How can I share my screen and audio with a friend?

In today's interconnected world, sharing your screen and audio with friends isn't just a feature reserved for professionals. Whether you're looking to collaborate, show off a project, stream a movie night, or troubleshoot tech issues, screen-sharing apps make it all easy and seamless. With so many options out there, finding the right tool can be tricky.

That's where this guide comes in handy. This post is going to explore the best 5 apps to share screen and audio with friends, detailing features, usability, and what makes each app stand out.

5 apps to share screen and audio with friends

After considering several factors such as ease of access, mobile user experience, and collaboration features, we've chosen the top five free apps to share screen and audio with friends available on the market.

Option 1. AnyViewer: Best screen and audio sharing software without a time limit

Compatibility: Windows, iOS, Android

Advantages of AnyViewer:

• No time restrictions on usage
• Simple to set up and use
• Offers a variety of free features, including file transfer, chat, and mobile screen mirroring
• Delivers high performance with excellent image quality and minimal latency

Disadvantages of AnyViewer:

• Does not support additional device platforms

AnyViewer is a standout choice for those seeking reliable apps to share screen with friends with no time restrictions. Designed for seamless interactions, it caters to a variety of users, including remote teams, educators, and content creators.

One of the key advantages of AnyViewer is its user-friendly interface, allowing even the least tech-savvy individuals to set up and navigate the software effortlessly. The free version includes features like file transfers, chat options, and mobile screen sharing, enabling productive sessions without the hassle of expensive subscriptions or complex setups. This accessibility makes AnyViewer appealing to both casual users and professionals.

Additionally, AnyViewer offers full control over one device from another, supporting Windows and Android, which makes it an excellent remote desktop solution for businesses, particularly for remote work and remote IT support.

Performance-wise, AnyViewer delivers high-quality visuals and minimal lag, significantly enhancing the user experience. While it may not support every device platform yet, its robust features and straightforward functionality make it an ideal choice for uninterrupted screen and audio sharing. Whether you’re working on projects, conducting training sessions, or connecting with friends and family, AnyViewer is equipped to meet your needs.

AnyViewer Pricing: The platform provides a free plan that effectively allows individuals to share screens and audio with friends. For those needing more advanced features, pricing plans begin at just $3.58 per month, making it a highly reasonable and affordable option.

Option 2. Zoom: Best screen and audio sharing software for group meeting

Compatibility: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android

Advantages of Zoom:

• Highly recognized platform, likely already in use by many
• Robust free plan available
• Extensive options for screen sharing management

Disadvantages of Zoom:

• The web application provides only basic screen sharing features

Zoom is widely regarded as one of the premier video conferencing applications for team meetings, sales presentations, and webinars. Long-time users attest to its reliability and performance.

The platform excels even in challenging network conditions, dynamically adjusting video quality based on bandwidth to maintain a stable connection. This adaptability is particularly beneficial for screen and audio sharing, which Zoom simplifies across various scenarios. However, you may also encounter a Zoom screen-sharing blurry problem.

With a lightweight installer available for nearly every operating system and mobile device, hosting a screen sharing session is straightforward, minimizing compatibility issues for non-Zoom users. Participants can easily engage in meetings from both desktop and mobile apps. On mobile, users can control presentation tools to share documents or co-annotate, while the desktop version provides extensive sharing options, including custom screen areas and the ability to use an iPad via AirPlay.

Zoom's robust features cater to businesses of all sizes, accommodating up to 100 participants on the free plan and allowing up to 1,000 with paid plans, making it ideal for webinars that require multiple hosts to access the same presentation.

Zoom Pricing: The platform offers a free plan that allows group meetings with a 40-minute limit. For more extensive usage, paid plans start at $15.99 per user per month, providing up to 30 hours of meeting time.

Option 3. Slack: Best screen and audio sharing software for collaborative internal meetings

Compatibility: Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android

Advantages of Slack:

• Offers a robust free plan
• The streamlined huddles feature facilitates spontaneous collaboration

Disadvantages of Slack:

• Participants must be members of the workspace
• Lacks the option to select custom areas for screen sharing

Slack is likely the primary platform where your team collaborates, functioning as a central hub with numerous integrations for your work applications. Given its extensive functionality, it makes sense to utilize Slack for hosting and recording meetings.

For internal collaboration, there's no need for an additional screen and audio sharing tool if you're already using Slack. Sessions, referred to as huddles, can be private or open to channel members, with all shared content—like links and documents—archived and easily searchable within the channel.

Slack's screen and audio sharing features include host switching, collaborative annotation, and the option for each participant to use their cursor on the host's screen. While these features are restricted for Linux users—who lack remote access and annotation capabilities—the recent addition of a video recording feature enhances the ease of asynchronous screen and audio sharing.

Slack Pricing: Slack offers a free plan for one-on-one huddles and screen sharing, with a message and file history retention of 90 days. Paid plans start at $7.25 per user per month (billed annually) and include group huddles, unlimited message, and file history, and additional features.

Option 4. Google Meet: Best screen and audio sharing software for Google ecosystem users

Compatibility: Web, iOS, Android

Advantages of Google Meet:

• Offers a robust free plan
• Extremely quick to start and join meetings
• Integrates seamlessly with the Google Suite

Disadvantages of Google Meet:

• Lacks the option for custom area screen sharing

Designed for business use and integrated directly within Gmail, Google Meet significantly enhances the video conferencing experience compared to its predecessor, Hangouts. It offers a generous free plan with unlimited hour-long meetings for up to 100 participants, and it's included for those subscribed to Google Workspace.

Starting or joining a meeting from your Gmail inbox is effortless, requiring just two clicks, with an additional two clicks to begin screen and audio sharing. The mobile app allows for screen sharing on the go and even prompts users to activate Do Not Disturb when sharing their screen.

As a Google product, Meet integrates smoothly with the entire Google Suite, including Calendar and Drive. Users can easily access files from Drive or create a new Jamboard session for whiteboarding. It also works with popular scheduling tools like Calendly.

Google Meet Pricing: Google Meet offers a free plan for one-on-one calls or group meetings of up to 100 participants, limited to 60 minutes. For those using Google Workspace, plans start at $6 per user per month.

Option 5. CoScreen: Best screen and audio sharing app for hands-on remote collaboration

Compatibility: Mac, Windows

Advantages of CoScreen:

• Lightweight and user-friendly, featuring intuitive screen and audio sharing controls
• Offers a robust free plan

Disadvantages of CoScreen:

• Lacks the option for custom area screen sharing
• Requires both participants and hosts to download the desktop app

CoScreen, now part of Datadog, is tailored for product, engineering, and DevOps teams needing effective remote collaboration. To use the platform, you'll need the desktop app for Mac or Windows, with a waitlist in place for Linux support.

The app is lightweight and user-friendly, allowing you to start or join a session easily. You can activate voice calling, video conferencing, or both, and choose to share your entire screen or specific displays. A simple hover reveals a yellow Share button on any window, and a purple outline indicates what's being shared.

Inviting team members is straightforward—send email invites or share a secure link. Once participants join, multiple users can share their screens simultaneously, and everyone can co-control shared applications and windows. This functionality facilitates seamless collaboration for agile work, app development, debugging, and coding training.

CoScreen Pricing: CoScreen is free to sign up and allows up to 10 participants per session. For enhanced features, you can upgrade to the Enterprise plan for $20 per user per month, which includes team accounts, single sign-on, priority support, and additional benefits.

Conclusion

These apps to share screen and audio with friends offer unique features and pricing plans, making it essential to choose one that aligns with your specific use case. With the right tool, you can enhance your remote interactions, fostering connection and collaboration effortlessly. Whether you're collaborating on projects, enjoying a movie night, or troubleshooting together, AnyViewer is the best option. Besides, it also is the best remote control software. Download it right now and try it yourself!