JoyRemote
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A TeamViewer alternative with no subscription.

JoyRemote is remote desktop for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, with no account and no renewal. It is free on your own network, for ever, and $5 once per computer over the internet. Here is how it compares with TeamViewer, including where TeamViewer is the better choice.

TeamViewer's details checked on its own pages on .

The short version

TeamViewer's free version is for personal use only, and TeamViewer counts working from home as commercial use.2 Paid plans are yearly subscriptions that renew by themselves.1 Making a connection also needs a verified TeamViewer account.5

JoyRemote has no account and no subscription. Between computers on the same network it is free, however long you use it. Over the internet, each computer gets 1.5 free hours and then costs $5, once.

TeamViewer is a much bigger product. It covers more systems, has a native iPhone app today, records sessions on its Business plan and up, and is built for support teams with hundreds of devices. If that is what you need, it does things JoyRemote does not.

Side by side

JoyRemote TeamViewer
Free use Unlimited between computers on the same network, for ever. 1.5 hours over the internet per computer. The same for people and companies, at home and at work. "Available for personal use only."3 Home office counts as commercial use.2
If you are thought to be a business Nothing changes: there is one price for everybody. A pop-up and/or connection timeouts; connections to devices flagged as commercial are not possible until a reset request is approved.2
Paying $5 once per computer, not a subscription. Relay time, needed only on networks that block a direct connection, is extra: 15 minutes free, then $5 for 5 hours. Pricing Remote Access, Business, Premium or Corporate, priced per month and billed yearly. Prices depend on your country.1
Renewal None. The payment lasts for as long as we run the service. Renews every 12 months unless cancelled at least 28 days before.1
Account None. Each computer has a ten-digit number. "Without a verified account, no outgoing connection is possible."5
Computers it runs on Windows (64-bit), macOS on Apple silicon, Ubuntu 24.04 or newer, Fedora 44 or newer. Download Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, Raspberry Pi and Linux: Debian, Ubuntu 22.04 to 26.04, Mint, Fedora 42 to 44, RHEL, Rocky, Alma, CentOS Stream, SUSE.4
Linux on Wayland Can be reached. The first time, Linux asks once to share the screen. "Still experimental"; X11 recommended for incoming connections.4
From a phone Android app on Google Play. iPhone app coming soon; until then, Safari works through the browser. Remote Control app for Android 8+ and iOS 17+.4 Use for work needs a licensed account.8
From a browser, nothing installed Yes. On your own Wi-Fi the computer serves the page itself; away from it, type the computer's number at joyremote.com. Yes, at web.teamviewer.com, on the Remote Access, Premium, Corporate and Tensor plans.6
Unattended access Yes: tell a computer to remember yours. Windows and Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora) can be reached at the sign-in screen. Yes. Managed devices: 3 on Remote Access, 200 on Business, 300 on Premium, 500 on Corporate.1
File transfer Yes, including dragging files onto the remote screen. Yes, on Remote Access and Business.1
Session recording No. On Business and up; not on Remote Access.1
Encryption TLS 1.3 between the two computers; each proves which computer it is with a key generated on it that never leaves it. Security RSA 4096 key exchange and 256-bit AES; mutually authenticated TLS 1.3 from version 15.73.7

Working from home, without a subscription

Reaching your office computer from home is the most common reason people look for a TeamViewer alternative, and TeamViewer counts it as commercial use.2 On TeamViewer that means a yearly plan.

On JoyRemote a session counts on the computer it was started from. That computer gets 1.5 free hours over the internet, then $5 once, and nothing after that. If a network refuses a direct connection, as some hotels and offices do, relay time is the one thing sold by the clock: 15 minutes free, then $5 for five hours. Most connections never need it.

At home or in one office, with every computer on the same network, JoyRemote costs nothing at all.

Where JoyRemote is the better fit

  • You do not want an account, or a subscription that renews by itself.
  • Your computers are on the same network, so you never pay at all.
  • You want to reach a computer from a phone or a borrowed laptop's browser on any plan, including the free one.
  • You run Linux on Wayland, the default on current Ubuntu and Fedora, and want to reach that machine.
  • You keep several computers open at once: step between them with Ctrl+Alt+→ and Ctrl+Alt+←.

Where TeamViewer is the better fit

  • You need an Intel Mac, ChromeOS, a Raspberry Pi or a Linux other than Ubuntu and Fedora.
  • You need a native iPhone app today.
  • You need session recording, or a support team sharing hundreds of managed devices.

Who has to say yes

Every JoyRemote connection is approved by somebody at the computer being reached, on that computer's own screen, unless it has been told to remember the one asking. A browser reaching in from outside your network that has not been remembered also has to give a six-digit code shown on that computer before anything rings there. Phone and browser access can be switched off in Settings.

FAQ

Is there a TeamViewer alternative without a subscription?

JoyRemote is free for ever between computers on the same network. Over the internet each computer gets 1.5 free hours, then a one-time $5 per computer, with no renewal.

Does working from home count as commercial use of TeamViewer?

Yes. TeamViewer's knowledge base says that using TeamViewer for home office is commercial use,2 and its free version is for personal use only.3

Do I need an account to use JoyRemote?

No. Each computer has a ten-digit number, and the computer being reached approves every connection unless it has been told to remember the one asking.

Try it where it is free: install JoyRemote on two computers on the same network and connect one to the other. Download JoyRemote for Windows, Mac, Ubuntu and Fedora, or get it on Google Play.

Sources

TeamViewer's pages, read on 18 October 2026.

  1. TeamViewer pricing and its FAQ
  2. TeamViewer: commercial use suspected (last modified 11 May 2026)
  3. TeamViewer download page and FAQ
  4. TeamViewer supported operating systems (last modified 7 October 2026)
  5. TeamViewer account verification requirement
  6. TeamViewer web client
  7. TeamViewer security statement (last modified 29 May 2026)
  8. TeamViewer mobile apps in a commercial environment

TeamViewer is a trademark of its owner. JoyRemote is not affiliated with or endorsed by TeamViewer.