A direct comparison across latency, encryption, the account model, platform support, and pricing. Numbers are current as of May 2026 and name where AnyDesk still wins. Ready to switch? Start with the AnyDesk alternative guide.
Twenty-seven rows across performance, security, the account model, platforms, IT tooling, and pricing. Where AnyDesk is genuinely ahead — low-bandwidth links, legacy platform reach, and mature helpdesk tooling — the table says so.
| Capability | Remio | AnyDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| LAN glass-to-glass latency | 8 ms | ~22 ms |
| WAN typical latency (same region) | 22 ms | ~55 ms |
| Maximum resolution | 4K (3840 × 2160) | 1080p default, 4K on paid tiers |
| Frame rate ceiling | 60 fps | 60 fps |
| 4:4:4 chroma (text-grade) | Yes | No (4:2:0) |
| HDR pass-through | Yes | No |
| Video codecs | H.265 · AV1 · VP9 | DeskRT (proprietary) |
| Performance on 100 kb/s links | Degraded | Smooth (DeskRT strength) |
| Security | ||
| Transport encryption | DTLS 1.3 + SRTP | TLS 1.2 / AES-256 |
| Data-channel encryption | AES-256-GCM, end-to-end | AES-256, in-transit only |
| End-to-end between devices | Yes (no relay decrypts) | No (relay re-encrypts) |
| Key exchange | ECDHE over Curve25519 | RSA 2048 + ECDH |
| Production-systems breach disclosed | None | February 2024 |
| Two-factor authentication | Not applicable (no account) | Yes (account tier) |
| Account & access | ||
| Account required | No | Optional, encouraged for teams |
| Pairing model | 4-digit PIN | 9-digit AnyDesk ID + password |
| Central user database | None | my.anydesk.com |
| Address book / device list | Local, on device | Cloud, behind account |
| Platform support | ||
| macOS · iOS · iPadOS | Native | Native (Catalyst on iOS) |
| Windows · Android | Native | Native |
| visionOS | Native | No |
| Linux · ChromeOS · FreeBSD · Raspberry Pi | Linux host: Yes (v1.0, X11); ChromeOS/FreeBSD/Raspberry Pi: No | Yes, all four |
| Install footprint (client) | 38 MB | 4 MB (portable) |
| IT & helpdesk tooling | ||
| File transfer | In progress | Full file manager |
| Remote printing | No | Yes |
| Session recording | No (on-device only) | Yes (account tier) |
| Custom-branded client | No | Yes (Advanced tier) |
| Pricing (May 2026) | ||
| Personal use | $0 (no commercial detection) | $0 (commercial-use warnings) |
| Entry paid plan | — | $14.90 / month (Solo) |
| Team / business plan | — | $29.90–$79.90 / month |
Remio wins on latency, native platform parity, end-to-end encryption, and the no-account model. AnyDesk wins — genuinely — on legacy reach and mature IT tooling. Here is the honest split.
You need sub-10 ms LAN latency for typing in a remote terminal, mousing through Figma, or scrubbing a Premiere timeline; you want end-to-end encryption where no relay can decrypt your session; and you would rather pair with a 4-digit PIN than manage yet another account. Every feature is free, on every platform, with no commercial-use detector deciding you owe money.
You need FreeBSD, ChromeOS, or Raspberry Pi coverage, a smooth experience on sub-1 Mbps links, or IT-support staples like a full file manager, remote printing, session recording, and white-label clients. AnyDesk's DeskRT codec and decade of helpdesk polish are still the better fit for a support desk running file transfers and printer redirection all day.
Six categories, one paragraph each. The numbers in the table above are the headline; the paragraphs below are the why.
Remio targets 8 ms glass-to-glass on a LAN at 4K 60 fps. Frames are encoded with H.265 on your hardware, streamed device-to-device, and decoded on the other side's hardware — no detour through a server. AnyDesk's DeskRT codec is excellent at compression but adds buffering on top of a TCP-style transport, putting typical LAN latency near 22 ms. Above 1 Mbps the gap is visible — typing in a remote terminal, mousing through Figma, scrubbing a Premiere timeline. Below 1 Mbps, AnyDesk's DeskRT is the better tool: it stays smooth on links where Remio degrades.
Remio runs DTLS 1.3 for media and AES-256-GCM for the data channel, end-to-end between your devices. Keys are negotiated with ECDHE over Curve25519 and never leave the endpoints. AnyDesk encrypts with TLS 1.2 / AES-256 to its relay, which re-encrypts on the way out — so the relay sees endpoint metadata and, in some configurations, the session payload. For most users that distinction is invisible; for anyone under compliance, audit, or legal-hold requirements, it is the difference between "we cannot see your session" and "we promise not to."
Remio has no account. A four-digit PIN pairs two devices, the pairing record lives on each device, and there is no my.remio.net to log into, no password to reset, and no central user list for an attacker to dump. AnyDesk supports an anonymous ID-based mode but pushes my.anydesk.com for address books, session recording, and team features — which means a credential database exists. The February 2024 production-systems breach forced AnyDesk to rotate code-signing certificates and reset every customer's password; Remio has nothing of the same shape to lose.
Both apps cover macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android natively. Remio adds visionOS and ships iOS as a fully native iPhone and iPad app, not a stretched Mac port, plus a Linux host (X11, AppImage or .deb). AnyDesk wins on ChromeOS, FreeBSD, and Raspberry Pi, plus a Linux client — a meaningful gap if your fleet includes embedded boxes or older POSIX systems. A Remio Linux client is on the roadmap; ChromeOS, FreeBSD, and Raspberry Pi are not planned. AnyDesk also ships a tiny 4 MB portable client that runs without installing, which is genuinely useful for one-off helpdesk sessions on machines you do not control.
AnyDesk is the older, more mature product for IT support, and it shows: a full file manager, remote printing, session recording, and white-label custom-branded clients are all available on paid tiers. Remio focuses on direct interactive remote access — typing, mousing, watching, gaming, creative work — and treats file transfer as a feature in progress rather than the central use case. For a helpdesk team running ten support sessions a day with file uploads and printer redirection, AnyDesk is still the better tool today.
Remio is free with no per-device tier, no commercial-use detection, and no upgrade path that gates 4K or 60 fps behind a subscription. AnyDesk's free tier triggers a "commercial use detected" warning on heavy or business-like usage, which pushes users toward Solo at $14.90 / month, Standard at $29.90 / month, or Advanced at $79.90 / month. For a single developer or a small team that just needs to reach a few machines reliably, the cost gap is meaningful over a year.
Remio streams a full desktop to a native app on every device — SwiftUI on Apple, Jetpack Compose on Android, C++/WinRT on Windows. No Chromium runtime in the rendering path: frames go from the hardware decoder to the screen the way the OS intends, which is where the sub-10 ms LAN latency comes from.
Pair with a 4-digit PIN. No account, no commercial-use timer.
No migration tools, no exported address books, no account to create. Two installs, one PIN, and an optional toggle for unattended access.
On the machine you want to reach — macOS 15+ or Windows 10 (build 19041+)/11 — grab the host from the download page, launch it, and grant the screen-capture permission once. It then waits in the menu bar or system tray.
On the device you connect from — iPhone or iPad (iOS/iPadOS 18+), another Mac (macOS 15+), Android (10+), a Windows 10/11 PC, or Apple Vision Pro via the iPad app — install the Remio client from the same download page.
The host displays a 4-digit one-time PIN. Type it into the client within 60 seconds — the PIN expires after that — and the devices exchange keys over ECDHE-Curve25519 and remember each other. Reconnections are instant, no PIN required.
Flip on unattended access in the host settings to connect without anyone at the remote end, and enable Wake-on-LAN to wake a sleeping machine first. The full walkthrough is in the getting-started guide.
The six questions people ask before they replace AnyDesk. Straight answers below.
Same numbers, same structure, thirteen other tools. Pick the one closest to what you already use.
See every comparison on the compare hub.
Download once, pair with a PIN, see the latency on your own LAN. No account, no email, no commercial-use warnings. If AnyDesk still serves you better — and on a slow link or a helpdesk desk, it might — you are out exactly five minutes.