ORelay vs AnyDesk

AnyDesk is a fast, light remote desktop client with a free version for private use and business licences sold by concurrent connection and managed device, with session recording, an address book and mobile apps.

AnyDesk is a very good screen: quick, small, and happy on a slow link. It is only a screen, though. ORelay adds what you need once the computer is yours to look after: health readings, alerts, a terminal, scheduled tasks and the software list, on the phone as well as in the browser, with a free plan that allows commercial use.

The ORelay dashboard: six computers in two groups with their status, processor and memory, the latest alerts and activity.

Side by side

AnyDesk’s column is what its own pages said on October 28, 2026; the sources are at the end.

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Free use	Yes: Free for up to 5 computers, no time limit, personal or commercial	Partly: Free for private, non-professional use only; a use pattern that looks professional gets the “commercial use” notice
Cheapest paid plan	Yes: Pro, $20 a month: 3 people and 50 computers included	Yes: Solo, $28.90 a month billed annually: 1 user, 1 session at a time, at most 100 managed devices
A plan for a small team	Yes: Pro, $20 a month: 3 people and 50 computers included; MSP, $150 a month: 10 people, unlimited computers	Yes: Standard, $49.90 a month billed annually, for 1 session at a time; each further one $44.90; accounts for at most 20 users; at most 500 managed devices
Computers it reaches	Yes: Windows, Mac, Linux	Yes: Windows, Mac, Linux, and more
From a phone	Yes: Android and iPhone apps: see the screen and take control	Yes: Android and iOS apps
From a browser	Yes: Yes, any browser, nothing to install on your side	Partly: Mostly the installed client
Unattended access	Yes: Yes: the agent connects out, and stays connected	Yes: Yes, within the plan’s managed-device count
Files	Yes: Browse, upload, download, send from your phone	Yes: File transfer, and a File Manager session without the desktop
Terminal	Yes: bash, sh, PowerShell or cmd, or one command with its output	Partly: A remote shell to Linux computers only; nothing for Windows or Mac
Health readings and alerts	Yes: Processor, memory, disk, network; alerts by e-mail, webhook, ntfy or app	No: Not on its pages
Scheduled tasks, software inventory	Yes: Scheduled tasks; software inventory with CSV export	No: Not on its pages
Session recording	Partly: No: the screen is never recorded	Yes: Yes, on paid plans
Nothing opens on the computer	Yes: Nothing opens on the computer: it only connects out	Yes: Outbound too
Self-hosted option	No: No: ORelay runs the service	Partly: On-premises on the Ultimate plan
Open source	No: No	No: No

Show the full comparison53 rows in 10 groups: signing in, people and permissions, directory, the screen, beyond the screen, files, monitoring, deployment, security, business

Both columns were last checked on October 28, 2026: AnyDesk’s is what its own pages say, 38 of 53 rows answered there and the rest marked “not stated on its pages” rather than guessed. Each of its answers carries a footnote to the page it was read from, with the sentence as its tooltip.

Signing in

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Single sign-on (SAML or OIDC)	No: No SAML or OIDC yet	Partly: OpenID Connect single sign-on on the Ultimate (Cloud) plan; SAML is not named¹
Sign in with Google, Microsoft, Apple or GitHub	Yes: Yes: Google, Apple, Microsoft and GitHub, once added under Account	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Two-step sign-in with an authenticator app	Yes: Yes, with recovery codes	Yes: Time-based one-time passwords for connections and the my.anydesk account; authenticator app²
Passkeys	Yes: Yes, on the web and in the apps	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Require the company sign-in	Partly: With Microsoft Entra ID only; MSP and Enterprise	Partly: Ultimate (Cloud) users sign in by SSO with the organization ID; a switch that forces it is not stated³

People and permissions

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Roles	Yes: Yes: owner, admin, support and viewer; admin, support or viewer on a single computer	Yes: Admin, DPO, Tech support and User roles on Advanced; custom roles on Ultimate-Cloud only⁴
Access per computer or group	Yes: Yes, per computer or by group; support and viewers see only what they are given	Partly: Each computer can limit which IDs connect (access list); per-user grants on computers not stated⁵
Access that expires by itself	Yes: Yes: a day, a week, a month or always; share codes expire	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Share one computer with someone outside	Yes: Yes, with a share code made at the computer, which stays in its owner’s account	Partly: Anyone given the AnyDesk ID and unattended password can connect; sharing by named outside account not stated⁶
Several organizations under one login	Yes: Yes, each with its own database	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Audit log	Yes: Yes: every session, command, file, power and settings change, with who did it	Partly: Session logs in my.anydesk; log of admin changes (who, what, when) on Ultimate-Cloud only²

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Active Directory	Partly: Read-only: users, computers and groups through a domain controller you allow; MSP and Enterprise	Partly: Imports users from Active Directory over LDAP on Ultimate-Cloud; no computer listing stated⁷
Microsoft Entra ID sync	No: No: Entra ID is used for sign-in only	Partly: Users from an OpenID Connect provider (Azure AD as example) are synchronized; Ultimate-Cloud only⁸
LDAP	No: No	Partly: LDAP sign-in and role import with periodic sync, Ultimate-Cloud license only⁷

The screen

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Multiple monitors	Yes: Yes: switch between monitors in the session	Yes: Switch between the remote monitors from the toolbar; several at once by opening more connections⁹
Ctrl+Alt+Del	Yes: Yes, on Windows	Yes: A hotkey sends Ctrl+Alt+Del to the remote device; Windows only¹⁰
The Windows sign-in screen	Yes: Yes, with nobody signed in	Yes: Unattended access connects before sign-in or when the system is locked⁶
Clipboard	Partly: Text pasted into the computer through a box; no two-way clipboard	Yes: A session permission synchronizes clipboards; text or files can also be sent from the local clipboard¹¹
Remote printing	No: No	Yes: Remote printing is included in paid licenses; not in the free version¹²
Session recording	No: No, by design: the screen is never stored	Yes: Session recording is listed from Standard up; started automatically or from the toolbar⁴
Sessions start view-only	Yes: Yes: taking control is a separate, logged step	Partly: Default profile allows control; a Screen Sharing profile is view-only and can be chosen¹³
The person at the computer can switch it off	Yes: Yes: the ORelay window on the computer shows what remote users may do, and any of it can be switched off	Yes: An Accept Window appears by default and permission profiles are set at the remote computer¹⁴
Blank the physical screen	Yes: Yes, on Windows and Mac; the blanked screen says who is connected	Yes: Privacy mode hides the remote screen; both ends must allow it¹⁵

Beyond the screen

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Terminal, or one command with its output	Yes: Yes: bash, sh, PowerShell or cmd, or one command with its output, in the browser and the apps	Partly: Remote Shell opens a terminal on Linux devices only (AnyDesk 8.0.0 or later, display server needed)¹⁶
Scripts across many computers	Partly: Quick fixes run on one computer or several at once; no script library yet	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Scheduled tasks	Yes: Yes: timer or cron, with every run’s output; Pro and above	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Software inventory	Yes: Yes: every installed program, searchable, with a CSV export; refresh on Pro and above	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Patch management	No: No	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Power actions	Yes: Yes: shut down, restart, sleep, hibernate, lock, sign out; now or up to an hour later	Partly: Restart, lock and sign-out of the remote user from the session toolbar; shutdown, sleep and scheduling not stated¹¹
Wake-on-LAN	No: No	Yes: Wake-on-LAN in paid licenses; Windows, Intel Mac and Linux; another AnyDesk device on that network must be online¹²

Files

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Browse folders without a session	Yes: Yes, from the browser and the phone	Yes: A File Manager session runs without the desktop view¹⁷
Upload and download	Yes: Yes, from the browser or the phone, over the agent’s own connection	Yes: File transfer and a File Manager to upload and download; File transfer is listed from Standard up⁴
Files kept in the service	Yes: Yes: copies kept in ORelay per plan; the vault encrypts files into your own Google Drive or OneDrive	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Size limits	Partly: 10 GB per file sent to a computer; stored files 1 GB on Free, 25 GB on Pro, 100 GB on MSP	Partly: Not stated on its pages

Monitoring

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Processor, memory, disk, network	Yes: Yes, live, and buffered on the computer while the service is unreachable	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Alerts on a reading, or a computer going quiet	Yes: Yes: a reading over a threshold for a duration, or a computer offline; severity, acknowledge, history	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Where alerts go	Yes: Yes: e-mail, webhook (Discord, Slack or JSON), ntfy and the app; no SMS	Partly: Not stated on its pages
Network devices (SNMP)	No: No	Partly: Not stated on its pages

Deployment

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Silent installers	Yes: Yes: Windows MSI, Mac pkg, Debian and RPM packages	Yes: Windows silent switch and MSI; macOS .pkg installer; Linux .deb and .rpm repositories¹⁸
Many computers at once	Yes: Yes: enrolment keys, each computer with its own certificate; Pro and above	Partly: MSI mass deployment and license-key registration by command line on Advanced and up; no enrolment key stated⁴
Intune, Jamf, Group Policy, Ansible	Yes: Yes: Intune, Configuration Manager, Group Policy, Jamf Pro, Kandji and Ansible kits, made in the browser	Partly: Intune and MDM deployment described, Group Policy on Advanced; Jamf, Configuration Manager, Ansible not named¹⁹
The agent updates itself	Yes: Yes, signed updates	Partly: Standard clients can update automatically; custom clients cannot²⁰
Signed installers	Yes: Yes: Windows signed, Mac notarized, Linux packages signed	Partly: Windows client signed by AnyDesk Software GmbH; macOS custom clients notarized only if an option is on²¹
Linux desktops, including Wayland	Yes: Yes: X11 and Wayland; under GNOME the person at the computer approves the first session	Partly: Linux is supported; under Wayland only outgoing sessions work, incoming need Xorg²²

Security

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Encryption	Yes: Yes: mutual TLS 1.3 between each computer and the service; HTTPS for the browser and the apps	Yes: TLS 1.3 with 256-bit AES transport encryption and RSA 2048 key exchange; no end-to-end claim made²
The screen never stored, keys never logged	Yes: Yes: the screen is never recorded and what you type is never logged	Partly: Not stated on its pages
SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA	No: None yet	Partly: Says it complies with GDPR; SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA not stated on pages read²³
Where data is held	Partly: United States; no choice of region	Partly: On-Premises keeps data in your own network; region choice for the cloud not stated²⁴

Business

What	ORelay	AnyDesk
Pricing model	Yes: A flat price per plan: Free, Pro $20, MSP $150, Enterprise $500 a month	Yes: Per connection: Standard $49.90 a month for 1, Advanced $111.90 for 2, Ultimate by quote; billed annually⁴
Trial or free plan	Yes: Yes: a free plan of 5 computers, with no time limit	Yes: Business trial offered (length not stated); free version for private use only, not for business¹²
Monthly or annual	Yes: Yes: monthly, or yearly at ten months’ worth; cancel any time	No: All plans are billed yearly; the monthly figure is the annual price divided by twelve⁴
Support	Yes: Yes: e-mail and phone, by the people who build it	Partly: Tickets and live chat on Standard and up; phone support on Advanced and Ultimate²⁵
API and webhooks	Partly: Webhooks for alerts; the viewers’ REST API is not yet documented for others	Yes: REST API for account data and session history on Standard and above; webhooks not stated²⁶

AnyDesk’s pages, as read on October 28, 2026

anydesk.com answers scripts 403 and those six pages were read in a browser on 2026-10-28; /en/switch and /en/compare-logmein-alternative redirect (to the home page and the GoTo page). Its one comparison page (against GoTo) claims for itself a cheaper pricing model, lower latency, free mobile use, Namespace, custom clients with permissions, an On-Premises option and Linux support.

Where AnyDesk is the better choice

Raw screen performance on a poor connection; AnyDesk’s codec is its reason to exist.
Session recording, remote printing and Wake-on-LAN.
Supporting a stranger’s computer once: they run the small AnyDesk file and read you the number.
An on-premises edition, on the Ultimate plan.

Where ORelay is the better choice

Price for a small team: ORelay Pro is $20 a month with 3 people and 50 computers included; AnyDesk Standard is $49.90 for one session at a time, and each further one is $44.90.
Everything beyond the screen: a terminal on every platform, health readings, alerts, scheduled tasks and the software list, none of which is on AnyDesk’s pages.
A free plan that allows commercial use, instead of a detector that decides your use looks professional.
Privacy by design: the screen is never recorded and what you type is never logged; the person at the computer can switch remote access off.

What each costs

ORelay

Free: $0: 1 person, 5 computers, no time limit
Pro: $20 a month, or $200 a year: 3 people, 50 computers, scheduled tasks, inventory, webhooks, the cloud vault, enrolment keys
MSP: $150 a month, or $1,500 a year: 10 people, unlimited computers, Active Directory, company sign-in

Yearly plans are ten months’ worth. Everything is on the pricing page.

AnyDesk, as shown on October 28, 2026

Solo: $28.90 a month, billed annually: 1 licensed user, 1 session at a time, 3 devices to connect from, at most 100 managed devices
Standard: $49.90 a month, billed annually: 1 session at a time (up to 20, at $44.90 each); accounts for at most 20 users; at most 500 managed devices
Advanced: $111.90 a month, billed annually: 2 sessions at a time (up to 50); accounts for at most 100 users; at most 1,000 managed devices; MSI deployment, group policy
Ultimate: Quote: From 5 users, 2,000 managed devices, SSO, cloud or on-premises

Prices change; the sources below are the pages to check.

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Sources

AnyDesk pricing
AnyDesk: commercial use detected (free version for private use)
Read on October 28, 2026. AnyDesk is a trademark of its owner, which has no connection with ORelay Studios LLC.