions to Windows, macOS or Linux NoMachine systems without a full desktop and without SSH on the server.
8
A 2.2 GPA, above 0 of 15
That is against the other remote desktop apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
9
Keep it
To replace NoMachine you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

NoMachine at a glance

Pricing: Free trial, from $24.50 per year (Personal Edition, one computer)
Free plan: No
Free trial: Free trial of each server edition; NoMachine Network has a 7-day trial
Runs on: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
Made by: NoMachine S.à r.l.
Category: Remote Desktop
Our grade: 2.2 GPA, fair

The report card

Best for fast remote desktops for Linux and your own network

NoMachine is fast, especially on Linux and Raspberry Pi, and it keeps a vendor cloud out of the middle: you install a server edition on each machine and connect straight to it. But it's no longer free. Personal Edition is $24.50 a year per computer, and reaching one behind a firewall by ID costs extra.

ToolGPA report cardNoMachineGraded Oct 18, 2026

Subject	Grade	Comment
Value for money	C	Personal Edition is $24.50 a year per computer, so two computers come to $49, and getting past a firewall by Machine Id adds Network Personal at $84.50, or $133.50 a year in all. RustDesk, Parsec and Jump Desktop reach your own computers for nothing, so for the same job it's on the dear side.
Free plan and trial	C	No free plan: only the Player is free, and it needs a paid server edition to connect to. Each server edition has a free trial, and NoMachine Network has a 7-day one; the listing doesn't mention a card.
Features	C	The NX protocol with hardware H.264, multi-monitor, terminal sessions, file, disk, printer and USB sharing, Wake-on-LAN and recording. The gaps it lists itself: Personal Edition allows one desktop connection at a time, and browser access, VPN and single sign-on are Enterprise only.
Ease of use	C	No App Store rating on record. You connect by IP address on your own network, and reaching a machine behind a firewall by ID needs a separate Network subscription. That's a learning curve.
Platforms and integrations	B	Windows, Mac, Linux and Raspberry Pi, with a free Player for iPhone and Android and browser access on Enterprise. Sign-in works with Okta, Entra ID and Active Directory, but there's no API on record.

Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.2

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 NoMachine is for

Great if you run Linux or a Raspberry Pi and want a quick remote desktop
Handy when you'd rather connect straight to your machines than through a vendor's cloud
Good for businesses hosting several virtual Linux desktops on one server

Who it is not for

Pricey if you have lots of computers, as every one needs its own $24.50 yearly licence
Skip it if you want something free, since only the Player is
Tight if two people need the same desktop at once, as Personal Edition allows one connection

Good to know

Good for

Reaching your own home or office computer over your own network
Linux users who need fast remote desktops, including Raspberry Pi
Businesses running several virtual Linux desktops on one server
People who want remote access without a vendor cloud in the middle

Worth knowing

Personal Edition is now an annual subscription; only the Player client is free, and it needs a NoMachine server edition to connect to.
Reaching a computer behind a firewall by Machine Id needs a separate NoMachine Network subscription on top of the server edition.
Personal Edition allows one desktop connection at a time; browser access, VPN and single sign-on are Enterprise only.
Terminal Server and Workstation editions host virtual desktops on Linux only.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$2.04

A month to start, paid by the year

NoMachine is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $24.50 per year (Personal Edition, one computer).

RustDesk, Parsec and Jump Desktop reach your own computers for nothing, so for the same job it's on the dear side.

From our grade for value for money

Personal Edition
$24.50
per year per computer
For individuals and businesses: 1 desktop connection and up to 4 terminal connections from the same client. Also sold in packs of 5 to 100.
Enterprise Desktop
$44.50
per year per computer
Unlimited connections, access from any browser, a built-in VPN and single sign-on. Also sold in packs of 10 to 100; the support table lists a pack at $244.50.
Network Personal
$84.50
per year ($8.50 billed monthly)
Optional: 1 connection at a time over NoMachine Network by Machine Id, for computers behind a firewall. Plans for 4 to 32 connections cost more.
Workstation
$124.50
per year per server
Runs up to 4 virtual Linux desktops and apps on one server, with unlimited connections and browser access.
Small Business Terminal Server
$744.50
per year per server
Runs up to 10 virtual Linux desktops and apps on one server, for departments and small businesses.

Trying it first

Free trial of each server edition; NoMachine Network has a 7-day trial

Read from nomachine.com on Oct 18, 2026.

Ways to pay less

Annual discount
Network subscriptions cheaper paid yearly
Network Personal is $84.50 a year against $8.50 a month, which is $102 over twelve months: about 17% less.
Stated on nomachine.com

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android

Self-hosted remote desktop sold as yearly server subscriptions. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: self-hostable, remote desktop.

Windows, Mac, Linux and Raspberry Pi, with a free Player for iPhone and Android and browser access on Enterprise.

From our grade for platforms and integrations

NX protocol: Hardware-accelerated H.264 encoding and decoding, audio and video streaming, and multi-monitor support, for work, media and games.
Free Player on every platform: NoMachine Player is free for commercial and non-commercial use on Windows, Mac, Linux, ARM, Raspberry Pi, iOS and Android, with no limit on machines.
Terminal access: Open remote command-line sessions to Windows, macOS or Linux NoMachine systems without a full desktop and without SSH on the server.
Devices and files: File transfer with drag and drop, disk and printer sharing in both directions, USB device forwarding, port forwarding and Wake-on-LAN.
Recording and guest sharing: Record your session on the fly, and let guests join your desktop to collaborate or help troubleshoot.
Enterprise sign-in and browser access: Enterprise editions add access from any browser, a built-in VPN, and sign-in with Okta, Entra ID, Google Cloud Identity, Keycloak, LDAP or Active Directory.

Where it runs

Web
macOS
Windows
Linux
iOS
Android

What it works with

Okta
Microsoft Entra ID
Google Cloud Identity
Keycloak
Active Directory

NoMachine is made by NoMachine S.à r.l.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

0/15

Other remote desktop apps it is graded above

NoMachine's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 0 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 3.

It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 15) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).

Its paid plans start at $2.04 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 2 of the 10 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 16 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. NoMachine’s own letter is outlined.

CValue for money
Above 2 of 15
CFree plan and trial
Above 0 of 15
CFeatures
Above 0 of 15
CEase of use
Above 0 of 15
BPlatforms and integrations
Above 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. NoMachine 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

To replace NoMachine you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 12 of the 15 other remote desktop apps grade higher. It costs $24.50 a year.

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.
It plugs into other products, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID and Google Cloud Identity among them.
Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.

What this rests on. NoMachine’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, Parsec, RealVNC Connect, TeamViewer and Jump Desktop

The 5 tools NoMachine 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.
- RustDesk has a free plan. NoMachine does not, though it has a free trial.
- RustDesk is open source, according to its own site.
NoMachine and RustDesk compared in full
2.6GPA
Parsec
Free plan · from $8.33/mo
Low-latency remote desktop for games and creative work.
- Parsec has a free plan. NoMachine does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only NoMachine lists an iOS app.
- NoMachine is self-hostable, according to its own site.
NoMachine and Parsec compared in full
2.4GPA
RealVNC Connect
Free plan
Remote access from the makers of VNC, with end-to-end encryption.
- RealVNC Connect has a free plan. NoMachine does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only NoMachine lists a web app.
- NoMachine is self-hostable, according to its own site.
NoMachine and RealVNC Connect compared in full
2.6GPA
TeamViewer
Free plan · from $619.99/yr
Remote access and IT support, free for personal use only.
- TeamViewer has a free plan. NoMachine does not, though it has a free trial.
- NoMachine is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- TeamViewer is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
NoMachine and TeamViewer compared in full
3.2GPA
Jump Desktop
Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
Remote desktop with one-time app licences and a per-user team plan.
- Jump Desktop has a free plan. NoMachine does not, though it has a free trial.
- NoMachine is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Jump Desktop can be bought with a one-time purchase.
NoMachine and Jump Desktop compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

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 NoMachine free?

No, NoMachine is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free trial of each server edition; NoMachine Network has a 7-day trial.

How much does NoMachine cost?

NoMachine lists 5 plans. Personal Edition: $24.50 per year per computer.

What platforms does NoMachine work on?

NoMachine is available on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.

Does NoMachine offer any discounts?

NoMachine publicly lists the following: Network subscriptions cheaper paid yearly.

Is NoMachine open source?

NoMachine is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.

Can NoMachine be self-hosted?

Yes. NoMachine's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.

What does NoMachine integrate with?

NoMachine's listing names Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Cloud Identity, Keycloak and Active Directory.

Who makes NoMachine?

NoMachine is made by NoMachine S.à r.l.

What are the alternatives to NoMachine?

The closest alternatives to NoMachine in our directory are RustDesk, Parsec, RealVNC Connect, TeamViewer and Jump Desktop.

How does NoMachine compare with other remote desktop apps?

NoMachine's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 0 of the 15 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 3.

Is NoMachine good value for money?

ToolGPA grades NoMachine C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $2.04 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 2 of the 10 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of NoMachine?

To replace NoMachine you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from NoMachine’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 NoMachine'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 NoMachine S.à r.l. Prices change, so check nomachine.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

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, "NoMachine: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/nomachine

Know someone choosing between remote desktop apps?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/nomachine/guide

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See our other guides

The best-graded remote desktop apps after NoMachine, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

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Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what NoMachine’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. NoMachine is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by NoMachine S.à r.l. Prices and plans change: check nomachine.com before you buy.