While I haven’t tried every solution, I’ve been a happy Chrome Remote Desktop user for years. The free software from Google lets you control another computer from any web browser, or from the Chrome Remote Desktop app on iOS and Android, and I’ve found it to be both reliable and responsive.

I use the software to manage my Mac Mini’s Plex and Channels DVR servers when I’m not at home, and to remotely begin downloading games and other large files on my Windows desktop PC. You can also use Chrome Remote Desktop for tech support, accessing another person’s PC through a one-time access code. (Note that all of this requires the host computer to be powered on; you can’t use it to magically turn on a laptop from afar.)

While you do need a Google account to use Chrome Remote Desktop, Google’s Chrome browser isn’t required.