Chrome Remote Desktop vs. pcAnywhere (Discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Chrome Remote Desktop
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
Chrome Remote Desktop from Google is a cross-platform remote administration and remote desktop tool that requires the Chrome browser and an extension. It is free to use.N/A
pcAnywhere (Discontinued)
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
PcAnywhere was remote administration software from established security software vendor Symantec. The application reached end of life in 2014.N/A
Pricing
Chrome Remote DesktoppcAnywhere (Discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Chrome Remote DesktoppcAnywhere (Discontinued)
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Chrome Remote DesktoppcAnywhere (Discontinued)
Features
Chrome Remote DesktoppcAnywhere (Discontinued)
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
Chrome Remote Desktop
8.4
Ratings
3% above category average
pcAnywhere (Discontinued)
9.0
Ratings
10% above category average
Screen sharing6.00 Ratings00 Ratings
File transfer8.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Instant message8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session10.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Session record9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Annotations9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
User Ratings
Chrome Remote DesktoppcAnywhere (Discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
3.8
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Chrome Remote DesktoppcAnywhere (Discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
Chrome Remote Desktop is great for accessing machines remotely which cannot be accessed via Microsoft's Remote Desktop. It's especially nice for accessing machines of varying operating systems from a machine of a single operating system. For example, if I'm on my Windows laptop, I can always use Microsoft Remote Desktop to connect to local machines (or machines via a VPN), but I can't do the same with Macs. I can do both from Chrome Remote Desktop though, and this program is very lightweight, which is nice.
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Synmantec pcAnywhere is excellent when you require a secure remote connection, and you have enough computational power and internet bandwidth.
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Pros
  • It's very easy to connect to your computers. All you have to do is make sure you are logged in with your Google account on all of your devices.
  • It has good remote control options like print screen or power-off remotely.
  • I haven't faced any lag while remotely connecting to devices at work.
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  • Multiple connections
  • Cross-platform
  • Decent UX
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Cons
  • More fluid video rendering. Does a good job, but could use a more consistent framerate at times.
  • A way to easier switch between multiple monitors.
  • Adding an ability to zoom for multi-monitor display. Sometimes on a single screen it can get difficult to read if trying to view them all.
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  • Sometimes it is too slow
  • Consumes too much bandwidth
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Likelihood to Renew
A very easy lightweight tool that is completely scalable and deployed via google admin platform. The tool is free to use and works extremely well with the chrome devices we currently have deployed. Any organization using chrome or google suites should look into this tool as it's much easier to use then other remote software in the market
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Usability
Just a great product that has saved countless hours of commute to work and given the flexibility to be able to work from anywhere, whether at home or when away on holiday overseas. I love that it is a free product and is just as great as its competitors' products. It has also allowed me to prepare for work for the following day.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
The only support I ever accessed were help files and web tutorials. I never tried to access personal support, mostly because I don't believe much of it is available. As a free service, my expectations for support are pretty low; that said, Chrome Remote Desktop is easy enough to configure and troubleshoot even with limited technical knowledge.
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
None, its quick and easy
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Most of the other software solutions come at a cost for the licensing, and it is usually not cheap, given that you need to have commercial licensing for a business/organization. Also, with the other remote desktop solutions, there is more of a learning curve in order to use, them. With Chrome Remote Desktop that is not the case. Lastly, some of the problems that were seen in some of the paid commercial solutions, have not been seen with Chrome Remote Desktop.
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[We chose Synamtec pcAnywhere because] its embedded both-direction encryption exceeds the industry requirements.
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Return on Investment
  • Saved many hours of unnecessary community to my business - 60 to 120 hours a year.
  • Given a lot of flexibility to remote access work computers from home or when away on holiday.
  • Saved time at work the next day by preparing work the previous night by using this product to access work computers.
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  • It allows us to comply with the latest safe browsing requirements.
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ScreenShots

Chrome Remote Desktop Screenshots

Screenshot of the option to share a screen or access another computer in Chrome Remote Desktop.Screenshot of the screen to setup a remote connection.