Remote Utilities Alternatives for Windows and Mac Support

Remote Utilities is a Windows remote desktop and remote support suite made by Remote Utilities Pty (Cy) Ltd, the company formerly known as Usoris Systems. You install the Host on the PCs you manage and connect with the Viewer, directly, through the company's relays or through your own RU Server. Version 7.9.0.0 arrived in October 2026 and added terminal sign-in, file copy and paste across platforms, and a button that converts an Agent into a Host, per the Remote Utilities Host change log.

The licence model is the reason many people picked it: the Free licence handles 10 controlled devices at no cost, and paid tiers are bought once, not rented. People look elsewhere because full, stable control is still Windows-only: the Linux and macOS hosts and agents are public betas, and the iOS and Android apps are viewers only. The seven picks below lead with self-hosted options, then cover the hosted services. For a wider set built around AnyDesk, see our AnyDesk alternatives guide.

Prices below are as of November 8, 2026. Our method is on How we review tools.

Quick comparison

RustDesk

RustDesk does what RU Server did, with clients on every platform. You run the free open source relay and ID server on your own machine, point the clients at it, and no traffic touches a vendor cloud. Where the Remote Utilities Mac and Linux hosts are still betas, the RustDesk client can be controlled on Windows, macOS and Linux in its regular releases, and there are Android and iOS apps and a web client.

The client is licensed AGPL-3.0, and the release notes for version 1.5.1, dated November 1, 2026, add signed update metadata. Server Pro adds a web console, user accounts and device groups for teams.

Best for: Admins who want self-hosting like RU Server but need to reach Mac and Linux machines.

Pricing:

• Free: open source server, community support
• Individual: $11.88 a month billed yearly, 1 login user, 20 managed devices
• Basic: $23.88 a month billed yearly, 10 login users, 100 managed devices

Watch out for:

• Server Pro is rented, not bought. The RustDesk pricing page bills every Pro plan yearly, which is a change from Remote Utilities' one-time licences.

Official site: RustDesk.

MeshCentral

MeshCentral is a self-hosted web server for managing computers. Agents on each machine report in, and from a browser you get remote desktop, a terminal and file transfer, plus Intel AMT for machines that support out-of-band control. The server itself runs on Windows, Linux or macOS.

It is free under Apache 2.0 with no device cap, which beats the 10-device Free licence of Remote Utilities for a lab or small office. Version 1.3.1 was published on October 23, 2026.

Best for: IT teams that want an unlimited, free, browser-based console for their own fleet.

Pricing:

• Free and open source (Apache 2.0)
• No paid edition; you pay for the server

Watch out for:

• Support is community only. The MeshCentral repository points to Discord, Telegram and monthly community meetings, and there is no vendor to call.

Official site: MeshCentral.

AnyDesk

AnyDesk is the hosted tool most Remote Utilities users try first. It connects by ID and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Every paid plan allows unlimited devices to connect to interactively, while unattended access is capped at 100 managed devices on Solo and 500 on Standard.

Personal use is free with 3 managed devices and a five-entry address book.

Best for: Small teams that want a polished hosted service and cross-platform support.

Pricing:

• Free: personal use, 3 managed devices
• Paid plans as listed by PricingSaaS, each a month billed yearly: Solo $28.90, Standard $49.90 (up to 20 users), Advanced $111.90
• Ultimate: contact sales

Watch out for:

• Subscriptions are annual only, and prices move with promotions. A PricingSaaS change log shows Solo at $23.12 during a 20% discount that ended on May 18, 2026, when it returned to $28.90, and the connection add-on rising from $29.90 to $44.90 on September 28, 2026.
• AnyDesk disclosed a breach of its production systems in February 2024 and revoked its code signing certificate.

Official site: AnyDesk.

Splashtop

For unattended access, Splashtop is the cheapest hosted option on this list. The Streamer, which is the part you install on the remote machine, runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook and Android. That covers Chromebooks and Android, which Remote Utilities cannot control, and Macs and Linux machines, where its hosts are still in beta.

Help desk work with outside users is a separate product, SOS, priced per concurrent technician.

Best for: Admins who reach their own Windows and Mac machines and want a low yearly price.

Pricing:

• Solo: $6 a month, billed yearly at $72
• Pro: $8.25 per user a month, billed yearly at $99
• Performance: $13 per user a month, billed yearly at $149
• SOS remote support: from $22 a month billed yearly

Watch out for:

• There is no free plan for remote access, only trials, per the Splashtop pricing page, so it does not replace the free 10-device licence.

Official site: Splashtop.

TeamViewer

TeamViewer is the name most end users recognise, which helps when you ask a stranger to install something. Only the expert needs a licence, so the people you help pay nothing. Add-ons cover device management, endpoint protection and asset management.

The pricing page lists 30% off for education and non-profit buyers.

Best for: Support teams that help many outside users and want a client they already trust.

Pricing:

• Free for personal use
• Remote Access: $24.90 a month, billed yearly
• Corporate: $245.90 a month, billed yearly

Watch out for:

• Free users who look like businesses get flagged. TeamViewer keeps a knowledge base article on the commercial use suspected message, which can end free sessions early.
• Per the pricing terms, annual plans renew automatically unless you cancel at least 28 days before the term ends.

Official site: TeamViewer.

Chrome Remote Desktop

Google's tool costs nothing and needs only a Google account. Hosts can be Windows, Mac or Linux, and you connect from Chrome or the mobile app. Support sessions use a one-time code, and access to your own machines is protected by a PIN.

It is built for one person's own machines and ad hoc help, not for an IT team's shared device list.

Best for: Helping family or reaching a home PC for free.

Pricing:

• Free with a Google account
• No paid tier

Watch out for:

• Support sessions need babysitting: the person sharing must confirm every 30 minutes that the session should continue, per Google's help page.

Official site: Chrome Remote Desktop.

RemotePC

RemotePC sells plans by the number of computers, which maps neatly onto Remote Utilities' device-count tiers. SOHO covers 10 computers for one user, Team covers 50 with unlimited users, and Enterprise 100. Team and Enterprise include on-demand remote support.

A 7-day trial runs without a credit card.

Best for: Small offices that want to pay little for a fixed number of PCs.

Pricing:

• Consumer: 1 computer, $1.84 a month billed yearly in year one (list $2.46)
• SOHO: 10 computers, $6.22 a month billed yearly in year one (list $8.29)
• Team: 50 computers, $18.72 a month in year one (list $24.96)
• Enterprise: 100 computers, $37.47 a month in year one (list $49.96)

Watch out for:

• The low prices apply only to the first year, and extra computers cost $20 each per year, per the RemotePC pricing page.

Official site: RemotePC.

How to choose

When to stay with Remote Utilities

Stay with Remote Utilities if every machine you manage runs Windows and you prefer to pay once. It still gets regular updates, and a Pro licence costs $499 one-time per concurrent user with unlimited devices. The licence terms say keys never expire for the major version you bought, and the same page lists the Free licence for 10 devices with business use allowed, while AnyDesk and TeamViewer limit their free tiers to personal use.

Frequently asked questions