ScreenConnect vs Splashtop for MSPs: Remote Access Costs, Licensing, and Trust
ScreenConnect vs Splashtop is not a beauty contest between two remote control buttons.
For MSPs, the decision comes down to licensing math, session behavior, security controls, PSA fit, technician habits, and what happens when a client calls at 2 a.m. because the RMM remote tool picked that moment to be weird.
The short answer: ScreenConnect is usually the better fit for MSPs already standardized around ConnectWise or teams that need deeper remote support controls, unlimited unattended agents on support plans, Backstage, command line, Wake-on-LAN, session recording, and higher per-tech session limits. Splashtop is usually the better fit when pricing simplicity, large endpoint coverage, Mac-heavy support, or a lighter standalone remote support layer matters more than ConnectWise gravity.
Do not decide from the vendor comparison grid. Put both tools through your service desk's actual work.
Quick comparison: ScreenConnect vs Splashtop for MSPs
| Decision area | ScreenConnect usually fits | Splashtop usually fits |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing shape | Per concurrent technician for Remote Support, with Standard at $45/month annually and Premium at $55/month annually | Remote Support SOS starts at $22/month per concurrent user license annually, with 10 or 300 managed computers per license |
| Unattended access | Standard and Premium Remote Support include unlimited unattended access agents | Remote Support SOS includes 10 or 300 managed computers per license, scaling up to 1,200 managed computers in the public plan example |
| Session limits | Standard includes up to 3 sessions per tech; Premium includes up to 10 | Splashtop positions Remote Support around concurrent user licensing and says it does not limit connections per user on its ScreenConnect comparison page |
| ConnectWise fit | Stronger if ConnectWise PSA, RMM, or existing partner workflows already shape service delivery | Stronger if the MSP wants remote access to stay less tied to one PSA/RMM vendor family |
| Security and admin depth | Strong support plan controls such as session recording, command line, Backstage, Wake-on-LAN, and Premium diagnostics | Enterprise tier adds SSO, granular access controls, IP whitelisting, cloud recording, APIs, and more than 1,200 managed devices |
| Budget pressure | Better when unlimited unattended agents and higher technician controls matter more than lowest starting price | Better when endpoint coverage and lower per-tech starting price are the main constraint |
That table is only useful if you attach it to your client base.
A five-tech MSP supporting 1,400 endpoints has a different answer than a two-tech shop with 80 endpoints and a pile of Mac users. A ConnectWise-standardized MSP has a different answer than a HaloPSA shop trying to avoid more vendor gravity.
Pricing: the part that bites later
ScreenConnect Remote Support pricing is mostly a per-concurrent-tech decision.
On annual billing, ScreenConnect lists Remote Support One at $30/month for one session and 10 unattended access agents, Standard at $45/month per concurrent tech with up to 3 sessions per tech and unlimited unattended access agents, and Premium at $55/month per concurrent tech with up to 10 sessions per tech. Monthly billing raises Standard to $59/month and Premium to $69/month.
That makes ScreenConnect easier to model when your help desk load is technician-bound. If three technicians can handle the remote support volume, the unattended agent count on Standard or Premium is not the limiter. The limiter is how many concurrent techs and sessions you actually need during busy hours.
Splashtop's public pricing is a different shape. Splashtop Remote Support SOS starts at $22/month per concurrent user license, billed annually at $259 or $399 per concurrent user. The public pricing page says each license can include 10 or 300 managed computers, and the 300-computer example scales up to 1,200 managed computers with four or more licenses.
That is attractive when endpoint coverage is the headache. It also means you need to watch the boundary between on-demand attended support, managed unattended endpoints, endpoint management add-ons, and Enterprise controls.
The wrong move is comparing only "$45 vs $22" and calling it done.
You need the real cost for your service model:
| MSP question | Why it changes the price |
|---|---|
| How many technicians need to remote in at the same time? | Per-concurrent-user pricing punishes peak help desk overlap, not just headcount |
| How many unattended devices need persistent access? | Unlimited agents and per-license managed computer counts behave very differently |
| How many sessions does one tech run at once? | A dispatcher or escalation tech may need more parallel sessions than a junior help desk tech |
| Do you need mobile guest support? | Both products support mobile workflows, but the exact use case matters |
| Do you need advanced security controls like SSO, IP restrictions, and cloud recording? | Enterprise controls can move the quote away from the public starting price |
| Does the remote tool cost get passed through to clients? | If the agreement hides tool cost, your margin carries the surprise |
For the broader pricing model, read MSP Pricing Math. Remote access belongs in the cost-to-serve model, not in a vague tools bucket nobody owns.
Attended support vs unattended access
MSPs need both attended support and unattended access.
Attended support is the user-facing call: the client is present, the technician joins, fixes the app, grabs the log, or watches the broken workflow happen in real time.
Unattended access is the maintenance and incident path: after-hours patching, server checks, service restarts, endpoint cleanup, and support when the person who approved the session is not sitting at the keyboard.
ScreenConnect's Standard and Premium support plans lean hard into technician control. Standard includes Backstage, remote command line, Wake-on-LAN, session recording, VoIP audio, iOS and Android mobile guest clients, up to 3 sessions per tech, and unlimited unattended agents. Premium adds video auditing, remote diagnostics, remote camera sharing, and up to 10 sessions per tech.
Splashtop Remote Support SOS covers on-demand support and managed endpoints with or without an end user present. Its public plan language calls out 10 or 300 managed computers per license, and Enterprise adds more management, security, APIs, and support for more than 1,200 managed devices.
The practical test is not feature availability. It is where your technicians lose time:
- Can they start a session from the ticket or client context they already use?
- Can they support a Mac user without a side quest?
- Can they run a background task without interrupting the client?
- Can they recover a stuck endpoint when the normal RMM tool fails?
- Can they show audit history when a client asks who touched the machine?
If the answer is no, the cheaper tool may be expensive by Friday.
Security controls: remote access is a privileged system
Remote access tools are not convenience software. They are privileged access systems with a nicer icon.
That means the MSP has to evaluate security controls before price nostalgia kicks in. Ask boring questions:
- Is MFA mandatory for every technician?
- Can you require SSO?
- Can you restrict access by client, device group, technician role, or IP?
- Can you record sessions or keep audit history?
- Can you remove a departed technician quickly?
- Can you prove which technician connected to which endpoint and when?
- Can you detect stale unattended agents?
- Can you separate internal MSP machines from client machines?
ScreenConnect's public support plans put several useful technician controls in the middle of the product: Backstage, command line, Wake-on-LAN, session recording, and diagnostic tooling depending on tier. For a service desk that uses remote access all day, those controls matter.
Splashtop's Enterprise tier is where the public security language gets heavier: SSO, granular access controls, IP whitelisting, cloud recording, APIs, and advanced support features. If those controls are required by insurance, compliance, or a client security review, do not price the decision from the SOS starting line.
This overlaps with cyber insurance more than MSPs like to admit. Underwriters now ask about MFA, remote access, privileged accounts, and evidence. The control you cannot prove is the control you should not promise. Read Cyber Insurance Requirements for MSPs in 2026 if you are answering client questionnaires from memory.
PSA and RMM fit
ScreenConnect has the obvious ConnectWise advantage.
If your MSP already runs ConnectWise PSA, ConnectWise RMM, or a ConnectWise-heavy process, ScreenConnect can feel like the native answer. That does not make it automatically better. It means your team should test whether native fit reduces ticket friction, documentation cleanup, and billing weirdness.
Splashtop is more attractive when remote support needs to stay portable. A HaloPSA shop, a NinjaOne shop, or an MSP that changes stack pieces every few years may not want remote access locked too tightly to one vendor family.
This is where the PSA conversation sneaks in. Remote support produces evidence: who connected, what changed, which asset was touched, and whether the issue was resolved. That evidence should land back in the ticket, client record, or reporting path with as little manual typing as possible.
If you are also reviewing PSA fit, read Best MSP PSA Software 2026. Your remote tool decision should support the ticket and billing model, not fight it.
Decision matrix by MSP type
Use this as a starting point, not a verdict.
| MSP type | Better first pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ConnectWise-standardized MSP | ScreenConnect | Native vendor fit, unlimited unattended agents on support plans, and technician controls may reduce daily friction |
| Budget-sensitive small MSP | Splashtop | Lower public starting price and managed-computer licensing may be easier to fit into a small agreement base |
| Mac-heavy MSP | Splashtop | Splashtop has a strong reputation for remote access performance and cross-platform support, but test your actual Mac workflows |
| High-volume help desk | ScreenConnect | Session limits, Backstage, command line, recording, and unlimited unattended agents can matter more than the lowest list price |
| Mixed-stack MSP | Splashtop | A less ConnectWise-shaped remote layer can keep PSA/RMM options open |
| Security-review-heavy MSP | Depends on required tier | Price the exact MFA, SSO, audit, recording, IP restriction, and access-control requirements, not the homepage plan |
The best answer is the one your technicians will use correctly when tired.
A remote support tool that looks cheaper but creates five extra steps per ticket is not cheaper. A tool with more controls that nobody configures is not safer. Both vendors can work. Your operating model decides which one behaves better.
Do you still need a standalone remote tool if your RMM has one?
Many MSPs keep a standalone remote tool because the RMM remote control path is not enough.
That does not mean the RMM vendor failed. It means remote access is too critical to have only one path. During outages, agent failures, M&A cleanup, Mac support, one-off vendor access, and client-side oddities, a second remote support tool can be the difference between "give us ten minutes" and "we need to reschedule."
The danger is tool sprawl. If your second remote tool has its own agent inventory, user list, access policy, and billing line, someone must own cleanup.
Ask three questions before you buy or renew:
- Which remote sessions happen outside the RMM today?
- Which clients or device types require the separate tool?
- Who reviews technician access, stale agents, and session history every month?
If nobody owns those answers, the tool becomes another privileged system with no adult supervision.
How to test ScreenConnect vs Splashtop in 30 days
Do not run this as a demo checklist. Run it as a service desk trial.
Week 1: model the license cost
Count technician concurrency, unattended device needs, session patterns, mobile support, Mac support, and required security controls. Build the quote from those numbers, not from the first public price you saw.
Week 2: run real tickets
Use ten recent tickets from the PSA: password reset follow-up, printer issue, line-of-business app problem, Mac support, server restart, patch failure, vendor-assisted session, file transfer, mobile support, and a user who is impatient before the session even starts.
Time the work. Watch the tech. Count weird detours.
Week 3: test audit and access cleanup
Create a fake departed technician. Remove access. Prove the account cannot connect. Pull session history for a client. Review stale unattended agents. If that takes a heroic spreadsheet, the admin model needs work.
Week 4: test failure mode
Break the normal path on purpose. Pretend the RMM remote tool is unavailable. Pretend the client is on a locked-down Mac. Pretend the session needs after-hours unattended access. The tool that handles ugly cases calmly deserves more weight than the tool that wins the pretty demo.
Final take
ScreenConnect vs Splashtop for MSPs comes down to operating fit.
Pick ScreenConnect if your MSP is ConnectWise-standardized, technician controls matter more than lowest starting price, and unlimited unattended agents on support plans simplify your model.
Pick Splashtop if you want a lighter standalone remote support layer, endpoint coverage is the pricing pressure, Mac support matters, or you are trying to keep remote access less tied to one PSA/RMM vendor family.
Then write the decision into your service catalog. Name what is included, who gets access, what gets audited, and how the cost lands in client agreements. Remote access is too important to live in tribal knowledge.
If this remote support review is turning into client scope cleanup, join Scopable early access. The useful work is turning tool decisions into roadmaps, budgets, and quote-ready client actions.
If this decision is part of a bigger stack cleanup, start with Hudu vs IT Glue for documentation gravity, ConnectWise Asio vs ConnectWise PSA for ConnectWise migration risk, and the MSP FAQ for the recurring pricing and quoting questions that keep turning into renewal fights.
FAQ
Is ScreenConnect or Splashtop better for MSPs?
ScreenConnect is usually better for MSPs already standardized on ConnectWise or teams that need deeper technician controls, higher session limits, and unlimited unattended agents on support plans. Splashtop is usually better when lower starting cost, endpoint coverage, mixed-stack portability, or Mac-heavy support matters more.
Which is cheaper, ScreenConnect or Splashtop?
Splashtop has the lower public starting price for Remote Support SOS at $22/month per concurrent user license on annual billing. ScreenConnect Standard is $45/month per concurrent tech on annual billing, but includes unlimited unattended access agents. The cheaper answer depends on technician concurrency, managed endpoint count, and required security tier.
Does Splashtop limit concurrent sessions like ScreenConnect?
ScreenConnect publishes clear session limits by tier: Standard allows up to 3 sessions per tech, and Premium allows up to 10. Splashtop says its Remote Support licensing does not limit connections per user on its ScreenConnect comparison page, but MSPs should validate the exact plan and use case before buying.
Should an MSP keep a second remote access tool?
Yes, if the second tool covers real gaps such as RMM remote control failures, Mac support, vendor-assisted sessions, after-hours access, or client-specific support cases. No, if nobody owns access cleanup, stale agent review, session audit history, and client billing for that second tool.
Sources
- ScreenConnect pricing plans
- Splashtop pricing
- Splashtop Remote Support product page
- Splashtop ScreenConnect alternative page
- ScreenConnect comparison with Splashtop
