If you own a small business that provides tech support or customer care, assisting consumers via remote desktop is rather popular. When it comes to corporate operations, the vast majority of software necessitates the purchase of bulk business licenses. Even TeamViewer, the old standby, is only available for non-commercial use. It will block you from “not playing fairly” if you connect it to 6 or 7 separate PCs. However, if your requirements aren’t too stringent, there are a slew of free remote desktop access software that will do the job admirably.
You may also like to read Top 10 Best Digital Business Ideas.
Free Remote Access Software
To begin, here are some of the best free remote desktop applications for small businesses, freelancers, and Entrepreneurs.
1. Windows Remote Desktop
With Windows’ built-in remote-control capability, you can use the Remote Desktop function to control any Windows PC via the network. Windows Remote Desktop, like any other remote desktop software, is divided into two parts: the remote desktop server and the remote desktop client. The client is compatible with all versions of Windows, including Home, Professional, and Enterprise. The remote desktop server, on the other hand, is only available in Windows Pro and Enterprise editions.
The remote control connects two PCs over the network using RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). RDP is designed to perform well over slow connections, which is one of its key advantages. By default, the protocol encrypts the data communication with the RC4 cipher. You can even switch between 56 and 12-bit ciphers if necessary.
Effective bandwidth control, clipboard mapping, print redirection, keyboard hooking, sound redirection, network load balancing, and remote file transfer are just a few of the features of Windows Remote Desktop. It is also one of the best free remote access software for Windows PC.
If you already have a copy of Windows Pro or Enterprise and don’t mind the absence of sophisticated features like text or voice chat over a remote connection, Windows Remote Desktop is an excellent choice.
2. Zoho Assist
One of GSuite’s primary competitors is Zoho, a free web-based CRM (Customer Relationship Management). Zoho, as a CRM, offers a variety of business-ready modules such as Mail, Lead Management, Canvas, Analytics, Sales Management, Web forms, Process Management, and more. The Zoho Assist module is one of those ready-to-use modules that allows you to remotely control machines via a network. Zoho Assist, like Windows Remote Desktop, is available in client and server versions.
Zoho Assist comes with all of the standard functionality you’d expect from a remote desktop program. Unattended computer access is my favorite feature out of all of them. Unattended access, in case you didn’t know, allows you to control a PC via the network without requiring a person to be physically present on the client side. Clipboard sharing, user administration, UAC compatibility, organizational rules, instant chat, and more features are also available.
Keep in mind that the free edition of Zoho Assist is only capable to supporting one concurrent session and one remote technician at a time.
3. ConnectWise Control
ConnectWise Control is one of the most feature-rich small business remote desktop solutions available. One of the best features of ConnectWise is its lightning-fast remote control connectivity. The connection is, of course, fully encrypted with AES 256-bit encryption and is also compatible with Windows UAC (User Access Control).
Simply install the suitable client software on the client and then begin the connection from your server to get started. ConnectWise Control provides extensive user access control because the service is primarily focused at business customers. You can also establish individual permissions each session if necessary.
Unattended access, audit reports, secure session codes, Android and iOS apps, extension compatibility, and more are all included in ConnectWise Control. Keep in mind that free users are only allowed one connection, one remote technician, and one concurrent session.
You must subscribe to one of their commercial plans to get additional features like support for more concurrent connections and simultaneous sessions, clipboard support, file transfer, wake-on-LAN, chat support, session triggers, and so on.
4. AeroAdmin
Another free and feature-rich small business remote desktop tool is AeroAdmin. AeroAdmin is designed, like ConnectWise, to connect to the distant computer as quickly and efficiently as possible while encrypting the data and connection. The ability of the client to send an SOS message is one of my favorite features given by AeroAdmin. The SOS message is provided via email after a customer sends it, and you can connect right away. As you can expect, this capability comes in handy in situations where you need to assist a client as quickly as possible.
You can connect to machines over various LANs and behind NATs as a free user. You’ll also get access to capabilities like unattended access, remote reboot, clipboard sync, and system key support, among others.
However, several advanced services, such as proxy support, file sharing, and chat, are available only to premium users.
Download AeroAdmin for Windows
5. Remote Utilities
Remote Utilities, in comparison to the other software, provides more functions for its users under the free license. For example, you have complete control over centralized permission management, multitasking, shared access (where multiple technicians can connect to a single system), direct connect, unattended access, drag-and-drop file transfer, remote printing, screen recording, clipboard sync, and other features. You can also have your own self-hosted server for distant connections and synchronization of your address book.
Premium assistance, silent installation, and the number of endpoints per specialist are the only features that are limited. Each technician is limited to ten endpoints at any given time as a free user. It is also being said that Remote Utilities is also one of the best free remote access software for PC.
Overall, if you’re searching for a free service that provides the majority of the functionality while being simple to use in professional settings, Remote Utilities is a good choice.
Download Remote Utilities for PC
6. UltraVNC
UltraVNC is a remote desktop application that is free, lightweight, and open source. In comparison to the other applications on this list, UltraVNC is rather simple and not particularly user-friendly. It is, nevertheless, rather light and quick to use. UltraVNC is fairly good at what it does as long as you don’t need capabilities like unattended access, clipboard sync, or detailed reports. File transmission, connection encryption, and a brief conversation are all standard features.
Simply simply, UltraVNC is for you if you’re seeking for a free and open source remote desktop solution.
7. LiteManager
LiteManager is yet another free remote desktop software that, in terms of feature set, is pretty comparable to Remote Utilities. Aside from standard capabilities like file transfer, drag-and-drop support, encryption, and clipboard sync, LiteManager also includes a remote task manager, IP filtering, sound capture, event logs, remote installation, a quick chat, and power management.
Furthermore, the user interface is user-friendly and simple to use for beginners. Even though the free version restricts you to utilize it on no more than 30 machines at a time, this is a reasonable limit for a small organization. In fact, the maximum of 30 computers is far higher than what Remote Utilities provides.
So, if you want to manage multiple machines while also having access to extensive capabilities, LiteManager is the way to go.
Get LiteManager
8. Chrome Remote Desktop
So, if you want to manage multiple machines while also having access to extensive capabilities, LiteManager is the way to go. Chrome Remote Desktop from Google is a good alternative if all you need is a simple remote connection to control the other computer. It works on any operating system because all you have to do is install a simple Chrome extension. Chrome Remote Desktop, on the other hand, is severely constrained when compared to the other applications on our list.
It only works, for example, if the client has Chrome installed on their computer. Furthermore, critical functionality such as file sharing and chat capabilities are missing, and system keyboard shortcuts cannot be communicated. It is being said that Chrome Remote Desktop is the ideal solution if all you need is a basic distant connection that allows you to have rudimentary control while viewing the remote screen.
Get Chrome Remote Desktop
Wrapping Up: Free Remote Access Software
I propose using LiteManager or Remote Utilities if you wish to handle numerous users at once. If you want to use open-source software, UltraVNC is the way to go. AeroAdmin and ConnectWise are fantastic options for advanced reports and remote rebooting. If you don’t want to install any third-party software, Windows Remote Desktop is a good option. Finally, if you only require a simple remote connection, Chrome Remote Desktop would suffice.
That’s all I’ve got for now. If you think I’ve forgotten about any of your favorite free remote access software for small businesses, please let me know in the comments section below.
