AnyDesk
Fast German remote desktop with an on-premises option - European alternative based in Germany
Quick Overview
| Company | AnyDesk |
|---|---|
| Category | Remote Desktop Software |
| Headquarters | Stuttgart, Germany |
| EU/European | Yes - Germany |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Main Features | Low-latency protocol, Small footprint client, On-premises option |
| Pricing | Per licence, per year |
| Best For | Teams that want responsive sessions and can self-host the relay |
| Replaces | TeamViewer, LogMeIn, Splashtop |
Detailed Review
AnyDesk was founded in Stuttgart by former TeamViewer engineers around a purpose-built video codec, DeskRT, aimed at keeping remote sessions responsive on poor connections. The client is a few megabytes and needs no installation to start a session.
What Makes AnyDesk Stand Out
Two things separate AnyDesk: the protocol, which keeps a session usable at bandwidths where competitors become a slideshow, and the on-premises option — you can run the whole relay network inside your own infrastructure, so no session metadata leaves the building at all.
What the Software Does
Remote control across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Raspberry Pi, unattended access, file transfer, session recording and a REST API, with custom-branded clients and an on-premises deployment for organisations that need it.
European Jurisdiction and Security
AnyDesk Software GmbH is based in Stuttgart. For organisations that cannot allow remote sessions to be brokered by a third party at all, the self-hosted network is the strongest form of the European argument: not just EU jurisdiction, but no external dependency.
Remote access software is a category where jurisdiction and security are the same question. Whoever operates the relay can, in principle, see which machines connect to which — and the client itself has the rights of the person sitting at the keyboard. That is a good reason to know which legal system the vendor answers to.
Pricing
Per-licence annual pricing in tiers by concurrent sessions and managed devices, generally undercutting TeamViewer at comparable capability. The on-premises licence is quoted separately.
AnyDesk vs the US Alternatives
Against TeamViewer, LogMeIn, Splashtop, the European case is partly price — this category is notorious for annual increases — and partly control: several of these can run without the vendor's cloud in the path at all, which no US subscription platform offers as standard.
Who Should Use AnyDesk
AnyDesk fits IT teams that want TeamViewer's job done at a lower price, and organisations whose security policy requires the relay to be their own.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Fast on poor connections
- On-premises relay available
- Small client, no installation needed
- Broad platform support including Raspberry Pi
- Custom-branded clients and REST API
- Cheaper than TeamViewer at comparable tiers
Cons
- Smaller installed base than TeamViewer
- On-premises licence priced separately
- Monitoring and asset features thinner
- Tiering still by concurrent sessions
Alternatives to AnyDesk
Looking for other European remote access tools? Here are the alternatives worth comparing:
Frequently Asked Questions
AnyDesk is based in Germany and operates under European data-protection rules including the GDPR. Session metadata and any recordings stay under European jurisdiction rather than under US legislation.
AnyDesk is based in Germany. Jurisdiction matters unusually much here: remote access software has the same rights on a machine as the person sitting at it.
Remote control across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Raspberry Pi, unattended access, file transfer, session recording and a REST API, with custom-branded clients and an on-premises deployment for organisations that need it.
Per-licence annual pricing in tiers by concurrent sessions and managed devices, generally undercutting TeamViewer at comparable capability. The on-premises licence is quoted separately.
AnyDesk is a European alternative to TeamViewer, LogMeIn, Splashtop, generally at lower cost and with more control over where the session is brokered.
Windows, macOS and Linux at minimum, with mobile clients for Android and iOS in most cases. Check the specific platform list against your fleet before committing — support for Raspberry Pi, embedded Linux and older Windows versions is exactly where these products differ.