Scry vs TeamViewer— honest comparison
Looking for a TeamViewer alternative? Here's an honest Scry vs TeamViewer comparison — what each one does well, and where the other one wins. TeamViewer is mature, cross-platform, and has every remote-desktop feature you can name. Scry is a small, focused tool aimed at one buyer segment: people who want simple personal remote access without the commercial-use detection scare and without an annual contract.
| At a glance | Scry | TeamViewer |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $4.99 / mo | $24.90 / mo (Remote Access — billed annually) |
| Most popular plan | $39.99 / yr | $50.90 / mo (Business — billed annually) |
| Lifetime license | $99 one-time | None |
| Platforms | Mac (host + client) · Windows (host + client) · Web (client) | Windows · macOS · Linux · ChromeOS · iOS · Android |
Pick TeamViewer if
- ·Multi-monitor, audio in session, file transfer, and remote printing all ship today on TeamViewer free for personal use. Scry has these on the Pro roadmap but not in any current build.
- ·Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android as both host and client. Scry is Mac and Windows only today, with mobile clients still on the roadmap.
- ·More than fifteen years of mature unattended-access tooling: wake-on-LAN, restart-and-reconnect, MDM, asset management, scripting, session recording. Scry has none of this shipped yet.
- ·Mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android are mature and well-rated. Scry has no mobile clients today.
- ·Brand recognition matters when you're remote-supporting a non-technical relative — they have probably already heard of TeamViewer.
Pick Scry if
- +Honest, predictable price. $4.99/mo, $39.99/yr, or $99 once and you own it. TeamViewer's cheapest plan is $24.90/mo billed annually with no lifetime option.
- +No commercial-use detection. TeamViewer's free tier aggressively flags personal users as commercial and cuts sessions to five minutes. Scry's free tier has no detection, no nag, no five-minute timer.
- +WebRTC over an open signaling layer with end-to-end encrypted transport (DTLS-SRTP). The protocol is documented and the wire format is inspectable. TeamViewer's transport is proprietary.
- +Browser-based client at scry.bravely.dev — log in from any modern browser and you're in. TeamViewer's web client exists but is gated behind paid tiers.
- +One person ships the whole thing. Bug reports go straight to the founder, not a tier-one queue.
Full feature comparison
Verified 2026-05-02. Source linked at the bottom.
| Feature | Scry | TeamViewer |
|---|---|---|
| Price (entry) | $4.99/mo | $24.90/mo (annual only) |
| Lifetime license | $99 | None |
| Free tier for personal use | Yes — no time limits, no nag | Yes — but commercial-use detection cuts sessions to 5 min if flagged |
| Platforms (host) | Mac, Windows | Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS |
| Platforms (client) | Mac, Windows, Web | Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, Android, Web |
| Browser client (no install) | Yes (free) | Paid tiers only |
| Open standard transport | Yes (WebRTC) | Proprietary |
| End-to-end encrypted transport | Yes (DTLS-SRTP) | Yes (proprietary) |
| Single-monitor session | Yes (free) | Yes (free) |
| Multi-monitor | Planned (Pro roadmap) | Yes (free) |
| Audio in session | Planned (Pro roadmap) | Yes (free, Mac→client has known limits) |
| File transfer | Planned (Pro roadmap) | Yes (free, bidirectional) |
| Clipboard text sync | Yes (free) | Yes (free) |
| Mobile clients | Planned | Yes (iOS, Android — mature) |
| Unattended access + wake | Planned (Pro roadmap) | Yes |
| Commercial-use detection / forced upgrade | None | Yes — broadly applied to free users |
| Session length limit on free | Unlimited | 5 min if flagged commercial |
From Jeff, founder
I built Scry because every time I tried to help a family member with their Mac on TeamViewer free, I got nagged about commercial use and dropped after five minutes. I don't need fifteen years of features. I need to get into one machine, fix one thing, and get out. Scry does exactly that, on Mac, Windows, and the web. Multi-monitor, audio, file transfer, and mobile clients are coming — but only after the free tier is genuinely complete for the simple case. — Jeff
— Jeff Schiesser · Bravely Studios
FAQ
Why does TeamViewer have more features today?+
TeamViewer has been shipping for over fifteen years with a large engineering team. Scry is one person and is currently focused on getting the simple single-monitor case excellent before expanding. Multi-monitor, audio, file transfer, and mobile clients are on the Pro roadmap but not shipped.
When will Scry ship audio, file transfer, and multi-monitor?+
These are the next three Pro features in priority order. They are not date-committed yet — when they ship, every existing customer at the lifetime tier gets them automatically.
Is Scry's free tier really free?+
Yes. No time limits per session, no commercial-use detection, no nag wall. Free covers single-monitor remote access end-to-end. Pro adds the scale-up features (multi-monitor, audio, file transfer, etc.) once they ship.
Why is TeamViewer's $24.90/mo plan an annual contract?+
Most enterprise remote-desktop products are sold annually. Scry breaks the pattern with monthly, annual, and a one-time lifetime option because individual buyers prefer flexibility.
Does Scry have mobile clients?+
Not yet. iOS and Android clients are planned but not shipped. If you need to control a Mac or PC from a phone today, TeamViewer is the better fit.
More Scry comparisons
Pricing verified 2026-05-02. TeamViewer pricing source. Subject to change.