Parallels Access, the app Parallels sold for reaching a Mac or PC from a phone or tablet, no longer works. Its end of life notice says the product was discontinued on March 5, 2024, could not be bought or renewed after that date, and lost support on April 30, 2024, after which the app stopped working everywhere. Licences bundled with Parallels Desktop could no longer be activated either. Parallels did not name a replacement.
The six apps below all run on iPhone or iPad, and most on Android too, and each reaches a desktop computer from a touch screen. They are ordered by how close they come to the Parallels Access job: one person reaching their own computers from a mobile device.
Prices below are as of November 6, 2026. Our method is on How we review tools.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jump Desktop | A one-time purchase for iPad and iPhone | $14.99 once on iOS; free on Windows, Android, web | iOS, iPadOS, Mac, Windows, Android (beta), web |
| Splashtop | A paid, supported service for your own computers | Solo $72/year | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS |
| Chrome Remote Desktop | Free access with a Google account | Free | iOS, Android, browser; hosts on Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Windows App | Free access to a Windows Pro PC | Free | iOS, iPadOS, Android, macOS, Windows |
| Screens 5 | Apple devices reaching a Mac over VNC | $29.99/year or $199.99 lifetime | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro |
| RustDesk | Open source access you can self-host | Free; Server Pro from $11.88/month, yearly | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux |
Jump Desktop
Jump Desktop is sold the old-fashioned way: you pay once on iPhone and iPad, with no subscription. Version 10.17.1 costs $14.99 on the App Store and works with RDP and VNC as well as Jump's own Fluid protocol, which also carries audio.
You install the free Jump Desktop Connect on the Windows, Mac or Linux computer you want to reach. Viewers are free on Windows, Android and the web, and the Mac viewer is a one-time purchase with a 14-day trial. Because it speaks RDP and VNC, the same iPad app can also open servers that do not run Jump's host at all.
Best for: iPad and iPhone owners who want to pay once and reach both Macs and PCs.
Pricing:
- iPhone and iPad: $14.99, one-time purchase
- Windows, Android and web viewers: free
- Mac viewer: one-time purchase, 14-day trial
- Team tiers: price on request
Watch out for:
- The Android viewer is still labelled beta and the Linux viewer alpha on the Jump Desktop site, so Android tablet users get a less finished app than iPad users.
- Team plans have no public price, so a company rollout means asking for a quote.
Official site: Jump Desktop.
Splashtop
Splashtop is the paid service that comes nearest to what Parallels Access was: a subscription that keeps your own computers reachable from a phone or tablet. The Business app you connect from runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and Chromebook, and the Streamer goes on the computers you reach, per its downloads page.
Solo is meant for one person and costs $72 a year. Pro adds teams and lets up to 3 users connect to one computer.
Best for: Individuals who want a supported subscription for reaching home and office computers.
Pricing:
- Solo: $6 per month, billed yearly at $72
- Pro: $8.25 per user per month, billed yearly at $99 per user
- Performance: $13 per user per month, billed yearly at $149 per user
- Enterprise: contact sales
Watch out for:
- There is no free remote access plan. You get a trial and then pay yearly.
- The Streamer does not run on iOS, so an iPad or iPhone can only be the device you connect from, not the one you reach.
Official site: Splashtop.
Chrome Remote Desktop
Google's tool is free and needs only a Google account. You turn on remote access on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer, set a PIN, and then open the Chrome Remote Desktop app on your phone or tablet to connect, per Google's help page.
There is no subscription, no device limit listed and no router setup; the host needs outbound UDP, TCP 443 and port 3478 open. It is the cheapest way to replace Parallels Access for a single home computer.
Best for: People who reach one or two home computers from a phone and want to pay nothing.
Pricing:
- Free
- No paid tier
Watch out for:
- On Linux, Google warns that your desktop environment may not support more than one session at a time.
Official site: Chrome Remote Desktop.
Windows App
Windows App is Microsoft's free client for Remote Desktop and its cloud PCs. It runs on iOS, iPadOS, Android, ChromeOS, macOS and Windows, and on all of those it can connect to a remote PC without signing in, per Microsoft's overview.
The protocol is RDP, which is built into Windows, so the PC needs no extra agent. The same app opens Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop if your employer uses them.
Best for: Owners of a Windows Pro PC who want a free, native client on their phone or tablet.
Pricing:
- Free on every app store
- Remote Desktop host is included in Windows Pro
Watch out for:
- Only Windows Pro can be the remote PC, per Microsoft's Remote Desktop guide. It does not reach Macs or Windows Home at all.
- Outside your home network you need a VPN or port forwarding, since Remote Desktop has no relay service of its own.
Official site: Windows App.
Screens 5
For Mac owners, Screens 5 from Edovia is the most polished way back into a Mac from an iPhone or iPad. It uses VNC, the protocol behind macOS Screen Sharing, so a Mac needs no extra host app. The optional free Screens Connect service handles access from outside the home network. It also reaches Windows PCs, Linux and Raspberry Pi computers that run a VNC server, per the product page.
The app is free to download with a 7-day trial, then sold as a subscription or a lifetime licence that covers your Apple devices. It requires iOS or iPadOS 17.6, macOS 14.0, or visionOS 26.6.
Best for: Apple-only households reaching a Mac from an iPhone, iPad or Vision Pro.
Pricing:
- Monthly: $4.99
- Yearly: $29.99
- Lifetime: $199.99
- 7-day free trial
Watch out for:
- No sound. Edovia's page says Screens uses the RFB protocol and does not receive audio from the remote computer.
- There is no Android version, and Windows or Linux machines need a separate VNC server installed first.
Official site: Screens 5.
RustDesk
RustDesk is the open source option, AGPL-3.0 licensed, with an Android APK on GitHub and an iOS app in the App Store. Desktop builds cover Windows, macOS and several Linux formats. Version 1.5.1 arrived on November 1, 2026 and fixed background audio on iOS during sessions, per the release notes.
You can use the public relay, run your own free server, or pay for Server Pro. It is also the first pick in our AnyDesk alternatives, which covers it from the help desk side.
Best for: Technical users who want free, self-hostable access from Android or iOS.
Pricing:
- Free: open source server, community support
- Server Pro Individual: $11.88 per month billed yearly, 1 user, 20 devices
- Server Pro Basic: $23.88 per month billed yearly, 10 users, 100 devices
Watch out for:
- The free server comes with community support only, per the pricing page. User accounts and device management need Server Pro, which is billed yearly.
- Running your own relay server is a job you take on yourself, including updates.
Official site: RustDesk.
How to choose
| If you need | Pick |
|---|---|
| Pay once and use it on iPad and iPhone | Jump Desktop |
| A supported subscription for your own computers | Splashtop |
| Free access to a home computer of any OS | Chrome Remote Desktop |
| A free native client for a Windows Pro PC | Windows App |
| Reach a Mac from Apple devices only | Screens 5 |
| Open source and self-hosted | RustDesk |
Can you still use Parallels Access
No. Parallels' notice says the app stopped working on all platforms after April 30, 2024, and it cannot be bought, renewed or activated through a Parallels Desktop licence. If an old copy is still installed on your Mac or phone, remove it and the host agent, since it receives no security fixes. If you used Parallels Access with Parallels Desktop to open Windows apps on the go, Windows App with a Windows Pro VM is one way to rebuild that setup.
Frequently asked questions
Is Parallels Access discontinued?
Yes. Parallels stopped selling and renewing it on March 5, 2024 and ended support on April 30, 2024. After that date the app stopped working, per the Parallels knowledge base.
What replaced Parallels Access?
Parallels did not name a successor. Its business remote access product today is Parallels RAS, which publishes apps and desktops for companies rather than linking one person's phone to their own Mac. For personal use, Jump Desktop and Chrome Remote Desktop are the nearest matches.
What is the best free app to control a computer from an iPad?
Chrome Remote Desktop for Mac, Windows or Linux hosts, and Windows App for a Windows Pro PC. Both are free with no time limit. Jump Desktop costs $14.99 once on iPad but adds RDP, VNC and sound.
