ScreenConnect vs Splashtop for MSPs: Remote Access Costs, Tech Licensing, and Trust at 2 a.m.
If you only look at the sticker price, ScreenConnect vs Splashtop looks like a simple budget debate.
It is not.
For MSPs, this choice changes how the help desk works at 2 a.m., how many technicians can actually be in the tool at once, and whether the remote session feels like a fast fix or a small administrative project. ScreenConnect leans hard into technician-led support. Splashtop splits its story between lower-cost remote access and a more support-oriented SOS line.
That is why the right comparison is not just "which one is cheaper." It is "which licensing model fits how your team really supports clients."
If you are already deep in ConnectWise, this is the same kind of operational choice as a platform migration. The ConnectWise Asio vs PSA migration guide is a good reminder that tooling changes are usually workflow changes in disguise.
Quick answer
Quick answer ScreenConnect is usually the safer default for technician-led MSP support because it is built around concurrent tech licensing and deep session control. Splashtop is usually cheaper at entry and can be a better fit for lighter remote access or budget-sensitive MSPs, especially when the help desk does not need every support seat to carry a high monthly cost.
Why Scopable cares about this choice
Scopable belongs in this conversation because the real decision is not whether remote control works. It is whether your support model, licensing model, and handoff workflow make sense when a client is broken and someone is tired.
If the tool saves five minutes during a normal day but creates confusion during an outage, that is not a win. That is a support liability with a nicer logo.
The pricing mismatch MSPs run into
The first trap is comparing the wrong products.
ScreenConnect's pricing page says One is $30 per month billed annually, Standard is $45 per concurrent tech, and Premium is $55 per concurrent tech. Standard includes Backstage, remote command line, Wake-on-LAN, session recording, VoIP audio, support for iOS and Android mobile guest clients, and unlimited unattended access agents.
Splashtop is split across two motions. Its Remote Access page lists Solo at $6 per month, Pro at $8.25 per user, Performance at $13 per user, and Enterprise as quote-based. Its pricing page also lists Remote Support SOS starting at $22 per month per concurrent user license, billed annually.
That means a cheap-looking quote can be apples-to-oranges.
If you are comparing technician support, compare ScreenConnect Standard or Premium against Splashtop SOS or Enterprise. If you are comparing user remote access, compare ScreenConnect One against Splashtop Remote Access Solo, Pro, or Performance.
ScreenConnect vs Splashtop at a glance
| Decision area | ScreenConnect | Splashtop | MSP read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core motion | Technician-led remote support | Split between remote access and support | Compare the actual use case first, not the logo |
| Licensing shape | Concurrent tech | Named user for access plans, concurrent user for SOS | Concurrency usually fits a help desk better |
| Cheapest entry | One at $30/month billed annually | Solo at $6/month billed annually | Splashtop wins the entry-price headline |
| After-hours support | Backstage, remote command line, session recording | SOS session code support, admin elevation, Enterprise controls | ScreenConnect feels more support-native |
| Security controls | AES-256, SSO, 2FA, audit reports, granular access management | SSO, granular access controls, scheduled access, SIEM logging, IP whitelist, cloud recording | Both can be serious. Enterprise and Premium matter |
| Best fit | MSPs living in support tickets and concurrency | Budget-sensitive access use cases and mixed stacks | Pick the one that matches your queue |
Why ScreenConnect is the better default for support-heavy MSPs
ScreenConnect is the more obvious choice when the help desk is the product.
Its Standard plan already includes the things technicians reach for most often. Backstage lets you work without interrupting the user. Remote command line covers the annoying fixes that do not need a full desktop dance. Wake-on-LAN helps when the machine is asleep. Session recording helps when you need to prove what happened. Mobile guest support matters when the on-call tech is away from the desk but still needs to finish the job.
Premium goes further with video auditing, remote diagnostics toolkit, remote camera sharing, and up to 10 sessions per tech. That is not just a feature list. It is a way to keep after-hours support moving when one technician is already on another problem.
ScreenConnect also publishes the security controls MSPs ask about after the demo. Its pricing page lists AES-256 bit encryption, SSO integration, two-factor authentication, audit reports, and granular access management. That matters when the person using the tool at 2 a.m. also needs a paper trail in the morning.
If your team already lives inside ConnectWise, ScreenConnect also feels less foreign. There is less translation work between the ticket, the technician, and the session.
Why Splashtop still makes sense
Splashtop is strong when you want the lower-cost floor and the licensing math needs to stay simple.
Its Remote Access plans are clearly priced for individual users and small teams. Solo starts at $6/month, Pro at $8.25/user, and Performance at $13/user. If the problem is "people need to get to their own computers without a fight," that pricing is hard to ignore.
Its Remote Support SOS product is the closer peer to ScreenConnect. The pricing page says it starts at $22/month per concurrent user license, billed annually, and supports on-demand access via session code. That makes it useful for IT teams and MSPs that want ad hoc support without a pre-installed agent.
Splashtop Enterprise is where the MSP and security story gets more serious. The pricing page calls out SSO integration, granular access controls, scheduled access, SIEM logging, Android and IoT unattended access, APIs, IP whitelist, cloud recording, and Connector.
Splashtop also has a real admin-elevation story. Its SOS feature can elevate a Windows session to admin and interact with UAC, which matters for installs and privileged fixes. That removes one of the common objections people have when they compare it to a more traditional support tool.
So no, Splashtop is not just the cheap option. It is the cheaper floor plus a support path if you need it.
The part MSPs usually miss
Most MSPs do not actually need one tool for everything.
They need a clear split between remote access and remote support.
Remote access is the lighter motion. A user wants to reach a machine they already own or regularly use. Remote support is the emergency motion. A technician needs to jump into someone else's machine, elevate privileges, and leave a trail.
If you blur those two motions, the price comparison gets weird fast.
That is why some MSPs will like Splashtop for employee access and ScreenConnect for help desk support. That split is not wasteful if the motions are different. It is wasteful only if nobody has decided which tool owns which job.
It is also why your POC should not stop at login. Test the whole flow.
- Start the session from a ticket.
- Connect without asking the user to become a project manager.
- Elevate to admin when the fix needs it.
- Reconnect after a reboot.
- Check the session log and audit trail.
- Make sure the tech count or user count matches your real staffing model.
If those steps are ugly, the feature grid does not matter.
PSA and RMM fit still matters
The tool has to fit the desk, not just the vendor brochure.
Splashtop's remote support messaging is built around ad hoc sessions and PSA ticketing integration. ScreenConnect's support-first shape usually fits ConnectWise-style workflows with less friction. Either way, you want the session to launch from the ticket, log back into the record, and leave your technician with less manual cleanup.
If your team is still deciding where to keep runbooks, passwords, and client context, the Hudu vs IT Glue comparison is the adjacent problem. Remote support gets easier when the rest of the stack is not a scavenger hunt.
Who should choose what
Pick ScreenConnect if:
- your MSP lives in support tickets
- you care about concurrent technician licensing
- you need Backstage, command line, and auditability
- your on-call workflow matters more than the cheapest seat price
- you are already standardized on ConnectWise and want less translation
Pick Splashtop if:
- budget pressure is real
- you need a lower-cost access plan for staff or clients
- you want a support option without paying ScreenConnect-style concurrency for every use case
- you need a clean mix of remote access and ad hoc support
- you are okay validating the exact tier before you buy
Pick both if:
- one tool is your user access layer and the other is your technician support layer
- you want to separate access economics from support economics
- the split will save money and remove noise instead of adding it
The honest verdict
If you want one default remote support tool for an MSP help desk, ScreenConnect is usually the cleaner answer.
If you want the cheapest credible remote access option and your support motion is lighter, Splashtop is usually the easier bill to defend.
If you need security controls, both can get serious. ScreenConnect leans harder into technician support. Splashtop leans harder into flexible access economics. The wrong choice is usually not the more expensive one. It is the one that forces your team to explain the licensing model every time somebody opens a ticket.
For MSPs, the real test is simple: can a tired technician make the right connection in under a minute, do the fix, and move on without re-litigating the tool?
If the answer is yes, you picked well.
If not, the 2 a.m. alert will tell you eventually.
If you want the scope-first version of remote tool planning, join Scopable early access.
If you want the broader operations version of this problem, read the ConnectWise Asio vs PSA migration guide. If you want the short version of pricing and margins, the MSP FAQ keeps the usual questions in one place.
