ScreenConnect vs. HelpWire

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
HelpWire
Score 9.4 out of 10
N/A
HelpWire is a user-friendly remote desktop service for quick IT assistance to home and business users. It provides on-demand support for Windows, macOS, and Linux devices, along with unattended access to Windows and macOS computers. Technicians can instantly access client systems to resolve issues promptly, eliminating costly on-site visits. Tailored for sole proprietors, small to medium IT support teams, MSPs, and help desks, HelpWire ensures effective remote client…N/A
Pricing
ScreenConnectHelpWire
Editions & Modules
One
$39
per month
Standard
$59
per month
Premium
$69
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ScreenConnectHelpWire
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsThe product is free of charge, no Ads, no extra fees
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ScreenConnectHelpWire
Features
ScreenConnectHelpWire
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
ScreenConnect
7.0
Ratings
15% below category average
HelpWire
8.2
Ratings
6% below category average
Screen sharing10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
File transfer9.40 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Instant message6.20 Ratings7.80 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
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
ScreenConnect
-
Ratings
HelpWire
10.0
Ratings
0% above category average
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Remote Access
Comparison of Remote Access features of Product A and Product B
ScreenConnect
-
Ratings
HelpWire
9.3
Ratings
0% below category average
Attended device access00 Ratings9.90 Ratings
Virtual device access00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Multiple-display support00 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Multiple concurrent sessions00 Ratings8.20 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ScreenConnectHelpWire
Small Businesses
Getscreen.me
Getscreen.me
Score 9.7 out of 10
Getscreen.me
Getscreen.me
Score 9.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Remote Desktop Manager
Remote Desktop Manager
Score 9.0 out of 10
Action1
Action1
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Remote Desktop Manager
Remote Desktop Manager
Score 9.0 out of 10
Remote Desktop Manager
Remote Desktop Manager
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ScreenConnectHelpWire
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
9.4
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.9
(0 ratings)
9.5
(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
ScreenConnectHelpWire
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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Great for quick access to remote devices to check the software I need. Unattended access would be great to have, as it would make the testing process even easier for me.
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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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  • Easy and quick, set up and connection establishment.
  • No mouse or movement lag while connected with remote system
  • Workd equally well with Windows or Mac systems.
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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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  • UX/UI can be improved.
  • Sometimes the screen freezes but connection is not lost so we can close the window and open again.
  • It's an amazing App but most of the people I know have not heard about it. I think company should spend more on marketing.
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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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It's free, but I love their service, so I will buy their service if they introduce any paid program.
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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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I have no complaints about HelpWire’s usability. It’s quick to set up and easy to navigate, with a clear interface that avoids unnecessary buttons and input fields. It’s simple, which is perfect for my needs
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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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A few years back, I was using TeamViewer and AnyDesk now and then, but they both started glitching, which was super frustrating. So, I switched to Splashtop, and while it was totally fine okay. When HelpWire came onto the market, I decided to give it a try, and I’m really happy I made the switch. Reliable performance, ease of use, and strong security were key factors for me.
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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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  • Available for every budget, as it free for commercial use, so I can save my expenses
  • Simple initiation of sessions, easy to explain to my clients how to use the app
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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

HelpWire Screenshots

Screenshot of the HelpWire web interface, showing connected user's workstations with multiple displays and a live chat conversationScreenshot of the HelpWire Operator application window, with connected workstations and multi-display supportScreenshot of the HelpWire Operator application window, with opened chat side-panelScreenshot of the HelpWire Client application chat-window