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TigerVNC Viewer

TigerVNC Viewer is a GPL‑licensed client for connecting to remote VNC desktops on Linux.

Open sourceFreeFlatpak
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License
GPL-2.0-or-later
Latest version
1.14.0 (July 24, 2024)
Developer
TigerVNC Team
Installs
1,557 (Flathub, 30 days)
Install Website ↗
TigerVNC Viewer connection to a CentOS machine
TigerVNC Viewer connection to a CentOS machine
TigerVNC Viewer connection to a macOS machine
TigerVNC Viewer connection to a macOS machine
TigerVNC Viewer connection to a Windows machine
TigerVNC Viewer connection to a Windows machine

What is TigerVNC Viewer?

TigerVNC Viewer lets you view and control a remote desktop that runs a VNC server. It originated from the TightVNC project, split off in 2009, and has been maintained for over a decade, with the latest 1.14.0 release in July 2024. The code builds on RealVNC 4 and X.org, adding a fast JPEG‑turbo based encoding.

It is aimed at sysadmins, developers, and power users who need a lightweight, cross‑platform way to access headless machines, test UI changes, or provide remote support. The UI is simple: you enter a host:display string, optionally set a password, and the remote screen appears in a window.

Compared with Windows‑only tools like AnyDesk, TigerVNC feels more manual—there’s no built‑in relay server or automatic discovery, but the lack of proprietary binaries gives you full control over the connection and eliminates licensing concerns.

Best for: Technical users who need a fast, standards‑compliant VNC client without proprietary restrictions.

Key features of TigerVNC Viewer

  • Supports Tight encoding accelerated by libjpeg‑turbo
  • TLS encryption for secure sessions
  • Clipboard sharing between local and remote
  • Multi‑monitor handling
  • Configurable scaling and color depth
  • Keyboard layout translation
  • Cross‑platform client (Linux, Windows, macOS)
  • Command‑line options for scripting

Pros

  • Free and open source, no vendor lock‑in
  • High performance on low‑bandwidth links
  • Works with any standard VNC server
  • Lightweight and integrates well with desktop environments

Cons

  • No built‑in cloud relay; you must manage network access yourself
  • User interface is basic compared with commercial tools
  • Initial setup can be confusing for non‑technical users

Windows programs TigerVNC Viewer replaces

AnyDesk

How to install TigerVNC Viewer on Linux

Flatpak (Flathub)flatpak install flathub org.tigervnc.vncviewer
Ubuntu / Mintsudo apt install tigervnc
Debiansudo apt install tigervnc
Fedorasudo dnf install tigervnc
Arch / Manjarosudo pacman -S tigervnc
openSUSEsudo zypper install tigervnc

Tips for Windows users

AnyDesk stores connection IDs and uses its own relay; with TigerVNC you’ll connect directly to host:port, so ensure the remote VNC server is reachable (firewall, VPN, or SSH tunnel). Keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Alt+Del are sent via the "Send Ctrl‑Alt‑Del" menu item, not a dedicated key combo. Clipboard sharing works out of the box, but you may need to enable it on the server side.

Recent releases

  • 1.14.0 —

    https://github.com/TigerVNC/tigervnc/releases/tag/v1.14.0

  • 1.13.0 —
  • 1.12.0 —

TigerVNC Viewer: frequently asked questions

How do I connect to a VNC server behind a NAT?

Use an SSH tunnel (e.g., ssh -L 5901:localhost:5901 user@remote) and then point TigerVNC to localhost:5901.

Can TigerVNC Viewer encrypt the connection?

Yes, it supports TLS encryption; enable it in the connection options or use an SSH tunnel for full encryption.

Why does the remote cursor lag?

Try switching the encoding to Tight or adjusting the color depth and compression level in the viewer settings.

Is there a way to save connection profiles?

You can create .vnc files in ~/.vnc or use the "Save As" button in the UI to store host, password, and options.

Updated