anydesk vs splashtop: 2026 feature and price comparison

If you’re choosing between AnyDesk and Splashtop and you want an answer based strictly on what each vendor publishes, this article is it. You’re not looking for anecdotes or benchmarks — you need to know how the vendors document connections, codecs, licensing units, security guarantees, and on-prem options in 2026. I’ve read their public docs, product pages, and pricing pages and distilled the differences that matter for procurement, security reviews, and IT ops.

Methodology: every claim below is drawn from the vendors’ own documentation as of 2026. I do not rely on private testing, user reviews, or third‑party benchmarks. Where vendors use product names (DeskRT, SOS, Business Access, On‑Prem, etc.) I quote those names because they appear in their docs. If you want dollar-by-dollar comparisons or vendor marketing, follow the pricing links on each vendor site — this piece compares structure, limits, and security posture as written by the vendors themselves.

Connection model: direct first, relay fallback — and what that implies

Both AnyDesk and Splashtop describe the same basic network story in their docs: attempt a direct peer-to-peer connection between the two endpoints; if NAT traversal fails, fall back to vendor-hosted relay servers. That drop-in relay is what makes both products work reliably across corporate NATs and mobile hotspots.

The important operational detail, and one both vendors document, is where TLS terminates. Per vendor documentation, a direct P2P session is a two‑endpoint transport; when the session falls back to a relay, the TLS connection terminates at the relay. In short: relays enable connectivity but they are in the path and therefore have access to session plaintext when relay mode is used (this is how both vendors describe fallback behavior in their security and architecture pages).

Performance and codecs — what the vendors say

AnyDesk’s documentation highlights DeskRT, their low‑latency codec designed for GUI workloads. The docs describe DeskRT as optimized for low bandwidth and interactive tasks (mouse/keyboard, windowed apps, single or multi-monitor). Splashtop’s public docs emphasize hardware-accelerated codecs such as H.264 for video and screen streaming; Splashtop positions this as prioritizing frame rate and video quality, particularly for multimedia or screen‑share heavy sessions.

Practical reading from the docs: AnyDesk markets a lightweight, UI‑focused codec for snappy control over constrained links; Splashtop documents H.264-backed streaming for higher-frame-rate scenarios. Neither vendor publishes a single, reproducible latency number in public docs because latency depends on network path and whether a relay is in use.

Platform support and client capabilities

Read the table as vendor-stated coverage, not performance promise. If Linux or an ARM build is a hard requirement, the vendors’ docs show AnyDesk has explicit Linux/ARM client builds; Splashtop’s desktop story is Windows/macOS first and their Chromebook/mobile support is emphasized for different product lines.

Licensing and pricing model — documented billing units

Both vendors publish multiple commercial SKUs. The crucial distinction in their documentation is what you are buying and how the vendor counts seats:

• AnyDesk: documentation shows a mix of per‑seat / per‑user subscriptions and named-seat products aimed at unattended access, support desks and enterprise. AnyDesk’s pricing pages and product docs repeatedly call out 'licensed devices' and 'licensed users' depending on plan; they also document session and concurrent limitations tied to plan level.
• Splashtop: documents separate products with different billing units. Splashtop Business Access is sold per user (with that user able to access designated computers), while Splashtop SOS is documented as a per‑technician or per‑incident support licence for on‑demand attended support. Enterprise products add more flexible concurrency and deployment options.

Neither vendor’s public docs present a single 'best price' — they present models. If you need exact dollar amounts or to know which pricing gate you’ll hit (per‑technician vs per‑endpoint vs concurrent seats), consult each vendor’s public pricing page or reseller — the structure is what matters for procurement and is what the vendors publish.

For a deeper dive into AnyDesk’s billing model and where vendors hide limits, see our AnyDesk Pricing Explained. If you’re primarily evaluating Splashtop because of per‑technician support or lower entry prices, read Splashtop alternative: which pricing gate you'll hit first for context.

Enterprise features and compliance — what the docs promise

Both vendors document enterprise capabilities: SAML/SSO, MFA, session logging, audit trails, role‑based access controls, and on‑premises deployment options for customers with strict data residency or regulatory needs.

• SSO & MFA: Each vendor’s enterprise documentation lists SAML-based SSO and options for MFA integration; the docs name supported IdP patterns and configuration steps.
• Audit & recording: Vendor docs describe session logging and optional session recording for audit purposes, though storage and retention are functions of plan level and configuration.
• On‑prem / private relay: Both AnyDesk and Splashtop document on‑prem or private-relay solutions targeted at large enterprises. These are typically sold as separate offerings and require enterprise licensing and professional services.

Important operational note (from vendor text): an on‑prem deployment removes the vendor’s hosted relays from your traffic path, but it also moves responsibility for patching, certificate lifecycle, key custody and HA onto your team. Our self-hosted remote desktop guide covers the operational items vendors assume when they sell an on‑prem option.

Security model — TLS, certificates, and the relay tradeoff

Both vendors document a TLS-based transport and per‑device authentication artefacts (certificates/keys) used to establish identity. Their security pages also make the same practical distinction: when two endpoints connect directly the session is private between them; when the vendors’ relays are used, TLS terminates at the relay and the relay has access to session traffic. That is the reality the vendors disclose in documentation about their architecture and relays.

Neither vendor’s public docs claim 'zero‑knowledge' relays that cannot access session data without further qualifiers. If you need a relay that cannot decrypt sessions, vendors’ documentation indicates on‑premises or private-relay deployments are the route — and those are priced and provisioned as enterprise options.

Product lines and where they fit (per each vendor’s docs)

• AnyDesk: docs separate unattended / managed device access, remote support seats, and enterprise on‑prem options. AnyDesk highlights lightweight clients and cross‑platform coverage in their feature pages.
• Splashtop: their documentation splits 'Business Access' for remote workers, 'SOS' for ad‑hoc technician support, and 'Enterprise' for large deployments. Splashtop’s SOS docs specifically describe technician-licensed, on‑demand attended sessions as their primary design point.

Read that as product‑fit guidance from the vendors themselves: Splashtop’s documented product taxonomy targets distinct use cases (work-from-device vs ad‑hoc support), whereas AnyDesk’s documentation emphasizes a smaller set of unified clients with tiered licensing for different usages.

When the docs point to self-hosting (and when they don’t)

Both companies document on‑prem or private relay options, but their docs are explicit about cost and scope: on‑prem is an enterprise feature, not the default. Vendors document requirements — hardware, network ports, HA recommendations, certificate management — and both advise enterprise support engagement for deployment.

Tenvo’s position is consistent with those vendor docs: use a managed relay unless you have a written requirement that prohibits third‑party infrastructure (legal/data residency, isolated networks, or a contract clause). Self‑hosting looks free on paper but the vendors’ documentation shows the hidden costs: 24/7 on‑call, certificate renewal, failover design, patching cadence, and log custody. For most teams the managed relay is cheaper once those operational costs are counted.

If you want technical background on why managed relays matter for reliability and NAT traversal, our Remote Desktop Without Port Forwarding Explained breaks down the connectivity mechanics the vendors rely on.

Practical procurement takeaways from vendor docs

• Count the unit the vendor sells: AnyDesk documents plans that are sometimes per‑user, sometimes per‑device; Splashtop documents per‑user Business Access and per‑technician SOS. Match that unit to your operational model before asking for a quote.
• Look for concurrency limits: vendor docs frequently call out session/concurrent connection caps per plan. Those caps are the usual surprise for support teams trying to run multiple concurrent sessions on a small plan.
• Audit & retention: if your compliance requires storage of session recordings or detailed audit trails, verify which plan level includes that capability. Both vendors document recording and logging as an enterprise feature set or as optional add‑ons.
• On‑prem: vendor docs show it exists but also show it’s not a free shortcut — it’s an enterprise project with professional services and operational responsibilities.

Where each vendor genuinely shines in their docs (no marketing, just documentation focus)

• AnyDesk: per their docs, a consistent cross‑platform client set (including Linux and ARM builds) and a lightweight codec aimed at fast GUI control in low‑bandwidth situations.
• Splashtop: per their docs, clearly segmented products for distinct use cases — Business Access for workers, SOS for technician support — and an emphasis on H.264/hardware-accelerated streaming for higher-frame‑rate or media‑heavy sessions.

Those are statements of product focus as described by the vendors. They don’t imply one is objectively 'better' — they imply different design tradeoffs documented by each vendor.

Next steps: what to ask for in an RFP (based on the docs)

• Define billing unit: specify whether you want per‑technician, per‑user, per‑device, or concurrent licensing in the RFP. Ask the vendor to map your user list to their billing model as shown in their pricing docs.
• Request relay/hosting detail: ask for an architecture diagram showing when relays are used and whether the relays are regionally redundant (vendors publish this in enterprise docs).
• Ask for compliance artifacts: SOC 2 / ISO / data flow diagrams for sessions that use relays — the vendors’ enterprise pages typically list which compliance reports they hold.
• Test failures: ask for documented behavior when relays are unreachable (both vendors document fallback and retry behaviors).

For procurement teams, a short RFP template you can copy from vendor docs: map users to devices, list concurrent session expectation, request SSO and MFA integration steps from their admin guide, and state your requirement for session audit retention and location.

Final, practical recommendation based on the documented facts

From the vendors’ own public documentation in 2026: choose based on the unit that matches your workflow. If your team needs per‑technician, ad‑hoc attended support at scale, Splashtop’s SOS product is documented specifically for that use case. If you need broad platform coverage including Linux and ARM with a lightweight codec for low‑bandwidth control, AnyDesk’s docs emphasize that as their design point.

Neither vendor’s public documentation gives you a free pass for operational responsibilities. If you’re considering on‑prem because of data residency or compliance, the vendors’ docs make clear this is an enterprise project. Otherwise, a managed relay will be less operational work for your team — Tenvo’s managed relay is our default recommendation for that reason: multi‑region relays, clients for Windows/macOS/Linux, a browser client in public beta, and pricing tiers (Free $0 / Lite $2.99/mo / Pro $7.99/mo) that keep operations predictable.

If your decision hinges on cost per seat, concurrency or a specific compliance artifact, get written confirmations from the vendors and ask them to map their documentation to your environment. Our AnyDesk Pricing Explained piece can help decode AnyDesk plans, and Splashtop alternative explains the pricing gates you’ll likely hit with Splashtop.

Ready to try a managed relay without the operations tax? Download Tenvo and evaluate our multi‑region relay and client set today: Download Tenvo.