TeamViewer alternative: Auffi compared head-to-head
Auffi is a free, open-source (AGPL-3.0) and
GDPR-compliant alternative to TeamViewer for ad-hoc
screen sharing and remote support. The person helping just opens
auffi.app in a browser and types in a 9-digit code —
no installation, no account. The servers are in
Germany, and every stream is end-to-end encrypted with DTLS-SRTP.
TeamViewer is more comprehensive and more mature, but
proprietary and paid for commercial use.
Comparison table
| Feature | Auffi | TeamViewer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (private & commercial) | Free for private use only; commercial is paid |
| License / open source | AGPL-3.0, open source & auditable | Proprietary, closed source |
| Server location | Germany (IONOS Frankfurt) | Cloud infrastructure (German company) |
| Self-hostable | Yes (Docker Compose) | No |
| Installation (person helping) | None — browser only | App/QuickSupport needed |
| Account needed (ad-hoc) | No | No (QuickSupport) |
| Encryption | End-to-end, DTLS-SRTP (WebRTC) | End-to-end, AES-256 |
| Trackers / telemetry | None; cookieless opt-in stats | Telemetry present |
| Unattended access | Yes (paired devices) | Yes, very mature |
| Platforms (sharer) | Windows, Linux (macOS coming) | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Feature scope | Focus: screen + remote control + file | Very broad (meetings, mobile, asset mgmt) |
As of: May 2026
When Auffi is the better choice
- You want to help someone ad hoc (parents, grandparents, customers) without that person installing anything.
- You care about privacy, EU/German hosting and open source — for example in a professional context with GDPR obligations.
- You use remote support commercially and don't want to pay.
- You want to self-host the solution and control it completely.
When TeamViewer (still) has the edge
- You need mobile apps (iOS/Android) or support for mobile devices.
- You manage many devices in an organization with asset management, reporting and meetings.
- You need a commercial support contract with an SLA.
Auffi at a glance
- 9-digit connection code, valid for 10 minutes, server-side rate-limited against guessing.
- WebRTC P2P with DTLS-SRTP — video, mouse and files flow directly between the devices; TURN fallback when the direct connection is blocked.
- The sharer actively confirms every connection (no silent joining in).
- AGPL-3.0, source code and releases on GitHub.
TeamViewer alternative in practice: three typical situations
Help over the phone. The classic case: someone is stuck and you want a quick look at their screen. The bottleneck is never the remote control — it is the minutes before it. Finding the download, dismissing the security warning, reading out the ID. If all you have to pass on is an address and nine digits, that part disappears.
Clubs and volunteering. Formally private, yet behaviourally hard to tell apart from business use: many different machines, often during the day. That is precisely the pattern TeamViewer's commercial-use detection keys on. You can appeal, but it takes time — and the session you were in has ended regardless.
Freelancers and small businesses. Here the licence is legitimately owed. The only question is whether the feature set matches the need: if you rely on device management, meetings and mobile apps, paying for them is fair. If you occasionally need to look at one screen, you are paying for features that never get used.
Auffi covers the third case without drawing a line between private and commercial use, and the first because nothing is installed on the helping side. For the breadth the second case needs, TeamViewer remains the wider tool — as the table above says plainly.
Switching in three steps
- Install the sharer on the machine to be shared — Windows or Linux, no registration.
- Generate a code and pass it to the person helping; it is valid for ten minutes.
- Confirm the request when it appears and pick a monitor.
None of this requires uninstalling TeamViewer. Running both side by side is the lowest-risk route: the familiar path stays available while you find out whether the new one holds up day to day.
Frequently asked questions
Is Auffi really free — even commercially?
Yes. Auffi is completely free and open source under AGPL-3.0, with no usage limit and no distinction between private and commercial use. TeamViewer is only free for private use; commercial use requires a license.
Is Auffi GDPR-compliant?
Yes. Servers in Germany, no IPs in plaintext, no trackers, no logging of content — and fully self-hostable thanks to the AGPL.
Do I need an account or an installation?
Not for ad-hoc help: the person helping just opens auffi.app and types in the code. Only the person sharing their own screen downloads the sharer; an account is only needed for permanent unattended access.
Can Auffi fully replace TeamViewer?
For ad-hoc screen-sharing help, yes. For mobile apps, meetings and enterprise device management TeamViewer remains broader — Auffi deliberately doesn't cover that.
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