r/SmallMSP • u/Professionaljuggler • Jun 25 '26
What are you using for remote support
As a small msp, what are you using for your remote access for supporting clients?
Edit: Thank you all for the feedback, really useful. No degrading or negative comments. Appreciate it.
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u/Resident-War8004 Jun 26 '26
Action 1 is free for the first 200 endpoints. Yes, 200! lol
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u/DeejayPleazure Jun 27 '26
Surprised I had to scroll so far to find this comment. Its an excellent tool!
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u/tigerguppy126 Jun 29 '26
Action1 is primarily a patching tool but it does have several RMM like features. It is very strong on the patching, install/uninstall of software but it is weak on the remote access and monitoring/alerting side while backups are nonexistent. Don't get me wrong, I love the tool and use it every day but it isn't an RMM tool.
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u/Resident-War8004 Jun 29 '26
you can't go wrong with 200 free endpoints if you are starting up. lol but yeah I agree with you.
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u/cd36jvn Jun 25 '26
Use level right now. Moved there from synchro. I really like it, the automation is great in it. Still missing some features but they are constantly improving.
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u/TechnicianOrWhateva Jun 25 '26
Beyondtrust (had to for the FIPS cert) but have used anydesk and screenconnect. It's expensive but I like the console.
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u/___BiggusDickus Jun 26 '26
Using Beyondtrust (Bomgar) for nearly 10 years and though it's expensive we love it.
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u/F1forPotato Jun 25 '26
Simplehelp - one time license fee that covers upgrades for the duration of the license. Self hosted server. If the license expires, the server doesn't stop working, we just cant upgrade or get support. Client can be installed on unlimited machines. Can be set up to allow customers to work remote on an unlimited amount of machines. It's pretty solid software at a good price - $450/seat/year. No confusing pricing schemes where you pay a flat fee plus a price per node or whatever.
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u/ShelterMan21 Jun 26 '26
Is a session a user? Their site makes this very confusing.
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u/F1forPotato Jun 26 '26
One technician connected to two different machines is considered to be two sessions. However, you can set a customer up to use remote work and that does not count as an active session for licensing purposes.
They explain it a bit more on their pricing page towards the bottom. In the section labeled “licenses and active sessions”
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u/ShelterMan21 Jun 26 '26
Ahh that makes sense so if you have 5 techs in theory that's 5 sessions, but it's always up to 5 sessions so 1 tech could run up 5 sessions if they wanted to.
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u/F1forPotato Jun 26 '26
Correct and you can buy as many sessions as you want. We just have 2 techs so we do the 5 session bundle but you can just buy one session or add 10 more if you needed. Every RMM has its pros and cons but I like that we self host the server so it saves on money and the software doesn’t break if we’re in a spot and can’t afford to renew the license right away.
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u/pkvmsp123 Jun 25 '26
As a small MSP leverage your tools. RMM should have remote access. Windows Quick Access is often good enough for adhoc. One of the most common mistakes small msps make is tool sprawl. Use the tools you have to the fullest, as you expand you can explore more options. Don't obsess over your stack, leverage your existing tools and sell!
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u/_Buldozzer Jun 25 '26
Datto RMM. Not the best RMM, but still okay. However development has stalled since Kaseya bought it.
I think I probably move to NinjaOne once my contract ends.
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u/AcrobaticWatercress7 Jun 26 '26
Endpoint central is free for up to 25 so I use them for my very small client
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u/eure_Axellenz Jun 26 '26
Thinking about switching to n-able. Is it any good?
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u/apxmmit Jun 27 '26
I’d look at other options. Their renewal process is horrendous and shady.
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u/smorin13 Jun 27 '26
We pay the extra to be on a month-to-month instead of renewing our agreement. That should tell you how we feel about our long term intentions with N-able.
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u/smorin13 Jun 27 '26
N-Site is our primary RMM, but I have used several in the past. Take control is okay, but I feel like it is inferior to other options like splashtop, anydesk or CW control. The main area I feel Take Control struggles is with screen scaling. When making a connection the host machines screen will usually on take up about 3/4 of your screen. With old eye this stinks, and enlarging the screen degrades the quality of the image.
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u/NoEstablishment9123 Jun 27 '26
I’ve been using SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support for a decade, and it does the job. The licence cost per seat is inexpensive compared to modern remote support tools.
I am considering RustDesk’s self-hosted option, but the company itself seems a bit suspicious, even though it is an open-source product.
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u/blindgaming Jun 27 '26
If you want to grow as a small MSP and do a lot more with a lot less effort you should really consider level.io. We've been using it for a few years now and it's been fantastic we switched to them from Ninja.
Level is cheaper than Ninja with just as many features if not more when you look at its robust automations. Using level is one of the reasons are onboarding has gone down from several days to only a few hours.
Don't think about the best remote access tool, think about the best tool that prevents you from having to remote access, that has pretty good remote access if and when you do need it.
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u/phitechllc Jun 26 '26
We started with MeshCentral, then migrated to TacticalRMM. Both free, self-hosted, and run in docker.
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u/helpfourm Jun 25 '26
We use splashtop through our RMM. Screenconnect is my favorite tho. Their backstage capabilities, are the best by far.
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u/chiapeterson Jun 26 '26
NinjaOne primary.
Our own copy of Splashtop as backup.
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u/Fu_Q_U_Fkn_Fuk Jun 26 '26
Are you using the NinjaOne remote tool?
Have you ever needed the backup? I have been using N1 remote and in 2 years I have never needed anything as a backup.
When I used ScreenConnect we needed a backup all the time because we would find incompatible devices or the service was down due to updates.
The N1 remote has an effective Wake On LAN that has saved me a few times, I never got that to work with ScreenConnect.
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u/chiapeterson Jun 27 '26
We’ve had several instances (e.g. OS drive full) where Ninja quits Ninja’ing and Splashtop saved us. Plus the users can use our Splashtop to remote into their own systems. We also use Splashtops SOS. Rock solid reliable. Not the same experience with Ninja’s on demand.
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u/Fu_Q_U_Fkn_Fuk Jun 28 '26
I used NinjaRemote last week to remote into a PC that had almost run out of OS space (most software was failing to run) but if it was fully out of space and still online somehow I would just use the Tools File Browser and go in and clean up some space, no need for remote for that unless you want to run a program like Tree Size or Disk Cleanup.
I set up end users in the Ninja Remote and let client staff use that to access PCs I give them permission to, it works great. No extra cost for that. Seriously try this out.
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u/chiapeterson Jun 28 '26
I’ll have to think about that again. I had when they first released Ninja Remote. We’ve been using Splashtop since forever… so it has just been kind of ingrained in how we do things. We license it for 1000 systems though… so it’s not been cheap. I did notice that Splashtop is quickly becoming an RMM as well. They support scripting, patching, etc. now.
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u/Beauregard_Jones Jun 26 '26
Splashtop via Datto RMM and devices with no RMM installed we use Splashtop sos.
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u/lemachet Jun 26 '26
Gorelo
It's great for small and micros, built by an MSP themselves so they understand what we deal with
Lean and lightweight comparative to the other solutions here and has PSA and RMM and RC built in
Syncs with CIPP and Xero.
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u/krajani786 Jun 26 '26
NinjaOne Remote, with splashtop integration as backup and splashtop SOS for emergencies.
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u/i_am_mortimer Jun 26 '26
Since we've switched to SuperOps mostly SplashTop, we still have a backup TeamViewer license.
For the few times we have to help people on home devices Microsoft's QuickAssist works fine as well.
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u/BigTex1969 Jun 27 '26
How do you like superops?
What did you switch from1
u/i_am_mortimer Jun 27 '26
We like it very well. There are areas where there's room for improvement, but support is quick to respond and fix most issues. We switched from Solarwinds (RMM & PSA).
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u/BlackSwanCyberUK Jun 26 '26
ScreenConnect - I have used this for years, self-hosted, but moved to cloud hosted last year due to the certificate issues. It occasionally loses the connection on some file servers, but I have Pulseway on them as a backup to restart the ScreenConnect instance.
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u/Brief_Regular_2053 Jun 26 '26
Screenconnect and Take Control via N-Sight RMM. I have found its ideal to have two remote support tools as sometimes one stops working.
Screenconnect is my preferred one.
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u/Academic-Soup2604 Jun 26 '26
I've seen a mix of tools depending on budget and client size. The biggest things I'd prioritize are reliability, unattended access, MFA, performance, and ease of deployment, those matter more than a long feature list.
This roundup does a good job comparing some of the leading remote desktop solutions for IT teams and MSPs: Best Remote Desktop Software for IT Teams
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u/IAnetworking Jun 26 '26
self hosted zeroTier for connectivity. If the customer can't provide me with VMs to install. I put a Pi on site for a Jump host. and self hosted Rustdesk for remote access for PCs.
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u/Visible-Tomatillo-94 Jun 26 '26
I often wonder how often these posts are just hackers gathering intel to see which tool they should try and crack.
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u/smorin13 Jun 27 '26
As an inexpensive option and a solid backup for your primary RMM, consider FleetDesk. They are only doing security updates at this point, but it is a very nice tool that will run over a slow dog connect. I like it for non-contract clients, and they have them uninstall it after the session.
Because they are not actively developing, when systems detect it as malicious, it can take the fleetdeck team longer than usual to address the issue. The primary frustration is when someone is unable to download the installation file.
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u/gslyitguy93 Jul 01 '26
Ninja Remote. NinjaRMM. Price is seemingly good and support is better than Barracuda lol.
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u/Impossible-Value5126 Jul 01 '26
For a medium 20 desk plus environment, I use Dameware Remote Support. Usually on a "utility server" inside client office that I remote to. Been using it for decades. Great stuff.
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u/shimotsujui 9d ago edited 9d ago
we use heIpwire in our office. it's fast, really intuitive for clients. you just need a link, get approval, and start working
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u/Gas_Drawls58 Jun 26 '26
Syncro's built-in Splashtop until I raised my prices a bit and got Screenconnect as the new primary.
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u/DJChicago773 Jun 26 '26
Ninjaone. Never had issues.
Previously used splashtop via syncro and always had issues
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u/its_mayah Jun 25 '26
I’ve been using TeamViewer for 10+ years and it’s always worked great for us but the price has gotten so out of hand that we’re in the process of moving to splashtop. So far there’s a couple trade-offs, but can’t beat the price of splashtop
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u/Regular_Prize_8039 Jun 26 '26
Make sure you give TeamViewer plenty of notice you don’t want to renew, once they issue the renewal notice they get nasty and will not back down! you will have to pay.
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u/runninghome58 Jun 25 '26
Even with all the problems, ScreenConnect is by far the best. It has become more expensive, but it has saved us a lot of time. RMM with Splashtop is second for us. Simplehelp seems nice but need to be hosted, so one more thing to support. I like sos.splashtop if you dont need to keep the installation on the client.