Comparison

RealVNC Viewer vs Sm@rtClient

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RealVNC Viewer

Access and control your Mac, Windows, or Linux computers remotely from any device. View your desktop, use your keyboard and mouse, and manage files securely with end-to-end encryption. Sync connections across all your devices for seamless access.

Highlights
  • Instant remote access to computers
  • Control mouse and keyboard remotely
  • End-to-end session encryption
  • Cloud service for easy connection
  • Backup and sync connections
  • Virtual keyboard with advanced keys
  • Bluetooth keyboard support
Read full description

RealVNC® Viewer from RealVNC® gives you instant remote access to your Mac, Windows and Linux computers from anywhere in the world. You can view your computer's desktop, and control its mouse and keyboard as though you were sitting down in front of it. Download RealVNC Connect to each computer you want to control. Then sign in to RealVNC Viewer on your device using your RealVNC account credentials. You'll see your computers automatically appear; simply tap to connect. RealVNC Connect password-protects each computer out-of-the-box. You may need to enter the same user name and password you use to log in to your computer. All sessions are then encrypted end-to-end. During a session, your device's touch screen serves as a trackpad to give you precise control. Drag your finger to move the remote mouse cursor and tap anywhere to left-click (other gestures such as right-click and scroll are explained in-app). As the original inventors of VNC remote access technology, we're confident you'll love what RealVNC Viewer has to offer. If you're still not convinced, check out our reviews! ===Key features=== - Connect with ease via our cloud service to computers running RealVNC Connect. - Backup and sync your connections between all your devices by signing in to RealVNC Viewer on each one. - A scrolling bar above the virtual keyboard includes advanced keys such as Command/Windows. - Support for Bluetooth keyboards. ===Contact=== We’d love to hear from you: iphone-support@realvnc.com twitter.com/RealVNC facebook.com/realvnc Better still, leave us a review!   ===Terms of Use=== https://static.realvnc.com/media/documents/RealVNCServicesTCs.pdf ===Trademarks=== RealVNC and VNC are trademarks of RealVNC Limited and are protected by trademark registrations and/or pending trademark applications in the European Union, United States of America and other jurisdictions. Protected by UK patents 2481870, 2479756; US patent 8760366; EU patent 2652951.

About

Sm@rtClient

Remotely operate and monitor industrial HMI systems from your mobile device. Access operator stations, view system layouts, and interact with hardware buttons via touch input. Supports various SIMATIC HMI systems and offers both view-only and coordinated operation modes.

Highlights
  • Remote operation of HMI systems
  • View-only monitoring mode
  • Coordinated operation with active remote control
  • Access to hardware buttons
  • Automatic HMI panel detection
  • Browser-based access to Unified Panels
  • WebView access to PLC webpages
Read full description

The SIMATIC WinCC Sm@rtClient App, in combination with the SIMATIC WinCC Sm@rtServer, allows remote mobile operation and observation of SIMATIC HMI systems over Industrial Ethernet/WLAN (wireless). The app offers support for WebClient on Unified Panels, expanding accessibility through browser-based interfaces. It also supports WebView-based access to legacy webpages on PLCs, enabling users to access View of Things (VoT) pages. The app is available for SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels, SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Advanced, SIMATIC Unified Panels, and PLCs. The scope of the Sm@rtClient concept allows an operator station to make its display available to the app. The station takes on the role of a Sm@rtServer, while the smartphone or tablet acts as the Sm@rtClient. Sm@rtServer functionality can be easily enabled with a single mouse click in the device’s configuration settings. The screen can be displayed on the Sm@rtClient in "View only" mode, or a full-fledged, coordinated operation can be set up. Coordinated operation ensures that only one user has control at a time — either the operator station with Sm@rtServer or the Sm@rtClient app. Additionally, the app supports easy connection setup through automatic HMI panel detection. The Sm@rtClient app not only shows the selected HMI screen but also mirrors the complete device layout, including functional hardware buttons. This enables users to interact with the system as if they were physically present in front of the panel — except buttons are triggered via touch input on the mobile screen. Functions: * Access to operator stations for the operation and setup of large, spatially separated machines * Flexible solution for safe and location-independent access to operator stations * Global access to plants (e.g. for service or maintenance staff) * Full access to hardware buttons on your Comfort Panel * Easy discovery of available Sm@rtServers * Coordinated operation through active remote control * View-only mode for passive monitoring * Support for WebClient on Unified Panels for browser-based access * Support for WebView-based access to legacy webpages on PLCs, enabling access to View of Things (VoT) pages

Screenshots

RealVNC Viewer4 screens
Sm@rtClient4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RealVNC Viewer at 72% against Sm@rtClient's 0%. RealVNC Viewer also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RealVNC Viewer ships an update every 2 months, Sm@rtClient every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
RealVNC Viewer versus Sm@rtClient: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRealVNC ViewerSm@rtClient
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (15K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.4% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRealVNC LimitedSiemens AG

Customer experience

RealVNC Viewer

All ratings14,634 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews1,520 reviews
Positive72.4%
Neutral7.0%
Negative20.5%

Sm@rtClient

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

RealVNC Viewer

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Cursor and screen synchronization issues
  • Incompatibility with certain macOS and iOS versions
  • Frequent disconnections and login problems
  • Keyboard input not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for audio streaming
  • Improve clipboard and file transfer functionality
  • Provide better multi-monitor support
  • Allow customization of keyboard and mouse controls
  • Implement a true touch-based interface

Sm@rtClient

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

RealVNC Viewer

No in-app purchases

None

Sm@rtClient

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RealVNC Viewer free?
RealVNC Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sm@rtClient free?
Sm@rtClient is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RealVNC Viewer or Sm@rtClient have ads?
Neither RealVNC Viewer nor Sm@rtClient shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RealVNC Viewer or Sm@rtClient?
RealVNC Viewer ships an update every 2 months, and Sm@rtClient every 10 months. Most recently, RealVNC Viewer was updated on September 24, 2026 and Sm@rtClient on June 10, 2026.

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