As hybrid workforces grow and IT support becomes increasingly complex, organizations are turning to tools like Microsoft Intune and its Remote Help add-on to assist users remotely. While Remote Help offers native integration with Microsoft environments, it comes with limitations, including high licensing costs, narrow OS support, and complicated setup requirements, especially in BYOD or cross-organization scenarios.
That’s where Splashtop comes in. As a powerful, cost-effective alternative to Intune Remote Help, Splashtop delivers fast, secure remote support across a wider range of devices and platforms. Splashtop also enhances your Intune environment with more flexibility, broader support, and autonomous endpoint management features.
In this blog, we’ll explore why Splashtop is the best Intune Remote Help alternative and how Splashtop offers a complete solution designed to meet the evolving needs of IT teams.
What is Microsoft Intune Remote Help?
Microsoft Intune Remote Help is a cloud-based remote assistance tool offered as an add-on to Microsoft Intune. Designed primarily for organizations using Microsoft 365 and Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), it enables IT teams to view or take control of a user’s Windows, macOS (limited), or Android device to provide support.
However, despite its integration with Microsoft services, Remote Help has several notable limitations.
4 Major Limitations of Microsoft Intune Remote Help
1. Expensive, Tenant-Wide Licensing
Remote Help is priced at $3.50 per user per month, and both the person receiving help and the technician providing support must have licenses. On top of that, Remote Help must be enabled across the entire Intune tenant, offering no flexibility to license only selected users. This structure can lead to escalating costs, especially for large organizations or those with rotating device pools.
2. Limited Operating System Support
Remote Help supports Windows, macOS (limited functionality), and Android. It does not support iOS, Linux, or Chromebook devices, which are increasingly common in hybrid and BYOD environments. For IT teams supporting cross-platform users, this limitation creates unnecessary friction and gaps in coverage.
3. Complex Setup and Access Requirements
To initiate a session, both the end user and the technician must be:
Logged into Entra ID (Azure AD)
Members of the same tenant
This makes it difficult to support users outside the organization (e.g., contractors, remote partners) and adds friction for helping employees using BYOD or unmanaged devices. Supporting devices not enrolled in Entra often requires additional steps, reducing IT responsiveness.
4. Missing Core Remote Support Features
Despite its cost, Remote Help lacks several essential features:
No file transfer
No unattended access on macOS devices
No integration with ITSM tools, making it harder to connect support workflows to ticketing systems
Limited visibility and customization, with fewer controls over session management or advanced security settings
Why Splashtop is the Best Intune Remote Help Alternative
For IT teams that need more flexibility, better cross-platform support, and lower total cost of ownership, Splashtop offers a powerful alternative to Intune Remote Help. Whether you're looking to replace Remote Help entirely or enhance your existing Intune deployment, Splashtop delivers robust remote support and endpoint management features.
1. Lower Cost, Greater Flexibility
Unlike Remote Help, Splashtop offers flexible licensing models that let you pay only for what you need. There's no requirement to license your entire tenant, and you don’t need to pay for both the helper and the recipient, only by concurrent technician. This makes Splashtop significantly more cost-effective, especially for growing teams or organizations managing large or dynamic environments.
2. Broader Platform Support
Splashtop works seamlessly across:
Windows
Mac
iOS
Android
Linux
Chromebook
This broad compatibility makes it ideal for BYOD, education, MSPs, and hybrid workplaces where devices aren’t limited to Microsoft platforms.
3. Powerful Remote Access & Control
Splashtop offers a complete suite of remote support capabilities:
Full remote control on all major platforms
Unattended access to any enrolled device
Attended access for BYOD and unenrolled devices
File transfer during sessions for delivering scripts or retrieving logs
Privilege escalation (admin access) on Windows and Mac
Real-time performance with low latency and HD quality
These features enable faster troubleshooting, better productivity, and a smoother support experience for both users and technicians.
4. Seamless ITSM Integrations
Splashtop integrates with leading ITSM and PSA platforms, allowing IT teams to launch support sessions directly from tickets, chats, or incidents. This streamlines workflows and eliminates the need to switch tools or duplicate work.
5. Enterprise-Grade Security
Security is a priority with Splashtop. IT teams get:
SSO/SAML support
IP whitelisting
Granular permissions
Cloud session recording
Watermarking
SIEM integration
These features ensure that every support session meets strict security and compliance requirements, including SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001.
Splashtop + Microsoft Intune: A Perfect Pair
Splashtop isn’t just a replacement for Intune Remote Help, it’s also the ideal complement to Microsoft Intune. While Intune delivers core endpoint management features, it has operational gaps when it comes to real-time support, patching flexibility, and platform coverage. Splashtop AEM (Autonomous Endpoint Management) fills these gaps, giving IT teams the power to act quickly, support any device, and reduce time-to-resolution across their environment.
Real-Time Patch Management
Intune applies patch updates on an 8-hour sync cycle, delaying critical updates and leaving systems temporarily vulnerable. In contrast, Splashtop delivers real-time patch deployment and immediate remediation, allowing IT to push updates on demand, customize patch schedules, and address issues instantly.
Additional benefits of Splashtop:
Supports third-party and in-house apps
Offers detailed reporting on patch status, success, and failure reasons
1-to-Many Actions for Scalable Support
Splashtop enables IT admins to run tasks across multiple endpoints simultaneously, including:
Mass reboots
Script executions
File transfers
Software updates
These 1-to-many actions streamline routine maintenance and reduce manual overhead, a feature that Intune doesn’t handle natively without additional tooling.
Deeper Visibility and Control
While Intune provides basic reporting, it often lacks actionable insights. Splashtop enhances visibility with:
Customizable dashboards
Real-time alerts
Drill-down reporting on device status, patch history, and session activity
This enables IT teams to monitor device health and make data-driven decisions faster and proactively.
A Unified Endpoint Experience
By pairing Intune for device policy enforcement and M365 integration with Splashtop for fast, flexible support, organizations can build a comprehensive endpoint management strategy—without overspending on add-ons like Remote Help.
Feature Comparison: Splashtop vs Intune Remote Help
This side-by-side comparison makes it clear how Splashtop outperforms in functionality, flexibility, and value.
Feature | Microsoft Intune Remote Help | Splashtop |
OS Support | Windows, macOS (limited), Android | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Chromebook |
Unattended Access | ✅ (Windows, Android only) | ✅ (Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, Chromebook) |
Admin Privileges (Elevation) | ✅ (Windows only) | ✅ (Windows & macOS) |
File Transfer | ❌ | ✅ During and outside remote sessions |
Chat Functionality | ✅ | ✅ |
Session Audit Logging | ✅ | ✅ With cloud session recording and SIEM integration |
Conditional Access | ✅ | ✅ (Plus IP whitelisting, session timeout policies, etc.) |
BYOD / Cross-Org Support | ❌ Requires Entra login, same tenant | ✅ Supports external, BYOD, and unmanaged devices easily |
ITSM / PSA Integration | ❌ | ✅ (ServiceNow, Jira, Freshservice, Zendesk, and more) |
Real-Time Patch Deployment | ❌ 8-hour sync delay | ✅ Real-time patching with detailed success/failure logs |
Mass Actions (1-to-Many) | ❌ Requires scripting or add-ons | ✅ Built-in automation for scripts, file transfers, and reboots |
License Flexibility | ❌ Must license entire tenant, both the sharer & helper | ✅ License only what you need |
Pricing | $3.50 per user/month (add-on cost) | Lower cost with more included features |
Get Started with Splashtop as Your Remote Help Alternative
Whether you’re looking to eliminate the high costs of Intune Remote Help or expand your IT support capabilities beyond Microsoft’s limitations, Splashtop is the ideal solution. It gives you the freedom to support any device, from anywhere, with all the advanced tools your team needs, without the licensing restrictions or platform gaps.
With Splashtop, you can:
Provide remote access and support to Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and Chromebook devices
Take unattended control, escalate privileges, and transfer files securely
Integrate with ITSM, PSA, and ticketing platforms to streamline support workflows
Deploy real-time patching, monitoring, and 1-to-many actions to manage your endpoints efficiently
Do it all with enterprise-grade security, session logging, and compliance-ready features
Splashtop is easy to deploy alongside Microsoft Intune and offers flexible pricing to fit your organization’s needs.
Ready to simplify your remote support stack and reduce costs?
Start your free trial of Splashtop today or contact us to learn how Splashtop can replace Remote Help and enhance your Microsoft Intune environment.
