SimpleHelp vs ThinLinc
SimpleHelp
simple-help.com
ThinLinc
cendio.comSide by side
| Figure | SimpleHelp | ThinLinc |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $11.67/mo | $5.50/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 14 | 13 |
| Spec score · Remote desktop software | 8.7 (#28) | 9.2 (#6) |
| Founded | 2007 | 1992 |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom | Linköping, Sweden |
| Product | SimpleHelp combines remote support, unattended access, monitoring, automation and security in one platform. | ThinLinc centrally hosts Linux applications and desktops in a data center or cloud for remote access. |
| Security | The maker says session data is end-to-end encrypted and transmitted through networks customers control, with data encrypted in transit and at rest. | ThinLinc routes traffic through SSH tunnels and TLS, and sends encrypted pixels to clients. |
| Supported platforms | desktop | Windows,macOS,Linux,web browsers |
Plans
SimpleHelp
- Standard — 5-session bundle$1,350 a month
- Standard — 5-session bundle$1,350, paid once
- Standard — single session$300, paid once
- Standard — single session$300 a month
- Business — 5-session bundle$1,800, paid once
- Business — 5-session bundle$1,800 a month
- Business — single session$450 a month
- Business — single session$450, paid once
- Enterprise — annual subscription$400 a year
- Standard — annual support and upgrades$140 a year
ThinLinc
- FreeFree
- Standard$122 a year
- Premium$168 a year
- Community licenseFree
- FreeFree
- ThinLinc Standard (500+ users)$66 a year
- ThinLinc Premium (500+ users)$91 a year
- ThinLinc Standard (11–49 users)$103 a year
- ThinLinc Standard (1–10 users)$122 a year
- ThinLinc Premium (11–49 users)$142 a year
In their own words
SimpleHelp
SimpleHelp combines remote support, unattended access, monitoring, automation and security for businesses and IT teams managing users and networks. Technicians can begin on-demand support sessions without installing software first on a user’s device, and WebTech lets them manage a queue and start sessions in a browser. Remote-control sessions include file transfer, resource monitoring, command-line access and clipboard management. Device monitoring provides real-time status, custom alerts and actions across managed devices. Customers can deploy a self-hosted server on-premises, on their own infrastructure or in the cloud. Authentication can connect with Active Directory, Entra ID, OpenID, LDAP or RADIUS; the Web API exposes session and server data for integration. SimpleHelp lists end-to-end encryption and controls including IP restrictions, technician authorization, multi-factor authentication, granular permissions and audits. Licensing is based on concurrently active sessions rather than technician accounts or devices. There is no free plan; the pricing note lists a 30-day trial and a starting price from $270. Standard and Business licences include one year of updates and email support.
ThinLinc
ThinLinc centrally hosts Linux applications and desktops in a data center or cloud, then makes them available for remote access from Windows, macOS, Linux, or a web browser. Its server feature list includes high availability, fail-over, clustering, load balancing, multiple sessions per user, and single-application publishing. Authentication options include passwords, one-time passwords, public keys, smart cards, and Kerberos tickets. Traffic passes through SSH tunnels and TLS, with encrypted pixels sent to clients. ThinLinc includes TigerVNC, noVNC, OpenSSH, CUPS, and PulseAudio. The maker describes the software as suitable for demanding EDA and CAD workloads, including access from different locations. The server allows three concurrent graphical sessions by default; a separate free license file raises this to ten concurrent users. ThinLinc offers free time-limited evaluation licenses. Its free plan is listed at free, for 10 concurrent users. Standard is $122 a year per user and Premium is $168 a year per user; both are billed in advance for 12 months and cover 1–10 users.