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VNC macOS Clients

Recommended VNC clients for macOS, from built-in options to feature-rich alternatives.

Quick Comparison

Client Price Performance Features Best For
Screen Sharing Free Good Basic Quick access
RealVNC Viewer Free Excellent Good Daily use
Jump Desktop $35 Excellent Excellent Power users
Screens 5 $30 Excellent Excellent Mac-first users

Built-in: Screen Sharing

macOS includes a VNC client called Screen Sharing.

Quick Connect

Press Cmd+K in Finder, or:

open vnc://192.168.1.100:5900

Using Spotlight

  1. Press Cmd+Space
  2. Type: vnc://server-ip:5900
  3. Press Enter

Via Finder

  1. Open Finder
  2. Press Cmd+K (Connect to Server)
  3. Enter: vnc://server-ip:5900
  4. Click Connect

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
Already installed Limited settings
Native integration No compression options
Works immediately Basic performance
Keychain support No file transfer

The best free VNC client for macOS.

Installation

brew install --cask vnc-viewer

Or download from realvnc.com.

Features

  • Optimized VNC protocol
  • Connection encryption
  • Auto-scaling
  • Clipboard sync
  • Full-screen mode
  • Connection bookmarks

Configuration Tips

  1. Picture Quality: Set to "High" for LAN, "Medium" for WAN
  2. Enable "Adapt to network speed" for automatic adjustment
  3. Clipboard sync: Enabled by default

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action Shortcut
Full screen Cmd+Shift+F
Send Ctrl+Alt+Del Cmd+Ctrl+Del
Connection info Cmd+I

Jump Desktop ($35)

Premium client with excellent features.

Installation

Available on Mac App Store or jumpdesktop.com.

Features

  • Fluid remote desktop engine
  • RDP and VNC in one app
  • Multi-monitor support
  • Touch Bar integration
  • Retina display support
  • Secure relay option

Why Pay

  • Best performance for high-latency connections
  • Excellent retina scaling
  • Unified RDP/VNC interface
  • Professional support

Configuration

  1. Add new connection
  2. Select VNC protocol
  3. Enter hostname and port
  4. Set quality to "Retina" for HiDPI

Screens 5 ($30)

Mac-native design with cloud sync.

Features

  • Beautiful Mac-native UI
  • iCloud sync of connections
  • Curtain Mode (blank remote screen)
  • Multi-display support
  • iOS companion app

Best For

Users who value Mac-native design and iCloud sync across devices.

Connecting via Tailscale

Regardless of client, connecting via Tailscale is straightforward.

Using MagicDNS

# Use Tailscale hostname
open vnc://server-name.tail-network.ts.net:5900

Using Tailscale IP

# Find server's Tailscale IP
tailscale status

# Connect using 100.x.x.x IP
open vnc://100.64.0.1:5900

Saving Connection in RealVNC Viewer

  1. File > New Connection
  2. VNC Server: server.tail-network.ts.net:5900
  3. Name: "Server via Tailscale"
  4. Click OK

SSH Tunnel Alternative

If not using Tailscale, create an SSH tunnel.

Create Tunnel

# Forward local port 5900 to remote VNC
ssh -L 5900:localhost:5900 user@server-ip -N

Connect Through Tunnel

# In another terminal
open vnc://localhost:5900

Persistent Tunnel

Add to ~/.ssh/config:

Host server-vnc
    HostName server-ip
    User username
    LocalForward 5900 localhost:5900

Then:

ssh -N server-vnc &
open vnc://localhost:5900

Performance Optimization

Client Settings

  1. Color depth: 16-bit for slow connections
  2. Scaling: Native resolution when possible
  3. Compression: Enable for WAN connections

Network Considerations

Network Type Recommended Settings
LAN (< 1ms) Full quality, native resolution
Tailscale direct High quality, may reduce if relayed
SSH tunnel Medium quality, monitor latency

Checking Connection Quality

In RealVNC Viewer, press Cmd+I to see: - Connection type - Latency - Bandwidth usage

Keyboard Mapping

Special Keys

macOS Key Sent as
Cmd Super/Windows
Option Alt
Ctrl Ctrl
Del Delete
Fn+Del Backspace

Linux Shortcuts via VNC

Action macOS Keys
Terminal Ctrl+Option+T
Switch workspace ++ctrl+option+arrow++
Close window Option+F4

Troubleshooting

Connection Times Out

  1. Verify server is reachable: ping server-ip
  2. Check VNC port is open: nc -zv server-ip 5900
  3. Verify firewall allows connection

Poor Performance

  1. Reduce color depth in client
  2. Lower resolution if possible
  3. Check for network congestion
  4. Try different encoding (if client supports)

Clipboard Not Working

  1. Ensure VNC server supports clipboard
  2. Some servers require vncconfig running
  3. Check client clipboard settings

Garbled Display

  1. Try different color depth
  2. Reconnect to refresh
  3. Check server-side resolution settings

Client Comparison Summary

Need Recommended Client
Quick, occasional access Screen Sharing (built-in)
Regular use, free RealVNC Viewer
Best performance Jump Desktop
Mac-native experience Screens 5
RDP + VNC unified Jump Desktop