The global shift to remote work has undoubtedly become one of the key trends shaping the world in the last few years. It has also sparked a rising interest in various collaboration tools, such as remote desktop software, screen-sharing solutions, remote file transfer apps, etc. Since this trend is showing no signs of slowing down, it’s important to find a cost-effective and reliable solution to establish and support a thriving remote work environment in 2023 and beyond.

Choosing the perfect remote desktop software for your personal or business needs might be an overwhelming task, especially if your budget is limited and you’re looking for a free or low-cost option. It’s worth remembering though that free (or extremely cheap) software does not always mean better or more reliable, as it often has certain limitations and drawbacks, such as poor customer support.

So, what is the best free remote desktop software to try in 2023? Here’s a list of our top picks with all the pros and cons for you to consider.

Chrome Remote Desktop

Ideal for: basic personal use
Pros: easy to set up
Cons: limited features, not suited for business use

Chrome Remote Desktop is a popular free remote desktop application ideally suited for basic personal use. If all you need is to occasionally connect to your own devices and Chrome browser is your thing, look no further than Chrome Remote Desktop.

However, if you’re looking to provide remote support services to customers, you will find Chrome Remote Desktop to be rather poorly equipped. It lacks instant messaging, multi-session handling, file transfer capabilities, and many other remote desktop features which are vital for professional use.

Microsoft Remote Desktop

Ideal for: personal use, local network administration and support
Pros: easy to set up
Cons: limited features, not suited for business use

Microsoft Remote Desktop is another free remote desktop tool that’s widely used in Windows environments for network administration and employee support. If you’re not planning to do anything outside of your local network and your machines are running on Pro, Business, or Ultimate versions of Windows, then Microsoft Remote Desktop should be your application of choice.

UltraVNC

Ideal for: conservative users
Pros: free
Cons: limited features, difficult to set up, slow connection speed

Unlike Microsoft Remote Desktop, this free VNC-based tool can be used to provide tech support to both local and remote Windows users. However, VNC is an outdated technology that hasn’t changed much during the last 20 years. It overloads the network, it’s difficult to set up, and puts a number of restrictions on multi-session handling, unattended access, and many other important remote desktop features.

TeamViewer Personal

Ideal for: personal use
Pros: easy to set up and use, stable, lots of features
Cons: limited for commercial use

When it comes to doing a quick fix on a remote Windows computer or a Mac, TeamViewer is the remote desktop software of choice for most IT pros. It packs a lot of great features and has an intuitive user interface.

What’s wrong with it? Nothing, as long as you’re not using it for business purposes. Once you’re caught, you will no longer be able to run TeamViewer unless you pay for it.

Zoho Assist

Ideal for: personal use
Pros: easy to use, unattended access
Cons: buggy, too limited for commercial use

Zoho Assist may easily be the second most popular tool after TeamViewer. Unlike the proprietary remote desktop solutions listed above, it offers more features including unattended access, clipboard synchronization and a built-in chat.

The biggest drawback to using Zoho Assist for commercial purposes is that its free personal license is limited to five unattended computers and only one concurrent support session. Clearly not enough even for a one-man tech support business.

Anydesk

Ideal for: personal use, occasional business use
Pros: lightweight, easy to set up
Cons: no drag-and-drop file transfer, no whiteboard tools, poor customer support

Anydesk provides a fast way to access a remote computer or mobile device without having to install anything or configure any ports. It’s an extremely lightweight application – all you have to do is download and run a small file, and you’re almost all set.

It’s not at all perfect though. Unlike many other remote desktop solutions, Anydesk lacks a number of important features, including drag-and-drop file transfer and whiteboard tools. Apart from that, it’s quite difficult to get ahold of customer support when it’s most needed.

Remote Utilities

Ideal for: personal use, limited business use
Pros: inventory management, 10 concurrent support sessions
Cons: paid after 30-day trial, complicated setup

Remote Utilities is another good one. Apart from allowing you to run up to 10 on-demand sessions simultaneously, it also offers an inventory manager that provides detailed information about the remote system. Remote Utilities can be used for free during a 30-day trial period, but that’s it. You’ll have to purchase a “lifetime” license and pay for upgrade once the free trial is over.

Conclusion: the best free remote desktop software in 2022

If your current needs are limited, or if you’re confident enough that you don’t need a paid solution for commercial purposes, choose one of the seven options listed above. They’re not all ideal, but you get what you pay for, right? In this case, free means putting up with certain limitations along with the fact that vendors are not responsible for your experience.

If you want an easy-to-use, feature-rich, and cost-effective remote desktop solution that won’t let you down, hit the green button at the end of this post and sign up for a free trial of SetMe.

Suggested further reading: Remote Work Tools of the Remote Work Trade

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