AnyDesk alternatives: where to go, and how to leave without paying for an extra year
Seven destinations, one for each reason to leave, plus a seven-step exit plan.
Short answer: Splashtop if you want a paid tool that costs less (Remote Access Solo is $6 a month, billed yearly), RustDesk if you'd rather run your own server and never see a commercial-use warning again, Zoho Assist for a help desk you can pay month to month, RemotePC when you have lots of machines and few techs, Parsec for video and 3D work, and Chrome Remote Desktop or Windows Quick Assist to help family for free. One rule before anything else: AnyDesk wants your cancellation at least 30 days before the renewal date. We compared these seven tools and checked their pricing pages in 2026.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why so many teams move off AnyDesk
AnyDesk is still fast and light, and nobody needs training to use it. People rarely leave because it performs badly. They leave over licensing, contract terms and the bill. These six reasons come up again and again, from AnyDesk's own help center to customer reviews.
Free is for personal use only, and the line is blurry
The free version covers personal use. Supporting a client, working from home or looking after a nonprofit's PCs can get you flagged as a business user. AnyDesk doesn't publish how detection works. Forum users describe getting flagged just for reaching their own home PC from the office network. Your options are a review request or a paid license.
Free sessions time out
On the free plan, sessions expire. AnyDesk's help center answer is one line long: reconnect as many times as you need, or upgrade. No duration is published. Fine for a quick favor, painful for a two-hour fix.
A yearly plan that renews itself
Licenses are sold by the year with auto-renewal on. To stop it, switch it off in the my.anydesk portal or cancel in writing at least 30 days before your renewal date. Miss it by a day and you're in for twelve more months. That's the top complaint in reviews: AnyDesk sits around 1.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot, with close to half of reviews at one star.
Price hikes at renewal
Several customers report renewal invoices up 50% to more than 60% year over year. The part few people know: when AnyDesk notifies you of a price increase, you have 30 days to object in writing. Your subscription then ends with the current term, even if the normal cancellation window has closed.
Concurrent connections are tight
The Standard license allows 20 users but only one outgoing connection at a time. Advanced gives you two for 100 users. If five techs work the queue together, you buy add-on connections. Many teams find this out on their first busy Monday.
Trust took a hit in 2024
In 2024 AnyDesk disclosed a breach of its production servers. It revoked its certificates and reset web portal passwords, and said no customer devices were affected. Combine that with how often tech support scammers ask victims to install AnyDesk, and some IT teams now prefer a tool they host themselves or can block more easily.
You're leaving because… go with…
The right AnyDesk alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually one row is yours. Each card jumps to the full write-up.
Your server, your rules, no usage detection.
The yearly bill went up againSplashtopRemote access from $6 a month, billed yearly.
You support customers and want monthly billingZoho AssistPer technician, cancel anytime.
Lots of machines, only a few techsRemotePCPriced per computer, unlimited concurrent access.
You edit video, render 3D or gameParsecSmooth picture, paid as soon as it's for work.
You only help familyChrome Remote DesktopFree, one-time code, nothing to buy.
AnyDesk alternatives, one by one
For each tool: why switch to it, who it fits, its catch, how to move over from AnyDesk, and what it costs in 2026. Prices come from each vendor's official page. AnyDesk's own prices aren't listed here: its pricing page wasn't readable for our comparison, and your real price is on your invoice in my.anydesk anyway.
RustDesk: get off someone else's licensing rules
Open source, self-hostedWhy switch to RustDesk. It's where sysadmins go when they're done with AnyDesk. RustDesk is open source and runs on your own server, so nobody else decides whether your use is commercial. The self-hosted server is free. Server Pro adds a web console, address book, audit log and 2FA for $11.88 a month (1 user, 20 devices) or $23.88 a month (10 users, 100 devices, OIDC SSO and LDAP), paid yearly, with unlimited concurrent connections. And it never auto-renews: you get a reminder 14 days before expiry and decide then.
Who it's for. MSPs, in-house IT, and teams that want remote traffic to stay on their own infrastructure.
Who it's not for. Anyone without a server or the time to look after one. You'll open ports, patch the box and watch it.
The catch. RustDesk's free public server is meant for demos. It now requires the controlling side to sign in, to curb scams. Forum users also report corporate firewalls blocking the public relay. The shared address book is a Server Pro feature.
Moving over from AnyDesk. Stand up the server (hbbs handles IDs, hbbr relays traffic), open TCP 21114 to 21119 and UDP 21116, and copy the public key shown at install. In each client, enter your server address and that key under Settings, Network. The Basic license includes a custom client generator that bakes those settings in, which is the easy way to roll out to 50 machines.
- Free
- yes, self-hosted
- Paid
- Server Pro from $11.88/mo, billed yearly
- Renewal
- never automatic
- Catch
- you run the server
Splashtop: the cheaper paid replacement
Lowest paid priceWhy switch to Splashtop. It's the most direct swap for a small business that finds AnyDesk too expensive. Remote Access Solo is $6 a month, $72 a year, to reach your own computers. Pro is $99 per user per year, Performance $149. To support customers without leaving software on their machines, Remote Support SOS starts at $22 a month per concurrent technician.
Who it's for. Freelancers and small teams that want a ready-to-use paid tool with no server to manage.
Who it's not for. Anyone after free business use: there isn't any. If you need month-to-month billing, the public prices are annual.
The catch. Splashtop splits its lineup into products (access your own devices, support customers, enterprise). Pick the right one first, because Solo is not for helping clients.
Moving over from AnyDesk. Install the Splashtop agent on every machine you reach, then the app on your side. Keep AnyDesk installed until every device answers in Splashtop. AnyDesk's own help center confirms both can run side by side.
- Free
- no, trial
- Paid
- Solo $6/mo ($72/yr)
- Customer support
- SOS from $22/mo per tech
- Catch
- annual billing
Zoho Assist: a real help desk tool, no lock-in
Cancel anytimeWhy switch to Zoho Assist. It's the opposite of AnyDesk's contract: monthly billing available, cancel whenever you like, and a 15-day trial with no credit card. Pricing is per technician: Standard is $12 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly (2 concurrent sessions), Professional $18 or $15 (4 sessions), Enterprise $28 or $24 (6 sessions and session recording). Each tech can run unlimited ad hoc sessions.
Who it's for. Support teams helping customers or coworkers who need queues, reports and a help desk integration such as Zendesk.
Who it's not for. Someone who just wants to reach their office PC from home. Splashtop Solo or RustDesk costs less.
The catch. Unattended access is a separate product with its own price list, so add both up if you need both. There's a free plan, but the official pricing page doesn't spell out its limits.
Moving over from AnyDesk. Create your technicians, then push the unattended agent to groups of computers. For one-off sessions, nothing gets installed on the customer side: they open an invitation link.
- Free
- yes, basic plan
- Paid
- Standard $10/tech/mo, billed yearly
- Commitment
- none, monthly available
- Catch
- unattended access priced separately
RemotePC: many computers, few technicians
Priced per computerWhy switch to RemotePC. AnyDesk counts concurrent connections. RemotePC counts computers and leaves concurrent access unlimited. Pro covers 1 user and 10 computers for $9.95 a month on monthly billing, less if you pay yearly. Team goes to 50 computers with unlimited users, Enterprise to 100. Session recording, remote printing and file transfer are included, and the 7-day trial needs no card.
Who it's for. A small company where several people need to reach a fixed set of machines at the same time without buying extra connections.
Who it's not for. An MSP supporting dozens of different clients a month. Per-computer pricing adds up fast.
The catch. The big discounts on the pricing page apply to the first year. Year two is billed at the regular rate, so budget on that number.
Moving over from AnyDesk. Install the RemotePC host on each computer, link them to your account, and confirm every one responds before you shut AnyDesk off.
- Free
- no, 7-day trial
- Paid
- Pro $9.95/mo, monthly billing
- Best for
- fixed fleet, shared access
- Catch
- discounts are first-year only
Parsec: when the picture has to be perfect
Video, 3D, gamingWhy switch to Parsec. If you used AnyDesk to edit video or drive a 3D workstation remotely, Parsec is built for exactly that: a smooth, low-latency picture that started in gaming. Teams is $30 per user per month billed yearly ($35 monthly), Enterprise $45. Both have a 14-day trial.
Who it's for. Studios, editors and creative teams working on powerful machines from a distance.
Who it's not for. Help desk work. Parsec isn't a support tool.
The catch. The free and Individuals plans are for personal, non-commercial use only, and that includes hosting your machine for other people. Leaving AnyDesk over licensing? Parsec has the same rule, at a higher price for business use.
Moving over from AnyDesk. Create the team, invite members, install Parsec on the host machines. Outside guests are billed separately.
- Free
- personal use only
- Paid
- Teams $30/user/mo, billed yearly
- Best for
- video, 3D, high-end machines
- Catch
- not a support tool
Chrome Remote Desktop: free help for family
FreeWhy switch to Chrome Remote Desktop. Used free AnyDesk to help your parents and got flagged as a business? This is the easy way out. They generate an access code in the browser, read it to you, and you take over. The code works once. You can also set up permanent access to your own computers on Windows, macOS or Linux.
Who it's for. Individuals, and anyone reaching their own machine now and then.
Who it's not for. A support team: no console, no session recording, no per-tech permissions.
The catch. When sharing a screen, the person being helped must confirm every 30 minutes that they want to keep going. Some work and school networks block it.
Moving over from AnyDesk. Nothing to migrate. Open the Chrome Remote Desktop page on both computers, install the small helper it offers, then remove AnyDesk.
- Free
- yes
- Paid
- no paid plan
- Best for
- helping family
- Catch
- reconfirm every 30 min
Quick Assist: already on your Windows PC
Built into WindowsWhy switch to Quick Assist. It ships with Windows 10 and 11: press Ctrl + Windows + Q. The helper signs in with a Microsoft account and gets a time-limited security code. The person being helped needs no account. They enter the code, allow screen sharing, then accept or decline the request for control. Traffic is encrypted, and Microsoft says it keeps no session data longer than three days.
Who it's for. One-off fixes between two Windows PCs, at home or at work.
Who it's not for. Reaching a machine with nobody in front of it: there's no unattended mode. On a Mac, it's only available during a Microsoft support case.
The catch. No logs are kept on either device, and Microsoft itself steers businesses toward Intune Remote Help for role-based access and session auditing.
Moving over from AnyDesk. Nothing to install. Show the shortcut once, then uninstall AnyDesk from that PC.
- Free
- yes, part of Windows
- Paid
- no paid plan
- Best for
- one-off Windows fixes
- Catch
- no unattended access
The 7 alternatives at a glance
Our default picks: Splashtop for a small business that wants to pay less, RustDesk for a technical team, Chrome Remote Desktop for personal use. One row per tool: free use on the left, entry price and commitment on the right.
| Free use | Entry price and commitment | |
|---|---|---|
| AnyDeskWhere you start | Personal only, sessions time out | Yearly license, cancel 30 days before renewal |
| RustDeskSelf-hosted | Yes, on your own server | Server Pro from $11.88/mo billed yearly, no auto-renewal |
| SplashtopLow-cost paid | Trial only | Solo $6/mo, $72 a year |
| Zoho AssistHelp desk | Basic free plan | Standard $10/tech/mo yearly, $12 monthly |
| RemotePCPer computer | 7-day trial | Pro $9.95/mo monthly, 10 computers |
| ParsecVideo and 3D | Personal only | Teams $30/user/mo yearly, $35 monthly |
| Chrome Remote DesktopPersonal | Yes | Free, no paid plan |
| Quick AssistBuilt into Windows | Yes | Free, helper needs a Microsoft account |
Prices before tax, taken from each vendor's official page in 2026, and subject to change. Always check against your real team size.
Leaving AnyDesk in seven steps
Order matters. The first two steps protect your budget, the next four protect your fleet, and the last one covers you if there's ever a billing dispute.
Find your renewal date and turn off auto-renewal
Day 1Open my.anydesk and go to License: your expiry date is there. AnyDesk emails a reminder 30 days out, but that's also the cancellation deadline, so don't wait for it. Turn off auto-renewal in the portal as soon as you've decided, or cancel in writing. You keep the tool until the paid term ends.
Object in writing to a price increase
Within 30 daysGot a notice about a new price? AnyDesk's terms give you 30 days from that notice to object in writing. Your subscription then ends with the current term, even if the regular deadline has passed. Say it plainly: you object to the increase and the subscription should end at the end of the term. Keep the confirmation.
List every ID, alias and unattended device
Before you chooseWrite down every machine you reach with AnyDesk: its ID, alias, whether it has an unattended password, and who connects to it. Copy your address books from my.anydesk too. That list becomes your rollout checklist. The machines people forget are the ones nobody sits at: a server, a remote site PC, a kiosk.
Pick the tool that fixes your reason for leaving
Week 1Go back to the router above and count your real needs: how many techs at once, how many machines, customer support or access to your own computers. That number decides between per-tech pricing (Zoho Assist, Splashtop SOS), per-computer pricing (RemotePC) or a server you run (RustDesk). Use the trials: 15 days at Zoho Assist, 14 at Parsec, 7 at RemotePC.
Roll out the new tool side by side
Weeks 2 to 3AnyDesk can run next to another remote desktop tool. Install the new client on each machine on your list, confirm it answers, then move to the next. For RustDesk, ship a preconfigured client with your server address and key. Tick each line of the inventory once that machine responds on the new tool.
Lock down AnyDesk access and uninstall it cleanly
Before renewalFirst change unattended access passwords and reset your license key in my.anydesk, so a former employee who knows it can't use it. Then uninstall. On Windows, tick Remove settings in the uninstaller. For the portable version, also delete the AnyDesk folder in %APPDATA%. On a Mac, delete ~/.anydesk/ and /etc/anydesk/. Those folders hold the device's ID and alias, so back up service.conf first if you might roll back.
Keep proof and check the final invoice
After the end dateSave the cancellation confirmation and a screenshot showing auto-renewal off. Then make sure no invoice shows up after the end date. Several customers describe disputed invoices sent to collections. With dated proof, you can answer on the spot.
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes an AnyDesk exit go wrong
The same mistakes show up in customer reviews and sysadmin forums. None of them are technical. They're missed dates, forgotten machines and access nobody revoked.
Cancelling the week of renewal
Notice is 30 days. AnyDesk's reminder also lands 30 days out, so if you wait for it to think it over, next year is already booked.
Ignoring your right to reject a price increase
An announced increase gives you 30 days to leave, regardless of the normal deadline. It's the one sure way out without paying another year.
Forgetting unattended machines
The closet server, the warehouse PC, the point-of-sale terminal. If nobody sits there, nobody notices it went dark until you need it.
Thinking uninstalling cuts off access
A machine that still runs AnyDesk with an old password is still reachable. Change passwords, reset the license key, use the access control list, then uninstall.
Staying on RustDesk's public server
It's for demos. Teams that stay on it eventually hit a forced sign-in or a busy relay. Your own server avoids both.
Choosing on the promo price
First-year discounts, annual billing, unattended access sold separately: compare year-two pricing for your real number of techs and machines.
- Renewal date noted, auto-renewal off
- Written objection sent if a price increase was announced
- Inventory of IDs, aliases and unattended machines
- New tool installed and checked on every machine
- Passwords changed and license key reset
- AnyDesk uninstalled with its settings
- Cancellation proof saved
AnyDesk alternative FAQ
What is the best free alternative to AnyDesk?
To help family: Chrome Remote Desktop, or Quick Assist if both PCs run Windows. For free business use, the only serious option is RustDesk on your own server. It costs nothing, but you pay in maintenance time.
Can I use AnyDesk free for commercial use?
No. The free version is for personal use. Useful detail: only the device that starts the connection needs a license. A customer's computer that just accepts or rejects sessions doesn't. If you support clients, license your machine, not theirs.
Why does AnyDesk say I'm a business user when I only help family?
AnyDesk doesn't publish its detection rules. In forum reports, the usual triggers are connections from a company network or to many different machines. AnyDesk offers a review through its professional versus personal use page. If that fails, Chrome Remote Desktop solves it for free.
How do I cancel an AnyDesk subscription?
Turn off auto-renewal in my.anydesk or cancel in writing at least 30 days before the renewal date. After that, you're in for another year. The one exception is a notified price increase, which you can reject in writing within 30 days.
Why does AnyDesk keep disconnecting on the free version?
Free sessions time out, and AnyDesk's help center simply tells you to reconnect. It doesn't publish the length. For long sessions you need a license, or a free tool without that limit, like self-hosted RustDesk.
Is Splashtop cheaper than AnyDesk?
For one person reaching their own computers, Splashtop Remote Access Solo is $6 a month billed yearly, which is hard to beat in paid software. Check AnyDesk's price on your own invoice in my.anydesk and compare year two, not just year one.
Is RustDesk safe enough to replace AnyDesk at work?
Yes, if you host your own server. The code is open, Server Pro gives unlimited concurrent connections, and the license never renews on its own. The public server is not for production. Plan time each month for server updates.
Should I switch from AnyDesk to TeamViewer?
Rarely, if licensing is the reason. TeamViewer's free version is also personal-only, with the same commercial-use detection and a yearly auto-renewing plan. We cover that exit in our guide to switching from TeamViewer, and the full ranking in the best remote desktop software.
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