Comparison of remote desktop software

Last updated

This page is a comparison of notable remote desktop software available for various platforms.

Contents

Remote desktop software

Operating system support

Software Windows macOS LinuxFreeBSDJava (client) Android iOS
Blackberry
(client)
Windows Mobile
ChromeOS
(client)
ServerClientServerClientServerClientServerClientClientServerClientServerServerClient
AetherPal YesYesYesYesNoNoNoNoNoYes?YesNoYesNoYes?
Ammyy Admin YesYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo?NoNoNoNoNo?
AnyDesk YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesNoNoNoNoYes
AppliDis YesYesNoYesNoYesNoYesYesYes?YesNoNoNoYes?
Apple Remote Desktop NoNoYesYes?NoNoNoNoNo?NoNoNoNoNo?
Cendio ThinLinc NoYesNoYesYesYesNoYes [f] NoYes [g] NoYes [h] NoYes [h] NoYes [h] Yes [h]
Citrix XenApp YesYesNoYesYesYesNoYesYesYes?YesNoYesNoYes?
Ericom Connect YesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesNoYesNoYesNoNoNoYesYes
GO-Global ?Yes?Yes?Yes?NoYesYes?YesNoNo?Yes?
Goverlan Systems Management (Goverlan Reach Remote Control)YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
GoToMyPC YesYesYesYesNoYesNoNoYesYes?YesNoNoNoYes?
HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS) / ZCentral Remote BoostYes [13] YesNoYesYesYesNoNoNoNo?NoNoNo?Yes?
IBM Director Remote ControlYesYesNoNoNoNoNoNoYesNo?NoNoNoNoNo?
I'm InTouch YesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo?NoNoNoNoNo?
KRDC NoNoNoNoNoYesNoYesNoNo?NoNoNoNoNo?
LogMeIn ProYesYesYesYesNoNoNoNoYesYes?YesNoNoNoYes?
Mikogo ?Yes?Yes [i] ?Yes [j] ?NoNoYes [k] ?Yes [l] NoNo?No?
NetSupport Manager YesYesYesYesYesYes?YesYesYes?YesNoNo?Yes?
Netviewer ?Yes?No?No?NoNoYes [17] ??NoNo?No?
NX Technology (NoMachine)YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesNoYesNoNoNoYesYes
Oracle Secure Global Desktop Software YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNo?NoNoNo?No?
Parsec YesYesNoYesNoYesNoNoNoYesNoNoNoNoNoNoYes
Proxy Networks YesYesYesYesNoYesNoYesNoYes?YesNoNoNoNoYes
QVD NoYesNoYesYesYesNoYesYesYes?YesNoNoNoNo?
rdesktop NoYes [18] ?YesNoYes?YesYes???NoNo?No?
RealVNC FreeYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesYes?YesNoNo?No?
RealVNC PersonalYesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYes?YesNoNo?No?
RealVNC EnterpriseYesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoYesYes?YesNoNo?No?
Remmina NoNoNoNoNoYesNoYesNoNo?NoNoNo?No?
Remote Desktop Services /Terminal ServicesYesYesNoYes [m] Yes [20] YesNoYes?Yes?YesNoNo?Yes [n] ?
Remote Utilities YesYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoYesNoYesNoNoNoNoNo
RustDesk YesYesNoYesYesYesYes?NoYesYesYesNoNoNoNo?
ConnectWise Control YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes?YesNoNoNoNo?
Splashtop YesYesYesYesNoNoNoYesYesYesYesYesNoYesYes [23] YesYes
SSH with X forwarding NoYes [o] NoYes [o] YesYesYesYesNoYes [24] ?YesNoNo?No?
Sun Ray / SRSS ?Yes?No?Yes?NoYesNo?NoNoNo?No?
Sub7 ?No?No?No?NoYes???NoNo?No?
Symantec pcAnywhere ?Yes?Yes?Yes?NoYes???NoYes?Yes?
TeamViewer Yes [25] Yes [25] Yes [26] Yes [26] Yes [27] Yes [27] NoNoYesYes [28] Yes [28] Yes [29] NoYes [30] Yes [31] Yes [32] Yes [33]
Techinline YesYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo?NoNoNoNoNo?
TightVNC YesYesNoYes [p] Yes [q] Yes [q] Yes [q] Yes [q] YesYes??NoNo?No?
TigerVNC YesYesNoYesYesYesYes [r] Yes [r] YesNo?NoNoNoNoNo?
Timbuktu YesYesYesYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
TurboVNC NoYesNoYes [s] YesYes [t] Yes [r] Yes [r] Yes [u] No?NoNoNoNoNo?
UltraVNC YesYes [v] NoNoNoNoNoNoYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNo?
Veyon YesYesNoNoYesYesNoNoNoNo?NoNoNoNoNo?
xpra Yes [w] YesYes [w] YesYesYesYesYesNo [x] NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo [y]
X11vnc NoYesYesYesYesYes?YesYes???NoNo?No?
X2Go NoYes [37] NoYes [37] Yes [38] Yes [37] NoYes [37] NoNo?NoNoNoNoNo?
x2x No [z] No [aa] No [z] YesNo [z] YesNo [z] YesNo?No [z] ?NoNoNo [z] No?
MeshCentral YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoYesNoNoNoNoNoNoYes
SoftwareServerClientServerClientServerClientServerClientJava (client)ClientServerClientServer
Blackberry
(client)
ServerClient
ChromeOS
(client)

Features

Software
Client/server
/listening
Built-in encryption
File transfer
Audio support
Multiple sessions
Seamless window
Remote assistance
Access permission
request
NAT passthrough
IPv6 support
Maximum
simultaneous connections
Video
3D
Drag and drop
file transfer
Multiple passwords
for remote access
Session recording
Screen blanking
USB forwarding
Export network services
Remote Printing
Smartcard authentication
Whiteboard
Chat tool
H.264 support
Browser-based access
Session persistence
Free for personal use
Free for commercial use
AetherPal Client & server SSL, TLS YesNoYesYesYesYesYes?Unlimited???????????????NoNo
Ammyy Admin Client & server AES, RSA YesYesYesYesYesYesYes??Yes?NoNoNo???No??No?NoNoYesNo
AnyDesk Client & server SSL, TLS 1.2, AES YesYesYes?YesYesYesNoUnlimited (depends on license)YesYesYes?YesYes??Yes?YesYes?Yes?YesNo
Anyplace Control Client & server RC4, RSA YesYesYesYesYesYesYes?Unlimited???????????????NoNo
AppliDis Client & serverYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoUnlimitedYesYesNoNo???????????NoNo
Apple Remote Desktop Client & server AES-128 YesNoYesNoYesYes [ab] NoYesUnlimited???????????????NoNo
Apple Screen Sharing
( iChat )
Client & server AES-256 NoNoYesNo???YesUnlimited???????????????YesYes
Cendio ThinLinc Client & server (Linux only) SSH, TLS YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes [ac] UnlimitedYes VirtualGL NoYesNo?NoNoYesYesNoNoNoYesYesYesYes
Chrome Remote Desktop Client & server SSL, TLS YesYesYesNoYesYesYesYesUnlimitedYes??????????????YesYes
Citrix XenApp Client & server SSL, TLS YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesUnlimitedYesYes????Yes?YesYes??YesYes?NoNo
Ericom Connect Client & server SSL, TLS [39] YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesUnlimitedYesYesYesYesNo?YesNoYesYesNoYesYesYes?NoNo
GO-Global Client & server SSL, DES-56, DES-168, AES-256 YesYesYesYes????????????????????NoNo
Goverlan Systems Management
(Goverlan Reach Remote Control)
Client & serverYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesUnlimitedYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes?NoNo
GoToMyPC ?YesYesYes??YesYes??????????????????NoNo
HP Remote Graphics Software
(RGS)
Client & serverYesYesYesYesYesYesYes?NoUnlimitedYesYesNoYesNoYesYes??YesNoNoYes??YesYes
IBM Director Remote ControlClient & server AES, Triple DES, DES YesNoYesNo????????????????????NoNo
I'm InTouch Web client & Win server SSL, AES-256 YesYesYesNo????????????????????NoNo
KRDC Client onlyNoNoYesYesYes????????????????????YesYes
LogMeIn Pro only SSL, TLS [40] ?Yes [41] ???????????Yes [41] ???Yes [42] ?Yes [41] ????NoNo
Mikogo Client & server [ad] AES-256 YesNoYes [ae] No????????????????????YesNo
NetSupport Manager Client & serverYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoUnlimitedYesYes?????????????NoNo
Netviewer Client & server AES-128 YesYesYesNoYesYes [af] ??????????????????NoNo
NX technology (NoMachine)Client & server AES 128 YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNo
Oracle Secure Global Desktop Software /Sun VDI Client & server SSL, TLS (AES-256)YesYesYesYes????????????????????NoNo
Parsec Client, Win8+ server [43] & Enterprise Relay [44] DTLS (AES-128) [45] NoYesYesNoYesYesYesYes?YesYesNoNoNoPaid [46] NoNoNoNoNoYesYesYesYesYesNo
Proxy Networks Client, server, & gateway SSL, AES-256 YesNoYesYesYesYesYes, clientYesUnlimitedYesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoNoNoNoYes?Yes?NoNo
QVD Client & server SSL YesYesYesYesYesNoYesYesUnlimitedNoNoYesNo???????????YesYes
rdesktop Client onlyYesYesYesYesYes [ag] ???Yes????????????????YesYes
RealVNC HomeClient, server & listening AES-128 NoNoYesNoYesYesYes in listening modeNoUnlimited?????????????????
RealVNC ProfessionalClient, server & listening AES-128 YesYesYesNoYesYesYes in listening modeYesUnlimited?????????????????
RealVNC EnterpriseClient, server & listening AES-256 YesYesYesNoYesYesYes in listening modeYesUnlimited?????Yes???????Yes [ah] ???
Remmina Client only AES-256 YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesUnlimited??Yes???Yes?YesYes?Yes?No [ai] ?YesYes
Remote Desktop Services /Terminal ServicesClient & serverYesYesYesYes [aj] Yes [ak] Yes [al] Yes [am] NoYesUnlimitedYesYes????????????YesYesYes
Remote Utilities Client & server AES-256 YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesUnlimited (depends on license)??YesYesYesYes??YesNoNoYesNoNo?YesNo
RustDesk Client & serverYesYesYesYes?YesYesYes?????????Yes???Yes?Yes?YesYes
ConnectWise Control Client & server AES-256 YesYesYesYesYesYesYes????Yes????????????NoNo
Splashtop Client & serverYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesUnlimitedYesYesYes?YesYes??Yes?YesYes?Yes?NoNo
SSH with X forwarding Client & serverYesYesPartial [an] Yes [ao] Yes??NoYes [ap] UnlimitedYesYes, server side [49] YesYes?????Yes????NoYesYes
Sun Ray/SRSS Client, server, & hardwareYesNoYesYesNo??????????????????????
Sub7 Client & serverNoNoNoNoNo????????????????????YesYes
Symantec pcAnywhere Client & server AES-256 YesNoYesNoYesYes?No?Yes?Yes?YesYes??Yes?YesYes???NoNo
TeamViewer Client & server AES-256 YesPartial [aq] YesNoYesYesYes, client & serverYes3-15 [ar] YesNoYesYesYesYesNo?YesNoYesYes?Yes?YesNo
Techinline Client & serverYesYesNoYes?YesYesYes?1 or unlimited???????????????NoNo
TightVNC Client, server & listening SSH (Unix client only)YesNoYesNoYesYesYes in listening modeNoUnlimited??No????????????YesYes
TigerVNC Client, server & listening SSL, TLS NoNoYesNoNoNoYes in listening modeYesUnlimitedYes???????????Yes?YesYesYes
Timbuktu Client & serverYesYesNoYesNoYesYes??????????????????YesYes
TurboVNC Client, server & listening SSL, TLS, SSH NoNoYesNoNoNoYes in listening modeYesUnlimitedYes VirtualGL NoYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoYes?YesYes
UltraVNC Client & server & listeningWith pluginYesNoYesPartial [as] YesYesYes, with SC version + external "Repeater" server?Unlimited?????Yes?????Yes???YesYes
Veyon Client & server SSH NoNoYesNoYesNoNoNoUnlimitedYesNoNoToken-Based???????????YesYes
xpra Client & server SSH, TLS, AES YesYesYesYes [at] YesYesYes, server [au] YesUnlimitedYes VirtualGL YesYes [av] Yes [aw] NoNoNoYesNoNoNoYesYesYesYesYes
X11vnc Server only SSL YesNoYesNoYes??YesUnlimited???????????????YesYes
X2Go Client & server SSH YesYes [ax] YesYesYes??????????????????YesYesYes
x2x Client onlyYes [ay] NoNoYes????????????????????YesYes
MeshCentral Client & server TLS 1.3 YesNoYes?YesYesYesYesUnlimitedYes?YesYesYesNoNo??No?YesYesYesYesYesYes

Terminology

In the table above, the following terminology is intended to be used to describe some important features:

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Free use limited to 10 concurrent users.
  2. 1 2 Single-technician license - 1 connection - 3 unattended access agents
  3. 1 2 Receiver is a free download [3] Sender is free on HP Z Workstations.
  4. Since 2010 KRDC has been integrated with the KDE desktop manager.
  5. Admin mode available for servers & workstations without additional licensing, in TS mode a separate license is required.
  6. Web Access Client with Android support.
  7. Web Access Client with iOS support.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Web Access Client with touch support.
  9. Some features are MS Windows-only.
  10. Some features are MS Windows- and Apple Mac-only. [14]
  11. Available to view a remote desktop from Google Android Linux devices. [15]
  12. Available to view a remote desktop from Apple iOS devices. [16]
  13. There exists an "official" client for Apple Mac OS, as well as several independent implementations. See for example the "CoRD" entry above, an alternative open source RDP client for Mac [19]
  14. Windows Mobile Remote Desktop is an optional part of WM 6.1. [21] [22]
  15. 1 2 To use Windows or Mac OS X as a client, an X server needs to be installed and running. Windows or Mac OS X can be used as a server, if they have an SSH server running; but only X11 applications (not native GUI applications) can display their GUI on the client; on Windows these probably have to be run within Cygwin.
  16. As X application, 1.3.x version only. [34]
  17. 1 2 3 4 1.3.x version only "Download (Previous Versions)". TightVNC. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Requires installation from source.
  19. Bundled Java application that uses libjpeg-turbo native library for accelerated JPEG decompression. [35]
  20. Bundled Java application that uses libjpeg-turbo native library for accelerated JPEG decompression. [35]
  21. Can use libjpeg-turbo through JNI to accelerate JPEG decompression. [35]
  22. UltraVNC v1.0.4 RC4 (beta) claims "Greatly improved Vista support" as of 1 October 2007. [36]
  23. 1 2 No seamless mode
  24. Working code exists but it is unmaintained
  25. The server includes a built-in HTML5 client
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 It is designed to run only on the client; it can connect to any X11 server.
  27. This could actually work when running an X server, but it is easier to use Win2VNC instead.
  28. Only for non-admin users.
  29. Only when host names are used.
  30. Connections are centrally negotiated via Mikogo server.
  31. Up to ten participants.
  32. 8 simultaneously.
  33. With the addition of SeamlessRDP. [47]
  34. Using a Java applet.
  35. Since it is a GTK+ application, it can be accessed using the Broadway HTML5 back-end, but this is not yet mature or a full replacement for a browser remote desktop client.
  36. Remote Desktop Services are single user only. Local screen is locked when remote user connects and local user can not view remote user's activities. Remote user is disconnected when local user logs in. Terminal Services use multiple independent desktops. Local user views its own desktop and can not view remote users' activities. Local user is not notified when remote user connects.
  37. Provided the server is running Windows 2008 or later.
  38. Assistance mode uses a separate client named MSRA (Microsoft Remote Assistance). Remote user must approve your access in assistance mode.
  39. Access approval is always requested in assistance mode and never in remote access mode.
  40. When using something like pulseaudio
  41. No sessions at all, just individual windows. However one can use Xnest.
  42. OpenSSH supports IPv6 and IPv6 forwarding. [48]
  43. Audio sharing not available on Mac
  44. 3 with the free version; up to 15 with a license
  45. UltraVNC allows a single Window to be shown, however it is still doing full screen polling and not capturing the application details. This can cause other windows to overlap and popup windows to "disappear".
  46. Only for X sessions.
  47. Using the proxy server. [50]
  48. Through SSH and/or xpra's authentication modules. [51]
  49. Via configuration and external tools. [52]
  50. Via PulseAudio. [53]
  51. Can be used over SSH session.

References

  1. "Ammyy Admin – kostenlose Remote Desktop-Freigabe- und Remote-Steuerungssoftware – Download". www.ammyy.com. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  2. "Remote Desktop", Mac App Store, Apple.
  3. RGS, Hewlett-Packard.
  4. https://support.logmein.com/resolve/help/whats-new-in-logmein-resolve [ bare URL ]
  5. "Download". Mikogo. Beam Your Screen.
  6. "Release Notes 4.2 - QVD: The Linux VDI platform". QVD: The Linux VDI platform. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  7. "TigerVNC/tigervnc". GitHub. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  8. Kaplinsky, Constantin. "Download TightVNC". tightvnc.com. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  9. "UltraVNC 1.6.0.0".
  10. xpra (source code archive).
  11. Christian Beier (5 January 2019), x11vnc 0.9.16 .
  12. 1 2 "about:start". X2Go. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  13. HP Remote Graphics Software version 7 (PDF) (data sheet), Hewlett Packard, 2014, p. 3.
  14. "GNU/Linux", Download, Mikogo.
  15. "Google Android Linux", Download, Mikogo.
  16. "Apple iOS", Download, Mikogo.
  17. "Netviewer Meet Mobile Netviewer AG". Play. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  18. "rdesktop 1.6 windows port". 40in. RU: 2g0. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  19. Cord, Source forge.
  20. XDPxrdp: An open source remote desktop protocol (rdp) server, Source forge, archived from the original on 13 May 2011, retrieved 4 September 2008.
  21. Windows mobile remote desktop connect (blog), Mobile Views.
  22. WM6 RDP mobile remote desktop client, PDA Phone Home.
  23. "Splashtop Downloads". Splashtop. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  24. "Darkside", Play (applications store), AU: Google.
  25. 1 2 TeamViewer for Windows, TeamViewer.
  26. 1 2 TeamViewer for macOS, TeamViewer.
  27. 1 2 TeamViewer for Linux, TeamViewer.
  28. 1 2 TeamViewer for Android, TeamViewer.
  29. TeamViewer for iOS, TeamViewer.
  30. TeamViewer for BlackBerry, TeamViewer.
  31. TeamViewer QuickSupport for Windows Mobile, TeamViewer.
  32. TeamViewer for Windows Mobile, TeamViewer.
  33. TeamViewer for Chrome OS, TeamViewer.
  34. "Tightvnc Portfile". MacPorts. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  35. 1 2 3 User's Guide, TurboVNC.
  36. MS Windows Vista Support, UltraVNC, archived from the original on 11 October 2007, retrieved 11 October 2007.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Client, X2Go.
  38. Server, X2Go.
  39. "Connect Admin 9.1.1 Guide - Overview". guide.ericom.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  40. "Security Information". LogMeIn.com. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  41. 1 2 3 "Remote Screen Sharing Software – LogMeIn". LogMeIn.com. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  42. "Remote Computer Access: Control Your PC or Mac from Anywhere | LogMeIn Pro". LogMeIn.com. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  43. "Operating System Support Matrix". Parsec. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  44. "All Advanced Configuration Options". Parsec. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  45. "Security At Parsec". Parsec. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  46. "The Parsec Relay Server - An On-Prem High Performance Relay Server". Parsec. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  47. Seamless RDP, Cendio, archived from the original on 22 July 2010, retrieved 26 May 2009.
  48. ssh (manual page), OpenBSD.
  49. Ars technica .
  50. Xpra Proxy Server .
  51. Xpra Authentication Modules .
  52. Feature Ticket .
  53. "doc:newtox2go". X2Go. Retrieved 8 March 2015.