Splashtop alternatives: leave for the right reason, at the right time

Why switch to RustDesk. It answers the first two reasons people leave. The software is open source and free, and you can run its relay server on your own hardware, so sessions route through your infrastructure instead of a vendor's cloud. Want the admin console? Server Pro is billed yearly, but it doesn't renew on its own: you decide at the end of the term.

Who it's for. IT teams and small companies with someone who can look after a small server and who want control over both their data and their bill.

Who should skip it. A solo operator with no sysadmin skills. An unpatched relay server becomes the front door to every machine you manage. A hosted service is the safer bet there.

The catch. Everything Splashtop handles for you (relay updates, uptime, backups) becomes your job.

How to migrate from Splashtop. Stand up the server, then push the RustDesk client to a first group of machines with your ID server address and public key filled in. Without them, clients fall back to the public servers. Keep the Splashtop Streamer running alongside until the pilot passes.

Pricing. Free when self-hosted. Server Pro Individual: $11.88 a month; Basic: $23.88 a month, billed annually, unlimited concurrent connections.

Why switch to Zoho Assist. It covers what Splashtop SOS covers, on-demand help for a customer who calls in, with two differences that matter: a real monthly price, and a clear split between remote support and unattended access, so you only buy what you use.

Who it's for. MSPs, software vendors and help desks that take control of machines they don't manage. Also teams already on other Zoho apps.

Who should skip it. Anyone who only needs to reach their own computers. A personal-access plan like RemotePC costs less.

The catch. Concurrent sessions depend on the plan: two on Standard, four on Professional. A team that runs many sessions at once climbs tiers quickly.

How to migrate from Splashtop. Start the 15-day trial (no credit card), run your next support calls in Zoho Assist and keep Splashtop SOS until its renewal date. For unattended machines, deploy the Zoho agent through your RMM before pulling the Streamer.

Pricing. Remote Support Standard: $12 per technician monthly, $10 billed annually. Professional: $18 monthly, $15 annually. Unattended Access Standard: $12 monthly, $10 annually.

Why switch to RemotePC. It counts the computers you can reach, not the device that starts the session. Pro covers 10 computers, Team 50, Enterprise 100. For reaching the machines of a small office or agency, it's often the simplest way to pay.

Who it's for. Small businesses that need unattended access to their own machines: the office PC from home, the file server, the bookkeeper's workstation.

Who should skip it. Break-fix techs who connect to different customers every day. RemotePC is built for a fixed fleet.

The catch. The discounts are introductory. The advertised price, monthly, annual (25% off) or two-year (up to 50% off), applies to year one only. Each computer over your plan's limit costs $20 a year. Price out year two before you sign.

How to migrate from Splashtop. Install the agent on every computer you need to reach, check access from outside the network, then remove the machine from the Splashtop console.

Pricing. Pro: $9.95 a month at list price for 10 computers, shown at $7.50 for the first year. Every discount ends after year one.

Why switch to Parsec. If you're leaving because the picture stutters, or because Performance-tier image quality costs too much, Parsec was made for this. It built its name with gamers and creative teams, where every dropped frame shows. Long-time Splashtop users mention it as the smoother option.

Who it's for. Video editors, 3D artists and studios whose people work remotely on powerful workstations that stay in the office.

Who should skip it. Classic IT support. Parsec lacks help-desk tools such as a link sent to someone who has installed nothing.

The catch. Business use requires Teams. The free plan is non-commercial only, just like Splashtop Personal.

How to migrate from Splashtop. Start with your most demanding workstations, compare smoothness over a real workday, then switch one machine at a time. Other computers can stay on a regular access tool.

Pricing. Free for non-commercial use. Teams: $30 a month billed annually, $35 monthly. Enterprise: $45.

Why switch to Chrome Remote Desktop. If you paid for Splashtop to help your parents or a business partner twice a year, an annual plan makes no sense. Google's tool is free: the person you're helping generates a one-time code, you type it in, you're connected.

Who it's for. Individuals, freelancers and tiny offices that need access now and then with no setup.

Who should skip it. Any company managing machines: no team console, no session log, no per-technician permissions.

The catch. When sharing a screen, the other person has to confirm every 30 minutes that you can keep control. Good for security, annoying on a long fix.

How to migrate from Splashtop. Nothing to migrate. Install it on both computers, start one session, then turn off Splashtop's auto-renewal and leave at the end of the term.

Pricing. Free, with no paid plan.

Why consider it. Migrating costs time: rolling out an agent, retraining people, removing the old one. If your real problem is a feature locked to a tier, changing plans in your account (account menu, then Subscriptions) settles it in five minutes.

The tiers to know. Solo ($6 a month, $72 a year) for one person. Pro ($8.25 a month, $99 a year): up to three users can connect to the same computer. Performance ($13 a month, $149 a year) for 4:4:4 color and 240 fps. SOS for customer support, from $22 a month per concurrent technician ($259 or $399 a year), with 10 or 300 managed computers depending on the license.

The trap. Legacy Business Access customers (pre-2018) can keep renewing at their old price as long as payment stays active. Upgrading to Pro is irreversible: that rate is gone for good. Do the math first.

For data control. Splashtop also sells an On-Prem edition whose gateway you install yourself. It covers the in-house hosting need without switching tools, though the code remains proprietary.