If you’ve heard the name TeamViewer mentioned in VPN conversations, you’re probably wondering what it’s all about. TeamViewer describes itself as a simple and easy alternative to VPNs, allowing small businesses and entrepreneurs to securely access data remotely.
This means no matter where you’re working or what network you’re working from, you can use TeamViewer to still access your files safely, without the risk of them being compromised. But how does it compare to using a traditional VPN and could it ever be used as a replacement?
What Makes TeamViewer Different
It’s important to note that while TeamViewer provides end-to-end encryption and a number of other security features such as whitelists and blacklists to keep customers safe, it doesn’t offer all of the features that you would get from a VPN provider.
TeamViewer describes remote access via its service as being superior to a VPN, but it’s important to consider the main differences so you can make that decision yourself.
TeamViewer is essentially remote desktop software that allows you to connect with another computer system wirelessly. As well as controlling your own computer, you’re also controlling the computer on the other side of the connection.
Compare that to a VPN, which acts as a tunnel for your communications by connecting you to a private server anywhere in the world. This allows you to change your IP address so no one, including your internet service provider (ISP), can access any information that could be used to identify you. Perhaps most importantly, all of the data that’s sent using a VPN is encrypted. TeamViewer does offer data encryption but not in its standard packages.
One of the benefits to TeamViewer in comparison is if you’re a large business using a dedicated VPN, it’ll require maintenance to ensure it’s running correctly. The remote access nature of TeamViewer makes it much easier to maintain and manage in comparison to some larger VPNs.
TeamViewer highlights that data can be carried over a public network using a VPN and this opens up the risk of that data being intercepted and breached. This is a difficult claim to believe, as most VPNs never transfer data over a public network, only private networks, and they offer encryption as standard.
While TeamViewerVPN may be a suitable VPN alternative for some people, we don’t believe what’s on offer is enough to trump the many benefits of using a quality VPN provider, especially when you consider that the encryption that TeamViewer offers is only available at a significantly higher price of around $50 per month. To help you work out which is best for you and your business, we’ve provided a list of pros and cons below.
Pros
- Connect to any computer or mobile device anywhere in the world
- Additional security thanks to two-factor authentication and end-to-end data encryption on more expensive packages
- Low bandwidth requirements create fast, reliable speeds
- Share files of any size with transfer speeds of up to 200MBps
Cons
- Remote desktops are more insecure because you can never tell what’s installed on the system
- Won’t work on all devices and platforms
- No dedicated IP address for enhanced security
Summary
If you’re testing software or code, or if you’re a business owner that needs IT technicians to remotely access your employees’ computers from time to time, TeamViewer is perfect for experimentation thanks to the screen mirroring feature it offers.
However, when it comes to security and quality, you can’t beat the encryption that comes as standard with most VPN providers, as well as the additional features such as bypassing geo-blocks. To find out which VPN is right for you, check out the reviews section on our website.