Splashtop Review 2026: The Best Value Remote Access Software?
Splashtop delivers fast, reliable remote access at a price well below TeamViewer. It's the best option for individuals and small businesses who need straightforward remote desktop access. Lacks some advanced features of enterprise tools, but for most use cases it's more than enough.
Remote access software is one of those tools that earns its keep the first time you need it. Whether you’re working from home and need your office machine, or you’re an IT professional supporting clients without driving across London, having reliable remote access is worth paying for.
Splashtop has been quietly building a strong reputation as the sensible alternative to TeamViewer — comparable performance at a fraction of the price. Here’s how it holds up.
What Splashtop Does Well
Performance
Splashtop’s core product — the connection itself — is excellent. Latency is low, frame rates are smooth, and it handles high-resolution displays well. In practical use on a standard UK broadband connection, it feels closer to sitting at the remote machine than most competitors manage.
There’s also a bandwidth optimisation mode for slower connections, which maintains usability even on weaker rural broadband. For IT support work where you’re connecting to client machines on variable connections, this matters.
Price vs TeamViewer
TeamViewer’s business pricing runs to hundreds of pounds per year. Splashtop Business Access starts from around £6.50 per user per month (billed annually) — significantly cheaper for comparable core functionality.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Business Access Solo | ~£6.50/user/mo | Individual remote workers |
| Business Access Pro | ~£8.10/user/mo | Teams, multi-monitor support |
| Remote Support | From ~£19.70/mo | IT pros supporting client machines |
Free trial available. Referral discount available via the link below.
Cross-Platform
Works across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chromebook. Mac-to-PC and PC-to-Mac both work cleanly, which matters for IT support in mixed environments. The mobile apps are solid — genuinely useful for a quick fix when you’re away from your desk.
Security Credentials
Splashtop takes security seriously for a product in this price range:
- AES-256 encryption with TLS 1.2
- Two-factor authentication
- Device authentication — new devices must be approved before connecting
- SOC 2 Type II certified
- ISO 27001 certified
- GDPR compliant
For UK businesses handling client data, these certifications matter. Splashtop’s security posture is comparable to more expensive alternatives.
Ease of Deployment
Setup is straightforward: install the Splashtop Streamer on the machine you want to access, and the Business Access app on the device you’re connecting from. No complex firewall configuration needed. For IT professionals deploying this to client machines, there’s an MSI installer for mass deployment.
Where Splashtop Falls Short
Sleeping Devices
The most commonly reported issue: if the remote machine has gone to sleep, the initial connection may not respond immediately. This is partly a hardware configuration issue (disable sleep on the remote machine, or configure Wake-on-LAN), but it’s worth knowing about before a critical support call.
Device Organisation
Managing large numbers of devices — tagging, grouping, filtering — is more limited than enterprise tools like ConnectWise or Datto. For IT professionals managing dozens of clients, this is a real gap. For individuals and small businesses with a handful of machines, it’s not an issue.
No Background Sessions
Some competitors allow background sessions where you work on the remote machine without the screen being visible to anyone physically present. Splashtop doesn’t offer this in most plans — the remote screen shows what you’re doing. For IT support scenarios where you’re working on a live machine in an office, this is something to be aware of.
Splashtop vs TeamViewer vs AnyDesk
| Splashtop | TeamViewer | AnyDesk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Low | High | Medium |
| Speed | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
| Security certs | SOC 2, ISO 27001 | SOC 2 | SOC 2 |
| Free tier | Trial only | Personal use free | Limited free |
| Best for | SMB / remote workers | Enterprise | Mid-market |
For most small businesses and individual IT professionals, Splashtop is the sensible choice. TeamViewer’s feature set isn’t worth the price premium unless you genuinely need enterprise-grade management tools.
Who Is Splashtop Best For?
- Remote workers — accessing your office PC from home consistently and reliably
- IT professionals — supporting clients and employees without being on-site
- Small businesses — cost-effective alternative to TeamViewer for the whole team
- Mac/PC mixed environments — works cleanly across both
Verdict
✅ Pros
- Excellent connection speed and low latency
- Significantly cheaper than TeamViewer
- Strong security — SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR compliant
- Works across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
- Easy to deploy with minimal configuration
❌ Cons
- Sleeping devices can cause initial connection issues
- Device organisation and tagging is limited
- Screen visible on remote machine during sessions
Splashtop hits the sweet spot for remote access: fast, secure, and affordable. If you’re paying for TeamViewer and don’t need enterprise management features, switching would save you money for equivalent day-to-day performance. For anyone new to remote access software, it’s the obvious starting point.