AnyDesk Alternative: Free Remote Desktop With a Short Code and No Account
AnyDesk is popular, but its free plan is meant for personal use and many people want something simpler. Here is how PeerFlow compares for everyday remote desktop work.
If you search for an AnyDesk alternative, you are usually in one of three situations: you need a tool for work and the free plan is meant for personal use only, you want something with fewer steps, or you just want a second option that does not require everyone to install a heavy program. This article explains what PeerFlow's remote desktop does, how it differs from AnyDesk, and when each is the better choice.
What AnyDesk is good at
AnyDesk is a mature remote desktop program with apps for most platforms, unattended access to computers you manage, and features for larger IT teams. At the time of writing its free plan is intended for personal use, and businesses are expected to buy a licence. If you manage dozens of machines and need permanent, unattended access with central management, that is a real strength and a paid tool built for that job is reasonable.
Where PeerFlow fits instead
PeerFlow is built for the very common case in between: someone needs help now, or you need to look at a colleague's or client's screen for twenty minutes. There is no account to create and nothing to configure.
- The person who wants help presses Share this device and gets a short code such as K7Q2-M9XA.
- The helper opens PeerFlow remote access, types the code and sees the screen.
- If the person sharing ticks "Let them control this computer", the helper can use the mouse and keyboard. They can switch it off at any time.
The code stops working when the session ends or when a new code is generated, so there is no permanent ID that strangers could try.
Features that matter in a real session
- A window that fits any screen. The remote screen opens in its own window, scales to fit, goes full screen, and can be pinned above other windows. Your keyboard and shortcuts go straight through.
- Copy and paste between computers. Text you copy on one machine can be pasted on the other.
- Draw and point. You can ask to draw on the shared screen with pens, arrows, shapes and a laser pointer. The person sharing is asked first and sees your marks on their real screen in the desktop app.
- Picture quality modes. Choose sharp text for documents and code or smooth motion for video, and save a screenshot or record the session on your own computer.
- Chat, voice and file transfer inside the same session, so you do not need a second tool open.
- From a phone. Tap to click, hold to right-click, drag with one finger, scroll with two, and type with a bar that copes with autocorrect.
How the connection works (and why that matters)
PeerFlow uses WebRTC, the same technology as browser video calls. After a short handshake through our server, the screen and your input travel directly between the two devices, encrypted. Where a strict firewall blocks the direct path, an encrypted relay forwards data it cannot read. Nothing is recorded or stored on the server.
Security habits worth keeping
Whichever remote desktop tool you use, the same habits keep you safe. Only give a connection code to someone you trust and never to an unexpected caller claiming to be from "technical support". Leave control switched off unless it is needed — watching is often enough. Keep an eye on what happens on your screen and stop the session if anything looks wrong. And end every session when the job is finished: in PeerFlow a code only works for the session it was made for, and you can replace it with a new one at any time.
AnyDesk vs PeerFlow at a glance
| AnyDesk | PeerFlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Account to connect | Not for basic connections | No |
| Business use on the free plan | Needs a paid licence | Free to use, no per-seat fee |
| Connection code | Permanent address | One-time short code |
| Unattended access for many machines | Yes | Not the focus |
| Drawing and laser pointer | Whiteboard | Pens, arrows, shapes, laser (with permission) |
| Chat, file transfer, meetings in the same app | Chat and file transfer | Yes, plus meetings and encrypted chat |
Plans and features change, so check each vendor's current terms before you decide.
When to choose which
Choose AnyDesk if you need permanent unattended access to a fleet of machines with central management. Choose PeerFlow if you want to help someone or look at a screen quickly, without accounts or licence questions, and you also want chat, file transfer and meetings in the same place. Many small teams use both: one for managed machines, one for everything else.
You can try it in a minute: open remote access on one device and connect from another, or read the full overview of PeerFlow remote desktop. For the apps, see the download page.
Frequently asked questions
Is PeerFlow a free alternative to AnyDesk?
Yes. You can share your screen or connect to someone else’s with a short code at no cost and without creating an account. Control of the other computer works with the PeerFlow desktop app on that computer.
Does PeerFlow have an ID like AnyDesk’s?
It uses a short one-time code (for example K7Q2-M9XA) instead of a permanent address, and a link you can paste into a chat. A new code can be made at any moment.
Is the connection secure?
Screen, mouse, keyboard, chat and files travel directly between the two devices over an encrypted WebRTC connection. The PeerFlow server only introduces the two sides.