NoMachine is a remote desktop app with an unusual superpower: it runs smoothly even on 3G and spotty hotel Wi-Fi. Where RDP and VNC fall apart at 2Mbps, NoMachine’s NX protocol adapts and stays usable. Free for personal use, cross-platform on Windows/Mac/Linux/Android/iOS/Raspberry Pi.
If you’re picking between remote desktop tools, see our RDP Wrapper guide for concurrent Windows sessions, or Parsec / Moonlight+Sunshine for gaming. NoMachine’s sweet spot is “I want decent remote desktop on bad internet.”
Why NoMachine
- NX protocol — aggressive compression tuned for low-bandwidth links (works on 1-2 Mbps)
- Cross-platform hosts AND clients — Linux host → iPad client, Mac host → Android client, etc.
- Free for personal use (paid “Enterprise” tiers for businesses)
- Runs on Raspberry Pi without choking — one of the few remote desktop tools that actually does
- File sync, printer redirection, USB forwarding
- Peer-to-peer by default — no vendor relay servers
When NoMachine is the right pick
- You travel and need reliable remote access on hotel Wi-Fi / 4G
- You want to remote into a Linux box from an iPad (surprisingly underserved niche)
- You run a Raspberry Pi desktop and need smooth remote access to it
- You need cross-platform and don’t want to learn multiple tools
- You want a free personal option without vendor lock-in (RustDesk is the open-source pick; NoMachine is the commercial-free pick)
| NoMachine | RustDesk | RDP | VNC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-bandwidth (2-3 Mbps) | ✅ excellent | Good | Poor | Poor |
| Free personal | ✅ | ✅ | N/A (OS-built-in) | ✅ |
| Open source | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | Varies |
| Linux host support | ✅ excellent | Good | Limited | ✅ |
| Self-hosted relay | Peer-to-peer | Yes | N/A | N/A |
Install in 2 minutes
Download the installer for your OS from nomachine.com/download — same binary is host + client. Install on both machines, open NoMachine on the client, the host shows up automatically on the local network. Enter the host's username/password. Done.
For remote access over the internet, NoMachine can use its own peer-to-peer rendezvous (requires a free NoMachine account) or port-forward TCP 4000 yourself.
FAQ
Is NoMachine actually free?
The "NoMachine for Everybody" tier is free for non-commercial use with unlimited connections. Paid "Workstation" and "Enterprise" tiers add multi-user sessions, administration features, and commercial licensing. For homelab use, free is enough.
Does NoMachine work on Raspberry Pi?
Yes — there's a dedicated Raspberry Pi OS build. A Pi 4 or Pi 5 runs NoMachine host smoothly enough for remote desktop use. Pi Zero is too weak.
Last updated: 2026-04-22.