ScreenConnect vs. Help Lightning

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ScreenConnect
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
ConnectWise ScreenConnect is a remote support, access, and meeting solution. With it, users can utilize remote support and access to repair computers, provide updates, and manage machines. Users can also conduct online seminars and presentations using remote meetings.
$39
per month
Help Lightning
Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Help Lightning in Birmingham aims to reimagine how businesses, customers and employees are able to give and receive help using Virtual Expertise. The vendor states their merged reality adds missing visual cues, gestures, and non-verbal communication methods to any session. While providing remote assitance, users simply simply reach into a device's field of view and a colleague will see the user's hand merged into their field of view. Users can telestrate, freeze images, use hand gestures,…
$75,000
per year per installation
Pricing
ScreenConnectHelp Lightning
Editions & Modules
One
$39
per month
Standard
$59
per month
Premium
$69
per month
Enterprise
$75,000
per year per installation
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ScreenConnectHelp Lightning
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsSolutions are available as an annual subscription and the pricing is based on the number of licenses. The price per license will vary based on the number of experts providing help and the number of technicians or engineers needing help.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ScreenConnectHelp Lightning
Features
ScreenConnectHelp Lightning
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
ScreenConnect
7.0
Ratings
15% below category average
Help Lightning
-
Ratings
Screen sharing10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
File transfer9.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Instant message6.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers4.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management5.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard7.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Session record5.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Annotations5.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control4.90 Ratings00 Ratings
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ScreenConnectHelp Lightning
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Medium-sized Companies
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Score 9.0 out of 10
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Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
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Score 9.0 out of 10
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Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ScreenConnectHelp Lightning
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.9
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.5
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
5.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ScreenConnectHelp Lightning
Likelihood to Recommend
I feel [ConnectWise Control (formerly ScreenConnect)] works on all sizes of implementations. I've used it with about 1000 endpoints and I've even used it for managing a couple family machines to make remote support easier. It works super well and does exactly what you want it to. It has not disappointed me at all and I'd recommend it to any employers I work for as well.
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I think that there are different scenarios where the platform can be used, an example is the realization of remote consultancies, individually or in the group. In this sense, I must highlight that it is great whenever you need to work with other people while sharing information, videos, or specific content.
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Pros
  • Self-hosted - this is great for me and makes it easy to control my data, which is important for my clients.
  • Mobile Access - being able to quickly diagnose and resolve an issue while on the road is great.
  • Persistent - "always on" connections with screen capture.
  • Great User Interface and chat works exceptionally well.
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  • Sharing graphics, images and other resources.
  • Connect remotely with different experts.
  • Favors team work, even remotely.
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Cons
  • If CWC integrated with more RMM software other than LabTech it would be great as LabTech is way too expensive and convoluted at this point so we discontinued using it in favor of a simpler and much less expensive option.
  • Though it does support multiple monitors well, it would be nice to have the ability to have it automatically pop each remote monitor out to the local monitors if so desired.
  • Right now it uses email for multifactor authentication, I would rather it use an electronic key that can be stored on cell phone or user desktop.
  • The ability for it to automatically login to a Windows desktop would be a big help as well. It will store a username and password but you must manually send a control-alt-delete and then click a button to have it fill. Tying to something like Lastpass along with an autologin feature would be great.
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  • It needs a strong network or signal connection.
  • Nothing else.
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Likelihood to Renew
I would recommend this product for both internal remote control of end user workstations and remote access to other clients over the internet. It provides a secure and feature rich product that allows me to complete any necessary tasks without ever leaving the office. I will continue to renew as I'm eager to see what they do next. I would however wish the cloud service had a better API to work in conjunction with team collaboration or chat services to make it easier to connect with end users who use multiple workstations. (Slack or Stride provide this functionality)
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No answers on this topic
Usability
If you're a support noobie or a seasoned admin, this product is everything you are looking for. Join with a code - CHECK! Hop onto a permanent session installed on a PC/Server - YOU GOT IT! Wake up a remote sleeping computer - no problem. Need to customize access to different roles in your organization - BUILT RIGHT IN!
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No answers on this topic
Reliability and Availability
In my 5 years of using the product, I am only aware of one time when the service was down and is was due to a backbone outage upstream.
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No answers on this topic
Performance
It performs well. It also has full control over windows security and does not get hung up like GoToMeeting when trying to install remote software at the prompt to install as admin / override. I have used TeamViewer, WebEx, LogMeIn and GoToMeeting. This is by far the best at spontaneous, remote control. It is also very easy to get a novice user connected to the session.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
There have been two times when something has went wrong and I needed immediate assistance in order to be able to use Screenconnect to be able to help clients and response has not been immediate. The response time has been within 24 hours. Both times if there had been easier to navigate self help I would have been able to help myself. With better self help and a speedier response it would definitely be a 10 as they always respond and help. Just a little more difficult or slow than it should be at times
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No answers on this topic
Online Training
the one I attended didn't grab my attention the way I thought it would. Maybe because of the way I use the product; or because of how I am using an online instance, not a locally installed version. Some of the discussion got more technical and off the topic, it seemed.
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
ConnectWise has done everything they could to help us in any situation. Great support team and their new updates are always providing features that we need. Its a simple solution that works the way we need it to. Their legacy pricing model is still much better than their subscription based model however it is still fair pricing
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
We have used Beyond Trust occasionally for one of our White Label clients, but have found it is not as robust as ConnectWise Control. The seamless integration of Control with ConnectWise Automate makes it the best and most effective choice for our technical teams to deploy and manage our client machines.
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I think it is very important to make it clear that most of these tools compliment and complement each other rather than oppose or surpass each other. In this sense, it is important to know when to apply one or the other, in addition to taking the time to get to know them thoroughly and master their functionalities. However, the different tools that Help Lightning contain put it above most platforms used for remote conferencing.
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Scalability
As far as I can see there are no real barriers to scaling up - as and when we need more subscriptions, we can add them in with no negative impact to the existing way that we're using the tool
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No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • Quite simply our business could not function without a form of remote control software. Control has done an amazing job at filling a core foundation pillar of our business model as an MSP, having some clients in very remote destinations, we can still service them through the use of Control.
  • We pay per technician for an unlimited number of endpoints, and this pricing model has served us very admirably. As a smaller startup MSP, the cost of paying per endpoint would only serve to hurt our growth. Being able to pay a flat rate based on staffing is very desirable.
  • The whole experience using Control is polished and speedy. I couldn't imaging going back to a slower solution, the value Control brings is palpable in our business model.
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  • Makes work team better, even remotely.
  • Allows to share important information and get constantly retro alimentations.
  • Helps us to respect the Covid-19 prevention measures, while continue working.
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ScreenShots

ScreenConnect Screenshots

Screenshot of the guest page, where end-users enter a code to join a session with a technicianScreenshot of connecting from a Windows machine to a macOS machineScreenshot of the Extension Marketplace, where administrators can install and configure new features and integrationsScreenshot of the Access view of the Host page, where a technician can connect to unattended machinesScreenshot of the toolbox menu, which allows technicians to store and run executables, scripts, and other frequently-used filesScreenshot of the Host page, where a command can be run directly without connecting to the machine

Help Lightning Screenshots

Screenshot of Help Lightning's AR-enabled Remote Visual Guidance software.Screenshot of An expert providing help can reach into the field of view of an onsite technician or customer.Screenshot of Common tools can also be brought into the field of view to help solve problems.Screenshot of Product experts can work virtually side-by-side with anyone, anywhere in the world.Screenshot of Help Lightning supports problem solving involving complex and critical equipment.