RealVNC Connect plans set how much remote access a RealVNC customer may use. In November 2024 RealVNC moved its Essentials, Plus and Premium plans from charging for devices or users to charging for the number of concurrent sessions the Team needs. Every plan now includes a bundle of Managed Devices.[2] The pricing page sums up the model as paying “by the number of remote sessions you can have running at the same time”.[1] The EULA states the same rule: the Subscription Fee is determined by the Concurrent Session Band chosen when the agreement is made.[3]
Editions
RealVNC Connect has two capabilities. Device Access reaches computers on which RealVNC Server is pre-installed, attended or unattended, 24/7. On-Demand Assist reaches any computer with the owner present, through the cloud, and leaves no software behind.[10] The plans combine these with different limits.[1]
| Lite | Essentials | Plus | Premium | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price shown (USD, per Active Connection per month, billed annually) | Free | 8.75 | from 18.25 | from 29.75 | Custom |
| Active Connections | One at a time | 1 maximum | 1 included, up to 3 | 1 included, up to 5 | Unlimited |
| Users | 1 | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Managed Devices | 3 | 3 | 50 | 150 | 150+ |
| Connections to third-party VNC servers | n/a | 1 | Up to 5 | Up to 15 | Unlimited |
| On-Demand Assist | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Direct (LAN) connectivity | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Offline licensing | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Sources: pricing page[1] and Lite plan page[4]. Prices were also shown in GBP and EUR.[1] Plus adds session chat, permission profiles, session recording, API access and a virtual display driver. Premium adds custom permissions, audit logs of key events, MFA for sessions, On-Demand Assist and direct connections on the LAN. Enterprise adds account SSO, Group Policy deployment, priority support, custom branding for On-Demand Assist and the On-Prem Management Console.[1] Catalog: Essentials, Plus, Premium, Enterprise, Lite.
Metrics
Concurrent Session (Active Connection). The pricing page defines the Active Connection as “the total number of connections that you can make from a RealVNC Viewer to a RealVNC Server at any one time, across your RealVNC Connect Team”.[1] The EULA counts per user and per device. One Authorized User connected to one Device is one session, and three users connected to the same Device are three.[3] Each Team has a Concurrent Session Limit shared by every user on the Team.[2] Catalog: Concurrent Session; The Concurrent Session Limit is shared across the Team.
Managed Device. Managed devices are those licensed to a Team. Unattended access is possible only to managed devices. Some features, such as screen blanking and direct connectivity, work only with them.[1] Every remote device on which RealVNC Server is installed must be licensed.[9] Catalog: Managed Device.
Users. Essentials allows one user, who can run only one remote session at a time. Plus and Premium allow unlimited users.[2] Catalog: Authorized User.
Third-party VNC servers. RealVNC Viewer can connect to VNC servers that are not licensed with RealVNC, but those connections have their own per-plan limits: 1 on Essentials, 5 on Plus and 15 on Premium.[5] For Enterprise the Viewer FAQ gives 150 active sessions, while the pricing page shows “Unlimited”.[5][1] Catalog: Connections to third-party VNC servers have separate limits.
Counting / floors
On-Demand Assist. On-Demand Assist, formerly Instant Support, was removed from the Plus plan and is included only in Premium and Enterprise. On Premium, On-Demand Assist sessions count towards the Concurrent Session Limit alongside sessions to remote devices.[2] A Premium customer with three sessions who runs two support sessions therefore has one left for Device Access. Catalog: On-Demand Assist is Premium and Enterprise only and counts towards Premium sessions.
Peak, not average. The EULA forbids exceeding the Concurrent Session Band “at any time” during the Subscription.[3] RealVNC says customers who used to connect to several devices at once may find they can no longer do so, and must raise their limit if they need simultaneous access.[2] Viewer and Server version 7.13.0 or later are required. Viewer 7.13.0 or later shows the number of sessions in use.[2]
Ceilings. Self-service subscriptions top out at 5 sessions and 150 devices. Larger needs require a quote.[8] RealVNC points customers with large deployments, or a high number of sessions, to Enterprise.[2] The per Concurrent Session pricing does not apply to Enterprise.[2] Catalog: Plans cap users, managed devices and active connections.
Lite. Lite gives a single-user account with 3 devices, connected to one at a time.[4] It is free for non-commercial use only, and connecting to a computer at your place of work counts as commercial use.[11] Catalog: Lite allows one user and 3 devices, one connection at a time.
Virtualization & partitioning
The plans have no virtualization rules of their own. Virtual Mode and User Mode servers are counted against subscription capacity on trust. See RealVNC offline licensing and on-prem deployment.
Cloud / BYOL
Essentials, Plus and Premium are licensed through RealVNC’s cloud. When a customer moved from a legacy plan to the new plans, RealVNC Servers licensed through the cloud-joined service updated automatically, without relicensing.[2]
Programs
Changing plans and capacity
- Upgrades. Upgrades to another tier and added capacity can be made on the Billing page of the RealVNC Connect Portal. Enterprise upgrades cannot be done by self-service and go through RealVNC Sales. Only Admin or Owner users can change the tier.[6]
- Downgrades. Before switching to a lower plan, usage must fit its limits (Essentials supports only 3 remote devices), so devices or users may need to be removed first. Annual plans may have lock-in periods that prevent immediate downgrading.[6]
- Reducing sessions. The number of concurrent sessions can be reduced only within 28 days of the renewal date. Changes outside that window, or between product plans, go through Customer Support.[7] Catalog: Session counts can only be reduced within 28 days of renewal.
- Trials. A trial gives the features of the Business Premium subscription for a limited time. It can be taken live by subscribing from the Billing page, and capacity can be chosen at that point.[6]
Legacy plans
The per-device and per-user plans sold before November 2024 have been fully retired and cannot be renewed. Customers must subscribe to one of the new plans to keep using RealVNC.[2] Customers on a legacy subscription can upgrade to another tier only at their renewal date.[6] Catalog: Legacy device- and user-based plans are retired.
Out of scope
- Enterprise pricing and limits, which are custom.
- Tax treatment. The EULA states fees exclude VAT and other taxes.[3] The Legal page says VAT, where applicable, is included in the price.[12]
- Remote access to mobile devices (iOS, iPadOS, Android), which appears in the plan comparison but is not analysed here.[1]