Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs VNC Connect comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and VNC Connect based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about TeamViewer, Microsoft, Citrix and others in Remote Access.
To learn more, read our detailed Remote Access Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"It's largely stable.""You can scale the product.""The solution is now stable.""The solution has very smooth connectivity and is very user friendly.""What I found most valuable in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is accessibility because the solution lets you take control of your computer remotely.""The most valuable feature is performance.""The most valuable features of the solution are ease of use and the simple environment.""The most valuable features are availability and security."

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"The most valuable features are that it is consistently low profile and consistently works without hiccups or headaches."

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Cons
"We encounter challenges with portability, especially for users of iOS devices.""We've had issues with security breaches.""The only issue I experienced was with the initialization of the session, which affected the stability of the solution.""From the perspective of an IT professional, Microsoft Remote Desktop is very easy to use. However, it could be made easier to use for the end user, especially when it comes to activating it.""In the next release, I would like to see better performance over slower networks, and integration with Linux, but this is something that we're going to get out of Microsoft in terms of a unified solution.""Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by having graphical acceleration.""Sometimes difficult to set up without the requirement for login credentials each time.""I would like to be able to access the remote desktop using a web-based interface, rather than having to use the client."

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"We occasionally have issues with the graphic software of the interface."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The pricing is moderate."
  • "The solution has a perpetual license and it is purchased upfront."
  • "It will probably cost about $500 USD to get the resources set up in the cloud."
  • "Although not an expensive product, pricing is always something that can be improved."
  • "It's not an expensive solution."
  • "It's not an expensive product."
  • "Its licensing is on a yearly basis. We're on the educational or academic license, and our terms are good. We're very happy with the pricing."
  • "The pricing could always be improved."
  • More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Ranking
    2nd
    out of 45 in Remote Access
    Views
    10,005
    Comparisons
    8,806
    Reviews
    38
    Average Words per Review
    405
    Rating
    8.1
    16th
    out of 45 in Remote Access
    Views
    2,866
    Comparisons
    2,636
    Reviews
    0
    Average Words per Review
    0
    Rating
    N/A
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Remote Desktop Services, MS Remote Desktop Services
    Learn More
    Overview

    Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is a highly regarded remote access tool in addition to being a top-ranked Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution in the marketplace today.

    Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is a suite of valuable elements of the Windows operating system (OS) that serve specific desired objectives. Microsoft RDS integrates various features that allow approved users to gain access to graphical desktops and Windows applications remotely. Approved users are able to deploy applications or even a complete desktop without having to install anything on their devices. Everything remains in the cloud. This ensures that there are never any compatibility issues and keeps the organization's original network secure at all times. Administrators are also able to ensure that data cannot be stored in any unapproved location, such as the local device, unapproved drives, or any other location.

    Microsoft RDS makes it easy for business organizations to access Windows Desktops and other Windows applications remotely to ensure today’s busy enterprise organizations are able to maintain the highest levels of productivity at all times. There are two basic ways organizations can effectively utilize RDS.


    • Microsoft Remote Desktop Component: This allows users to connect with various alternate desktops from their current device. Once the user has gained a secure connection based on the approved administrative permissions, the user can seamlessly access and interact with the remote desktop. Users have the feeling of having this new virtual desktop installed directly on their machine.


    • RemoteApp: Users are able to easily access cloud-based applications via their own personal desktop computers or other approved mobile devices. This application ensures overall application management is centralized and consistent throughout the entire business enterprise.


    Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Benefits

    Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has many benefits. Some of its most valuable benefits include:


    • Access Windows applications remotely from any device
    • Enhanced consistent application performance
    • Increased computing resources
    • Secure cloud-based data storage.
    • Streamlined management processes
    • Reduction in technical administrative resources
    • Reduction in hardware and device costs.
    • Improved employee productivity
    • Cost-effective
    • Improved Profitability
    • Reduce carbon footprint


    Microsoft Remote Desktop Services makes it easy for busy enterprise organizations to stay productive and remain competitive in today’s aggressive marketplace. An organization's end-users can be given access to their own specific desktops from any location, anytime, using any approved device. Additionally, users can access Microsoft applications without having an effect on their device's resource capacity or performance.

    Reviews from Real Users

    “What I found most valuable in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is accessibility because the solution lets you take control of your computer remotely, and that's a good feature.” Pascal B., IT consultant at Secoptrial

    “The most valuable features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services are unification, central management, and accessibility.” Jan S. Solution Architect at a tech services company

    “The most valuable features are that it is fast and cost-effective. I am not aware of a replacement currently on the market.” Ramon H. Director at Empaco

    Intuitive remote control
    Use the mouse and keyboard (or touchscreen) in front of you as though they belong to the remote computer.

    Send special keys and combinations such as Ctrl-Alt-Del, and copy and paste text in either direction. Type in confidence that characters will be interpreted correctly, whatever your platform, keyboard or input language.

    Tried and tested performance
    As the original inventors of VNC® technology, we know how to create a responsive screen sharing experience that's as good as being there.

    Our patent-protected technology automatically optimizes to the speed of your network, and is especially effective in low-bandwidth and high-latency environments.

    Cross-platform support
    PC to PC and mobile to PC across Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, iOS and Android.

    With an Enterprise subscription, you also get a key to install our VNC® 5.x software on a wide range of older and UNIX operating systems too, so your legacy hardware remains accessible.

    Attended and unattended access
    Connect whether remote computer owners are present or not.

    Remotely access your own computers, monitor or patch equipment in the field, support customers or colleagues, and much more. Learn about the many ways our customers use VNC® Connect.

    Direct and cloud connectivity
    Our cloud service automatically brokers cloud connections between devices wherever they are.

    So you don’t need to rely on a VPN, or conduct complex and insecure port-forwarding and firewall configuration.

    With an Enterprise subscription, you can establish direct connections as well (or instead), perfect for locked down or offline network environments. For more information, start with our document cloud versus direct.

    Pre-install or connect on demand
    Add device access to your subscription, install VNC® Connect on every device you own or manage, and enable access by anyone at any time.

    Alternatively, add instant support to your subscription and connect in seconds on demand, leaving no footprint. Or add both capabilities, and cover every remote access use case.

    File transfer, printing and chat
    During a session, you're not restricted to just interacting with the remote screen.

    You can transfer files in either direction, print files directly to a printer where you are (rather than to a printer attached to the remote computer), and securely chat with other users connected at the same time as you.

    Secure by design
    VNC® Connect is built from the ground up with security in mind, to balance the control you need with the privacy that compliance requires.

    Sessions are encrypted end-to-end using up to 256-bit AES encryption. Authentication is mandatory at the point of connection and never delegated to the cloud. Protect your computers with multi-factor authentication, single-sign on (SSO), granular access control and rich session permissions.

    Multilingual support
    VNC® Connect is available in French, German, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese as well as English, with more translations on the way.

    Connect-Features-TeamManagement.png
    Online team management
    Manage remote computers, the people you invite into your team to share remote access with, and their roles and permissions from one central location.

    Remote deployment
    With an Enterprise subscription, you can deploy VNC® Connect in bulk, offline or remotely using your standard enterprise tooling.

    In addition, you can configure VNC® Connect remotely using policy, and lock it down to prevent change.

    Virtual desktops under Linux
    With an Enterprise subscription, you can create virtual desktops on Linux computers.

    This might be useful to enable visual remote access to headless Linux systems, or provide separate workspaces for simultaneous users of a shared resource.

    Sample Customers
    Bank Alfalah Ltd.
    Telesat Canada, St. Anthony's School, Pratt and Whitney, City of Sacramento
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm17%
    Manufacturing Company12%
    Computer Software Company10%
    Healthcare Company7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company13%
    Government9%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Manufacturing Company29%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Government7%
    Comms Service Provider5%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business47%
    Midsize Enterprise22%
    Large Enterprise32%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business27%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise58%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business19%
    Midsize Enterprise10%
    Large Enterprise71%
    Buyer's Guide
    Remote Access
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about TeamViewer, Microsoft, Citrix and others in Remote Access. Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is ranked 2nd in Remote Access with 69 reviews while VNC Connect is ranked 16th in Remote Access. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is rated 8.2, while VNC Connect is rated 9.0. The top reviewer of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services writes "Easy to set up and reliable, but needs an additional control panel". On the other hand, the top reviewer of VNC Connect writes "Reliable and trustworthy remote access software, with responsive technical support ". Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is most compared with TeamViewer, VMware Horizon, VMware Workstation, Citrix Workspace and Parallels Access, whereas VNC Connect is most compared with OpenText Exceed TurboX, Apache Guacamole, Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service), Dameware Remote Support and LogMeIn Rescue.

    See our list of best Remote Access vendors.

    We monitor all Remote Access reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.