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RealVNC Connect

Open-source VNC suits personal projects and home labs. When your business depends on remote access, RealVNC Connect adds end-to-end encryption, centralised management and commercial support from the team that created VNC. With open-source VNC, your team sets up and protects remote access itself, including a protected transport and authentication.

Cloud connectivity requires both endpoints to reach RealVNC cloud services. Account sign-in is additional to authentication to RealVNC Server.

Why businesses choose RealVNC Connect

  • Encryption: up to 256-bit AES end-to-end session encryption.
  • Authentication: 2FA and login alerts, with MFA for sessions on Premium and Enterprise. With account SSO enabled on Enterprise, configure authentication controls at your identity provider; RealVNC account 2FA is disabled.
  • Deployment: MSI mass deployment on higher tiers, Group Policy on Enterprise, and cloud connectivity without firewall or router reconfiguration.
  • Priority support on Enterprise.
  • Sessions are encrypted end to end with 128-bit AES by default (AlwaysOn); 256-bit AES can be selected in the Viewer. Source: RealVNC Server Parameter Reference. The reference also lists unencrypted direct connections with AlwaysOff and the Viewer using the Server setting.
  • Full-control Server platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi OS. VNC Server is currently available for mobile devices as view-only.
  • On-Demand Assist uses a session code supplied by the technician. The computer owner must be present; the connection uses RealVNC’s cloud service.
  • Account sign-in does not replace authentication to RealVNC Server.
  • Cloud connections use the RealVNC cloud as broker and may use a relay when peer-to-peer negotiation fails.

Personal and home-lab use

Personal and home-lab use: RealVNC Connect Lite is free for non-commercial use, with 1 user, 3 devices and one connection at a time.

Where can you read more?

Continue with VNC.com’s RealVNC Connect overview.

Connection options

  • Cloud brokered.
    Access boundary
    The RealVNC cloud brokers cloud connections and may relay session data when peer-to-peer negotiation fails.
    Authentication
    The viewer uses the RealVNC account path to discover and connect; that is additional to authenticating to VNC Server.
    Audit
    Audit records cloud connections to devices joined to the team. Session Logs include connection start, connection end, authentication success and failure, connection failure, and Server stopped when a connection end event is absent. Connection end and authentication success/failure are available with RealVNC Server 7.8.0.
  • Direct LAN.
    Access boundary
    A direct connection is brokered by you, without endpoints having to connect to RealVNC’s cloud service.
    Authentication
    Authentication is mandatory for all connecting RealVNC Viewer users, for cloud and direct connections. The choice of authentication schemes depends on the subscription.
    Network placement
    The Viewer must reach the Server IP address or hostname. Firewall and router configuration applies across networks.
    Audit
    Direct connections are excluded from Audit and logged locally on each RealVNC Server.
  • On-Demand Assist.
    Access boundary
    On-Demand Assist is attended. On Windows and Mac, the end user retains keyboard and mouse control and can use End Session at any time. On Android and iOS, the technician’s connection is view only; the end user can tap Disconnect in the VNC Server app.
    Authentication
    The end user enters the session code provided by the technician to authenticate the session.
    Network placement
    On-Demand Assist uses RealVNC’s cloud service.
    Audit
    Every session is logged and a session history stored online. Detailed activity logs depend on the subscription. Logged events include session start and end times, file transfers, elevation requests, reboot attempts, chat transcripts, and screen recording start and stop events.

Review Security and remote access best practices when deciding how remote devices and accounts should be managed.

What should you compare?

Compare implementations against your platform, authentication, and logging requirements. Use the linked comparisons to continue.

Questions about remote access options? The community’s Using VNC Technology group covers setup and troubleshooting, and Security and Remote Access covers safe exposure patterns.

Sources accurate as of 30 September 2026.

Open-source VNC suits personal projects and home labs. When your business depends on remote access, RealVNC Connect adds end-to-end encryption, centralised management and commercial support from the team that created VNC.

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