#64 in Collaboration & CommunicationUpdated 2026-08

UltraVNC

by UltraVNC · Free GPL VNC remote desktop and support tool for Windows

27.4 — BenchRank score out of 100

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Overview

UltraVNC displays the screen of another computer over a network or the internet and lets you control it with your own mouse and keyboard. A VNC server runs on the shared machine and a viewer runs on the connecting machine, using the RFB protocol. The project also ships UltraVNC SC for single-click support sessions, a Repeater for NAT-to-NAT links, chat and file transfer.

Best for: IT and help-desk staff who need free remote control of Windows PCs, including commercial use.
Pricing: Free for all uses, including commercial, and distributed under the GNU General Public License; no paid plans are shown.
Runs on: WebWindows

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

Free for all uses, including commercial, under the GPL
Chat and file transfer included alongside remote control
Talks to other VNC flavours via the RFB protocol
Can run as a Windows service or as a plain application

Trade-offs

Server runs on Windows only; other systems connect via the Java viewer
Encryption is a plugin add-on rather than built into UltraVNC
Passwords capped at 8 characters unless the encryption plugin is used
NAT-to-NAT connections need a separate Repeater application

How this score is made up

Each dimension is scored out of 100 and combined into the headline score using fixed weights.

MCP support: 0 out of 100
Documentation: 20 out of 100
Agent friendliness: 61 out of 100
Customer sentiment: 80 out of 100
Changelog: 0 out of 100
Marketing site structure: 25 out of 100
Operational trust: 0 out of 100

Measured, but not part of the score

Useful to know, but not a mark for or against the product — so these do not affect the ranking.

Openness: 40 out of 100
Maintenance: 85 out of 100

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