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Updated on in Reviews, Troubleshooting

Overcoming the AnyDesk Time Limit: A Comprehensive Guide

Author: Durga Prasad
Durga Prasad Article author

AnyDesk is an efficient remote desktop software solution that allows you to connect to your devices placed in another location and access them remotely as if they are locally available.

This software is helpful for individuals and IT professionals for various purposes like remote maintenance and support, troubleshooting, collaboration, accessing useful files and data while traveling, network monitoring, access, and control.

AnyDesk’s remote desktop software is compatible with a wide range of devices and operating systems and comes with impressive features and user interface. It offers different pricing plans, including a free plan but comes with AnyDesk time limits, which restrict you in terms of session time under certain conditions after which it automatically disconnects.

So, if you are wondering “Does AnyDesk have a time limit?” This article will answer this question and how to overcome session time limits on AnyDesk to have an uninterrupted remote session.

Understanding AnyDesk's Free Version

AnyDesk’s free remote desktop software allows you to access and use devices from a distance for personal use only, not commercial. This is useful for people who want:

  • • To help their family members facing trouble using their devices or applications
  • • To access important files and data from a remote device while traveling
  • • Control devices at home for parental controls

And other personal scenarios where you need remote access functionality.

Some features of AnyDesk free software:

  • • Supports both iOS and Android
  • • Available for 3 managed devices
  • • File transfer
  • • Remote printing
  • • Wake-On-LAN
  • • Limited support for the command line interface
  • • Session logging
  • • Text chat, session invitation, and whiteboard etc.

Although the free version offers a lot of features and benefits, it has some restrictions, including session time limits under certain conditions​. In the free version, sessions have a time limit of 60 minutes, beyond which it automatically gets disconnected. This means you will need to create a new session to complete the impending work.

So, if you need to connect to a remote computer for work or any other purpose for a long period, it becomes difficult. In this case, consider upgrading your plan or choosing a free alternative to AnyDesk.

Is There a Time Limit on Anydesk?

AnyDesk’s free version doesn’t impose a strict session time limit but has other limitations​​.

So, if you are wondering, “Is there a time limit for AnyDesk session?” The answer is no; it’s a misconception that AnyDesk comes with a session time limit.

Occasionally, an ongoing session may disconnect after a certain interval like 15 minutes, if the season time limit of the AnyDesk free plan isn’t in effect. It’s because the remote or local devices may have a security software solution installed in them to frequently scan current connections. If it detects any untrusted or unknown IP address, it will disconnect the connection.

Here are the conditions under which you might experience session disconnections:

  • • If the “Allow direct connections” option is turned on in “Settings” under “Connections”, you may face disconnections. Turn it off and apply “General” on local as well as remote PCs.
  • • A firewall installed on remote or local computers or networking devices such as routers might interfere with the connection. Try turning it off and connecting again. Read more here.
  • • An antivirus program running on the remorse or local device might disconnect the session. You may disable it for a while and try if the disconnection still persists.
  • • You can also try adding “/np” after the AnyDesk ID/Alias you want to connect to. For example: 000111222/np or test@ad/np.

Navigating Through the AnyDesk Free Limitations

Here are some of the limitations of the AnyDesk free version:

Session Time Limit

However, there are some ways to bypass session time limitations when using the free plan by AnyDesk for personal use. Let’s check them out:

Whitelist Your AnyDesk Account

AnyDesk requires you to purchase a license to use the remote desktop software for professional purposes. So, if you don’t want your ongoing sessions to be disconnected during personal use, consider whitelisting your AnyDesk account.

You must get your AnyDesk ID whitelisted by contacting AnyDesk’s team. For this, you need to visit their official website and request them to get whitelisted by following a form. It will ask you for your first and last name, registered email address, a 9-digit AnyDesk ID, country, and the purpose of using AnyDesk.

AnyDesk itself advocates for this process to minimize session disconnections happening abruptly.

Create a my.anydesk.com Account

In addition to whitelisting your AnyDesk account, you must create an account on my.anydesk.com. Creating your account is a simple process here once you enter your details. This will not only help you get started quickly and manage your account but also give you access to unlock additional features and enhance your experience using AnyDesk.

Limited Device Access

AnyDesk’s free license allows you to remotely access a maximum of 3 devices only. In addition, you can access only one device concurrently. So, if you want to access multiple devices remotely, it becomes problematic for you.

On exceeding the allowed number of devices, you will also receive a warning – “Session limit reached”. In this case, you will need to close other ongoing sessions or upgrade your plan to get more concurrent sessions.

Limited Features

If you are tight on budget, choosing the free plan may look like the best option for you. But when you actually use the software and explore the features, you will find it doesn’t have much to offer. AnyDesk’s free plan has limited features. It lacks advanced features such as session recording, remote restarts, REST API, phone support, custom branding, and more.

If you need advanced features, you may have to upgrade the AnyDesk plan.

Not for Commercial Use

AnyDesk strictly offers the free plan for personal use only, so you can’t use it for commercial or business purposes. If AnyDesk detects any commercial use, it will display the message “Commercial use detected” and may disconnect the session. This is a huge disadvantage for individuals working in remote setups or an entrepreneur growing a startup but has a low budget in hand. They will face trouble using AnyDesk’s remote desktop software.

However, limitations in terms of features, device support, and usage impact various types of users, from individuals to businesses​. Startups and individuals wanting a reliable, remote connection can have a hard time using AnyDesk’s free version. An ongoing session can disconnect at any time, which is frustrating if you are in the middle of an important discussion or troubleshooting.

This is why users do AnyDesk free vs paid comparison and many of them find AnyDesk’s paid version a better option.

Useful tip:  Upgrading to a paid version comes with many benefits, such as overcoming the session time limit, accessing advanced features, and harnessing more power for your business. So you could try transitioning to AnyDesk’s paid versions. AnyDesk offers 4 paid plans – Solo, Standard, Advanced, and Ultimate. These pricing tiers have wide-ranging features, from basic to advanced, and cater to businesses of all sizes whether you are a startup, small business, medium-sized business, or enterprise.

Alternatives and Considerations

You already know AnyDesk’s limitations with the free version and its impacts on businesses. If you are a solopreneur, a startup owner, or an employee working for a company halfway across the globe, you might find AnyDesk free limitations overwhelming and annoying. Unexpected session disconnections frequently and limited functionalities can impact your work quality.

At this time, you might want to reconsider the thought of getting a paid plan by AnyDesk.

So, what’s the solution?

You may want to switch to a different remote desktop software provider offering advanced features, efficient functionality, and decently priced. We’ve found an excellent alternative to AnyDesk for you – HelpWire.

HelpWire is a simple and free remote desktop solution that offers all the essential features and capabilities to meet your remote access needs. The best thing about HelpWire is that you get to use the remote desktop software for free, no matter if it’s for personal or business use. From its user-friendly interface to proactive customer support, you can rely on HelpWire for your needs.

Key Features of HelpWire

  • Cross compatibility:
    HelpWire is compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems and devices running on them.
  • Easy to start sessions:
    HelpWire enables support staff to easily and quickly start a remote support session with clients. All they need is to share a unique link to the client application. The process runs without requiring an ID and password, configuring a VN or firewall, or going deeper into the settings.
  • Real-time chat:
    Communicate with your clients in real time using a built-in support chat. It also allows you to archive your conversation histories that you may refer to in the future.
  • Efficient file transfer:
    Transfer files efficiently using HelpWire to a client’s remote desktop. Just copy and paste your files to the remote session user interface. Doing this will prevent you from using a file hosting or storage service, saving money.
  • Multi-monitor support:
    You can connect to a computer with multiple monitors and switch layouts from different screens to view them alternately.
  • Robust security features:

    HelpWire employs industry-grade authentication, permission-based access, and advanced AES-256 encryption. It secures data transfers with HTTPS and WSS protocols  It hosts its cloud capabilities and infrastructure in reliable data centers.

HelpWire vs AnyDesk: Comparison at a Glance

Here’s a detailed comparison between HelpWire and AnyDesk’s plans in terms of pricing and features.

FeaturesHelpWireFreeSoloStandardAdvanced
Price per MonthFree for personal and business useFree for personal use only$14.90$29.90$79.90
Session Amount at a Time1 session with multiple concurrent connections to remote workstations of the same client111 session, with the option to purchase up to 20 concurrent connections2 sessions with the option to purchase up to 50 concurrent connections
Multi-Platform supportWindows and MacMac, Windows, iOS, Linux, ChromeOS, and AndroidMac, Windows, iOS, Linux, ChromeOS, and AndroidMac, Windows, iOS, Linux, ChromeOS, and AndroidMac, Windows, iOS, Linux, ChromeOS, and Android
Operator Seats11120100
Multi-Monitor View
File Transfer
Session Recording

Conclusion

AnyDesk is a decent remote desktop software solution that allows you to connect and access remote computers for offering support, troubleshooting, work, and other purposes. It offers a free version but it comes with many imitations based on features, session time, and device support. Also, AnyDesk free version is available only for personal use, strictly no commercial.

This becomes a huge issue for startups, solopreneurs, and personal users requiring long remote sessions. This means they either need to upgrade the plan or choose an AnyDesk alternative like HelpWire.

As an alternative to AnyDesk, HelpWire offers a remote desktop software tool that comes with powerful features, faster performance, and enterprise-grade security. HelpWire’s remote desktop software offers uninterrupted sessions with excellent features, anytime, anywhere. On top of everything, HelpWire is FREE.

FAQ

The free AnyDesk license has a 60-minute session time limit. Once it exceeds, the session disconnects automatically, requiring you to establish the connections again. So, if you need longer session time for your work, you need to upgrade the service of find an alternative to AnyDesk.

AnyDesk’s free version doesn’t require a license and is available for personal use only like accessing devices from another place or helping your family access home devices. HIweer, you can’t use the free version for commercial use like offering IT support, managing remote business work, etc.

If you want to use AnyDesk for professional use, you need to buy a license, which starts from $29.90 a month. Professional use cases include offering customers remote support, employees working in hybrid or remote settings, requiring remote access to manage multiple high-performance devices for business use, and more. 

For private or personal users, AnyDesk remains free.

Tags:
AnyDesk, Comparison, Free