TeamViewer
The European standard for remote access and support - European alternative based in Germany
Quick Overview
| Company | TeamViewer |
|---|---|
| Category | Remote Desktop Software |
| Headquarters | Göppingen, Germany |
| EU/European | Yes - Germany |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Main Features | Cross-platform remote access, Unattended access, Remote support tooling |
| Pricing | Per licence, per year |
| Best For | IT teams and service providers supporting machines they cannot touch |
| Replaces | LogMeIn, GoTo Resolve, Splashtop |
Detailed Review
TeamViewer is the German company that made remote support ordinary. Its client runs on every desktop and mobile platform, connects through firewalls without network configuration, and is used equally for one-off help sessions and for unattended access to fleets of machines.
What Makes TeamViewer Stand Out
TeamViewer's advantage is reach. It connects where a VPN or an RDP gateway would need network work first, on platforms competitors skip, and the person on the other end usually already has it installed. For a support desk, that removes the negotiation before the session even starts.
What the Software Does
Attended and unattended remote control across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, file transfer, session recording, wake-on-LAN, remote printing, plus device monitoring and asset management in the higher tiers.
European Jurisdiction and Security
TeamViewer SE is headquartered in Göppingen, Baden-Württemberg, and listed in Frankfurt. Remote access software sees whatever is on the screen it controls, which makes the vendor's jurisdiction a security question rather than a preference — and a reason German public bodies and hospitals reach for it.
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
Licensed per concurrent user per year, in tiers by the number of simultaneous sessions and managed devices. The pricing is the most common complaint about TeamViewer, and the reason the rest of this list exists.
TeamViewer vs the US Alternatives
Against LogMeIn, GoTo Resolve, 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 TeamViewer
TeamViewer suits IT departments and managed service providers who need to reach any machine, on any platform, without preparing the network first.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Runs on every desktop and mobile platform
- Connects without network configuration
- Attended and unattended access
- Session recording, file transfer, wake-on-LAN
- Monitoring and asset management in higher tiers
- German company, listed and long established
Cons
- The most expensive option here
- Renewal increases are a recurring complaint
- Tiering by concurrent sessions and devices
- No self-hosted relay
Alternatives to TeamViewer
Looking for other European remote access tools? Here are the alternatives worth comparing:
Frequently Asked Questions
TeamViewer 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.
TeamViewer 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.
Attended and unattended remote control across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, file transfer, session recording, wake-on-LAN, remote printing, plus device monitoring and asset management in the higher tiers.
Licensed per concurrent user per year, in tiers by the number of simultaneous sessions and managed devices. The pricing is the most common complaint about TeamViewer, and the reason the rest of this list exists.
TeamViewer is a European alternative to LogMeIn, GoTo Resolve, 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.