Attended access
Attended sessions in which an end user is present and the technician shares or takes over their screen after approval. That is the classic support mode: the customer calls, the technician takes over, problem solved.
Zoho Assist: remote support without the TeamViewer bill
There comes a point when every IT manager, every managed service provider and every support department does the same sum.
When the TeamViewer bill is no longer in proportion
TeamViewer works fine. But the annual licence costs keep climbing, especially on the higher plans, especially when you want several technicians, especially when you want unattended access to more devices. Meanwhile there are alternatives that are functionally equivalent, considerably cheaper, and integrate better with the rest of your software environment.
Zoho Assist is the most frequently mentioned and best substantiated alternative. Not because it is better in every single area (that honest story belongs on this page too), but because for most IT teams, support departments and MSPs it delivers the most per euro.
What Zoho Assist is
Zoho Assist is a cloud-based remote support and remote access solution for organisations that want to support or manage computers, servers and mobile devices remotely. You work with two scenarios.
Both scenarios work without any installation on the customer's side for attended sessions: the end user clicks a link and the connection starts. For unattended access you install a small agent on the device.
Unattended access
Unattended access to devices you have configured for background access. Servers, workstations, systems you want to reach without anyone having to be on site. Ideal for proactive management, updates and monitoring.
How it compares with TeamViewer
To be fair, you need to know both the advantages and the limitations. This is how the comparison looks in 2026.
| Criterion | Zoho Assist | TeamViewer |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per technician, transparent and tiered | Per licence or per concurrent session, complex |
| Cost of attended sessions | Considerably lower for comparable features | High, especially with several technicians |
| Unattended access | Included from the lower plans | Included but limited on the lower plans |
| Free plan | Available (with limitations, for personal use) | Free only for non-commercial use |
| Price difference | Up to 60-70% cheaper than comparable TeamViewer plans | Reference |
| Security | TLS 1.3 + AES-256 encryption, 2FA, session verification | TLS 1.3 + AES-256 encryption, 2FA |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chromebook | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Browser-based session | Yes, no installation needed for technicians | Limited |
| Integration with ticketing system | Native integration with Zoho Desk | Via integrations |
| Integration with CRM | Native integration with Zoho CRM | Via integrations |
| Session recording | Yes, including cloud storage | Yes |
| File transfer | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Wake-on-LAN | Yes | Yes |
| Custom branding | Yes, available on the higher plans | Yes |
| MSP/multi-client management | Yes, with separate portals per client | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Risk of using the free version for business | No grey area; business use always means a paid plan | TeamViewer actively blocks commercial use of the free version |
| Zoho ecosystem integration | Excellent, native | Not applicable |
To be fair to TeamViewer: the platform has a richer feature set for complex enterprise scenarios (IoT connectivity, advanced endpoint management, more extensive monitoring) and greater brand recognition. For organisations that genuinely need that depth and where budget is not the limiting factor, TeamViewer is a defensible choice.
To be fair to Zoho Assist: for the vast majority of IT teams, helpdesks and MSPs, Zoho Assist offers everything you need day to day, for a fraction of the price, with the added bonus of native integration into a wider software environment.
What the integration with Zoho Desk means in practice
This is what sets Zoho Assist apart from most standalone remote support tools.
Zoho Desk is Zoho's ticketing system: omnichannel customer service with SLA monitoring, a knowledge base and AI support. The integration between Zoho Assist and Zoho Desk is native, not a third-party integration you have to set up separately.
What that means in practice: a support agent works in Zoho Desk, sees a ticket come in, and starts a remote support session in Zoho Assist straight from that ticket. The session is logged against the ticket automatically: time, duration, technician and the session recording if enabled. After the session the agent adds their notes to the ticket and closes it.
That is a closed workflow in which the customer does not have to install anything along the way, the agent does not have to switch between screens, and the session history automatically ends up in the right customer record.
For organisations that use Zoho CRM, the picture is similar: a remote session can be found in the contact's activity history, not in a separate report in a standalone remote support portal.
Zoho Lens: the step beyond the screen
A less well-known option, but exceptionally valuable at the right moment: Zoho Lens.
Zoho Lens uses augmented reality to provide support with physical equipment: machines, installations, hardware, charging points, network equipment. An engineer on site holds up their smartphone or AR glasses to the device; the expert at the office watches live through the camera and can place annotations, arrows and labels in the image.
The difference from classic remote support: you no longer have to ask "can you describe what you see", you see it yourself. That saves not only miscommunication but also unnecessary service visits when a problem can be guided remotely.
Zoho Lens integrates with Zoho Desk, so AR sessions are logged in the customer record too. For organisations with field staff, technical maintenance or installation work, this is the addition to Zoho Assist that covers the entire service process: from screen support to on-site support.
How to switch from TeamViewer to Zoho Assist
The move is technically simpler than most organisations expect. Zoho has published its own switching guide on zoho.com for organisations that want to make the move.
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Try it for free
Zoho Assist has a free trial that lets you test the full functionality before you cancel anything. That is the sensible order: build the new setup first, cancel the old one afterwards.
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Roll out unattended agents
For the devices you want unattended access to, install the Zoho Assist agent. You can do that via group policy (GPO), a software management tool or an installation package: the same methods you used for TeamViewer.
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Configure technicians
Create user accounts, assign roles, set up device groups per client or department. In most cases that is an afternoon's work, not a project.
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Activate the Desk integration
If you use Zoho Desk, activate the integration in both systems. After that the session link works automatically.
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Phase out TeamViewer
Only once you have tested the switch and the team is comfortable with it. Not before.
The switch from TeamViewer to Zoho Assist went more smoothly than expected. We pay less and the sessions are linked straight to the ticket in Zoho Desk.
When Zoho Assist is the best choice
Zoho Assist is the strongest choice in four situations.
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You pay too much for TeamViewer
For many organisations that is simply the starting point. If the licence bill is no longer in proportion to what you use day to day, the sum is quickly done.
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You already work in Zoho
If you already use Zoho CRM, Desk or One, Zoho Assist is the remote support tool that works natively with what you have. No integration to build, no separate login, no duplicate session logging.
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You are an MSP or manage several client environments
Zoho Assist offers client-specific portals, device groups per client and role-based access control: exactly what you need to manage several client environments without them getting mixed up.
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You want physical support at a distance
Combined with Zoho Lens you have one provider for both screen support and AR-based on-site support, with every session logged in the same customer record.
Frequently asked questions about Zoho Assist
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Depending on the plan and the number of technicians, Zoho Assist can be up to 60-70% cheaper than comparable TeamViewer plans. For small teams with two or three technicians the difference is already considerable; for larger teams or MSPs taking out subscriptions per client, the annual difference can run into thousands of euros. Always check the current prices of both with the vendors, as prices change regularly.
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Yes. For attended sessions (attended access) the end user opens a link and the session starts without installation. For unattended access you install a small agent on the device once, after which you can access it at any time without anyone needing to be present.
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The integration is native: you start a remote session straight from a ticket in Zoho Desk. After the session, the session details (time, duration, technician, any recording) are logged against the ticket automatically. Your agent does not have to switch between screens and the session history ends up in the right customer record by itself.
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Yes. Zoho Assist supports remote support for iOS and Android devices, including screen takeover (depending on the operating system and settings). That matters for organisations supporting staff or customers who mainly work on mobile devices.
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Zoho Lens is the augmented reality addition to Zoho Assist. Where Zoho Assist is meant for remote screen support, Zoho Lens uses the camera of a smartphone or AR glasses to provide support with physical equipment. The expert sees live what the engineer on site sees, and can place annotations and arrows in the camera image. Both integrate with Zoho Desk for automatic session logging.
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Yes. Zoho Assist uses TLS 1.3 and AES-256 encryption for all connections, two-factor authentication, session approval by the end user for attended sessions, and access logging. For organisations in regulated sectors, EU data storage is available. Zoho is ISO 27001 certified and signs a data processing agreement as standard.
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Yes, and that is the sensible order. Zoho Assist has a free trial for the paid plans. Start the trial, configure the unattended agents on a selection of your devices, test the integration with Zoho Desk if you use it, and only make the final choice once your team is comfortable with it. Cancel TeamViewer only when the switch is complete.
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Yes. Zoho Assist offers client-specific portals, device groups per client, role-based access control so technicians can only reach their own clients' devices, and centralised reporting across all clients. There are specific MSP plans available. Compare those plans with your current TeamViewer MSP licence: with several clients the difference is usually considerable.