What remote access to a home PC costs per year: free software, subscriptions and KVM hardware

How we costed it

Prices are the list prices on each vendor's page on October 30, 2026, in US dollars, before tax and shipping. Subscriptions are costed at their annual price. Hardware is spread evenly over three years; if you keep it longer, the yearly figure drops. We exclude electricity, your internet plan and time spent on setup.

Each scenario asks a different question. How often do you need the PC? Must it be running already, or do you need to reach it before Windows or Linux loads? The jump in cost comes from that second question, not from how often you connect.

Scenario 1: an occasional file grab

You need a document from the home PC a few times a year, and the PC is running. Software alone covers this. Chrome Remote Desktop works on Mac, Windows and Linux computers. You install the host and connect with a PIN, and Google's setup instructions include no purchase or subscription step. [2]

The other $0 route is Tailscale's Personal plan, listed at $0 for up to 6 users with unlimited user devices, combined with a remote-desktop tool built into your OS or a file share. If you plan on Windows Remote Desktop, check your edition first: Microsoft says the host must run Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro. [1][3]

• Year cost: $0 in software fees.
• Hidden cost: the PC must stay powered on, and the remote tool cannot see the BIOS or a crashed boot.
• Skip paying for anything here unless a free tool is blocked on the network you use.

Scenario 2: regular remote work

You work on the home PC several days a week from elsewhere. Free tools still work. People pay for a remote-desktop subscription for features and support, not for basic access. Splashtop is one example with published prices; its pricing page lists no free plan, only trials. [4]

Check the plan details yourself before buying. Splashtop's pricing page does not state a computer limit for these plans, so confirm how many home machines one plan covers. [4]

Scenario 3: you must be able to recover from the BIOS

Here the PC might be frozen, stuck at a boot error or need an OS reinstall while you are away. Software inside the OS cannot help, so you need a remote KVM. Comet Pro can mount an uploaded ISO as a read-only CD drive that works during BIOS or UEFI startup. [11] GL.iNet listed Comet Pro (GL-RM10) at $179.99 on its product page. Over three years that is about $60 a year. [5]

The connection does not have to add a fee. GL.iNet's KVM Cloud Standard plan is free, with a lifetime basic connection and unlimited bound devices but one active remote pathway per device. The Advanced plan adds Screen Wall for up to 9 devices and sharing with up to 5 users, but its plan page publishes no price. GL.iNet also documents access through Tailscale, ZeroTier or NetBird with no open ports or public IP. [6][7]

PiKVM is the main open-hardware alternative. Its buy page lists V4 Mini at $275 and V4 Plus at $385 at PiShop.us and HiPi.io, in US dollars excluding VAT, and prices vary by retailer. [9]

Add-ons that change the KVM total

A KVM shows the screen and types on the keyboard. Turning a fully powered-off PC back on is a separate job. GL.iNet's KVMs can do it through Wake-on-LAN, the ATX board or a Fingerbot, and the board and Fingerbot are sold separately. [7]

The ATX board mounts inside the case and handles power on, power off and reboot, one per Comet Pro. GL.iNet's ATX page shows no price, so add the checkout price to your total. [8] Wake-on-LAN costs nothing extra but depends on the PC and network supporting it.

Check the display path too. GL.iNet says many desktops send the BIOS only to the primary monitor, often DisplayPort over HDMI, and suggests a 1-to-2 HDMI splitter, sold separately, when you need both a local monitor and the KVM. Laptops show the BIOS on their built-in screen, so a KVM cannot capture it. [10]

• ATX board: needed only if you want power on and forced off without Wake-on-LAN. [7][8]
• HDMI splitter: needed only if the BIOS will not appear on the KVM while a monitor is connected. [10]
• Advanced cloud plan: needed only for Screen Wall or sharing; price not published on the plan page. [6]

Side by side: three-year and per-year totals

This table combines the scenarios using the prices above, without add-ons. A common pairing is a free remote-desktop tool for daily use plus a KVM kept only for recovery. That costs the same as the KVM alone.

Worked example: a fictional freelancer

Marco runs Windows 11 Home on a tower in his apartment and travels about two months a year. Windows Remote Desktop is out unless he upgrades to Pro, so he uses Chrome Remote Desktop for daily access at $0. [2][3]

Last year a failed update left the tower at a boot error while he was away, and he lost a week. That one event is the reason to add a KVM. Comet Pro at $179.99 works out to $60 a year over three years, and he connects to it through his existing free Tailscale tailnet rather than paying for a cloud plan. [1][5][7]

His tower supports Wake-on-LAN, so he skips the ATX board for now. He will add it if a test from outside shows the PC will not wake reliably. His running cost is $60 a year, about the same as Splashtop Solo's $72, but it covers the failure his free remote-desktop tool cannot. [4][7]

Sources & verification

Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.

1. Tailscale: Pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
2. Google Chrome Help: Access another computer with Chrome Remote Desktop Accessed 30 Oct 2026
3. Microsoft Support: How to use Remote Desktop Accessed 30 Oct 2026
4. Splashtop: Pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
5. GL.iNet: Comet Pro (GL-RM10) product page Accessed 30 Oct 2026
6. GL.iNet KVM Docs: Which KVM Cloud service plan is right for you Accessed 30 Oct 2026
7. GL.iNet KVM Docs: Quick FAQs about GL.iNet KVM Accessed 30 Oct 2026
8. GL.iNet KVM Docs: ATX board Accessed 30 Oct 2026
9. PiKVM: Buy Accessed 30 Oct 2026
10. GL.iNet KVM Docs: Remote screen does not show the BIOS interface Accessed 30 Oct 2026
11. GL.iNet KVM Docs: GL-RM10 Console Guide Accessed 30 Oct 2026