Comparison of remote desktop software


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

Remote desktop software

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Operating system support

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

  • Listening mode: where a server connects to a viewer. The server site does not have to configure its firewall/NAT to allow access on a defined port; the onus is on the viewer, which is useful if the server site has no computer expertise, while the viewer user would be expected to be more knowledgeable.
  • Built-in encryption: the software has at least one method of encrypting the data between the local and remote computers, and the encryption mechanism is built into the remote control software.
  • File transfer: the software allows the user to transfer files between the local and remote computers, from within the client software's user interface.
  • Audio support: the remote control software transfers audio signals across the network and plays the audio through the speakers attached to the local computer. For example, music playback software normally sends audio signals to the locally attached speakers, via some sound controller hardware. If the remote control software package supports audio transfer, the playback software can run on the remote computer, while the music can be heard from the local computer, as though the software were running locally.
  • Multiple sessions: the ability to connect to a server as many users, and have each one see their individual desktops.
  • Seamless window: the software allows an application to be run on the server, and just the application window to be shown on the client's desktop. Normally the remote user interface chrome is also removed, giving the impression that the application is running on the client machines.
  • Remote assistance: remote and local users are able to view the same screen at the same time, so a remote user can assist a local user.
  • Access permission request: local user should approve a remote access session start.
  • NAT passthrough: the ability to connect to the server behind a NAT without configuring the router's port forwarding rules. It offers an advantage when you can't reconfigure the router/firewall (for example in case it is on the Internet service provider's side), but is a serious security risk (unless the traffic is end-to-end encrypted), because all the traffic will pass through some proxy server which in most cases is owned by the remote access application's developers.[citation needed]
  • Maximum simultaneous connections: number of clients connected to the same session
  • Screen blanking: the ability to prevent the user of the host/server from viewing what is currently being displayed on the screen while a remote user is connected.
  • Remote Printing: the remote user can print a file from the host computer to a printer connected to the client computer.
  • Session persistence: unsaved work will not be lost when the user disconnects or in the event of connection loss
  • IPv6 support: supports connections over IPv6
  1. ^ a b Free use limited to 5 concurrent users.
  2. ^ a b Single-technician license - 1 connection - 3 unattended access agents
  3. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d Web Access Client with touch support.
  9. ^ Some features are MS Windows-only.
  10. ^ Some features are MS Windows- and Apple Mac-only.[12]
  11. ^ Available to view a remote desktop from Google Android Linux devices.[13]
  12. ^ Available to view a remote desktop from Apple iOS devices.[14]
  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[17]
  14. ^ Windows Mobile Remote Desktop is an optional part of WM 6.1.[19][20]
  15. ^ a b 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.[32]
  17. ^ a b c d 1.3.x version only "Download (Previous Versions)". TightVNC. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  18. ^ a b c d Requires installation from source.
  19. ^ Bundled Java application that uses libjpeg-turbo native library for accelerated JPEG decompression.[33]
  20. ^ Bundled Java application that uses libjpeg-turbo native library for accelerated JPEG decompression.[33]
  21. ^ Can use libjpeg-turbo through JNI to accelerate JPEG decompression.[33]
  22. ^ UltraVNC v1.0.4 RC4 (beta) claims "Greatly improved Vista support" as of 1 October 2007.[34]
  23. ^ a b No seamless mode
  24. ^ Working code exists but it is unmaintained
  25. ^ The server includes a built-in HTML5 client
  26. ^ a b c d e f 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.[45]
  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.[46]
  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.[48]
  48. ^ Through SSH and/or xpra's authentication modules.[49]
  49. ^ Via configuration and external tools.[50]
  50. ^ Via PulseAudio.[51]
  51. ^ Can be used over SSH session.
  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. ^ "Download". Mikogo. Beam Your Screen.
  5. ^ "Release Notes 4.2 - QVD: The Linux VDI platform". QVD: The Linux VDI platform. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  6. ^ "TigerVNC/tigervnc". GitHub. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  7. ^ Kaplinsky, Constantin. "Download TightVNC". tightvnc.net. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  8. ^ xpra (source code archive).
  9. ^ Christian Beier (5 January 2019), x11vnc 0.9.16.
  10. ^ a b "about:start". X2Go. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  11. ^ HP Remote Graphics Software version 7 (PDF) (data sheet), Hewlett Packard, 2014, p. 3.
  12. ^ "GNU/Linux", Download, Mikogo.
  13. ^ "Google Android Linux", Download, Mikogo.
  14. ^ "Apple iOS", Download, Mikogo.
  15. ^ "Netviewer Meet Mobile Netviewer AG". Play. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  16. ^ "rdesktop 1.6 windows port". 40in. RU: 2g0. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  17. ^ Cord, Source forge.
  18. ^ XDPxrdp: An open source remote desktop protocol (rdp) server, Source forge, archived from the original on 13 May 2011, retrieved 4 September 2008.
  19. ^ Windows mobile remote desktop connect (blog), Mobile Views.
  20. ^ WM6 RDP mobile remote desktop client, PDA Phone Home.
  21. ^ "Splashtop Downloads". Splashtop. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  22. ^ "Darkside", Play (applications store), AU: Google.
  23. ^ a b TeamViewer for Windows, TeamViewer.
  24. ^ a b TeamViewer for macOS, TeamViewer.
  25. ^ a b TeamViewer for Linux, TeamViewer.
  26. ^ a b TeamViewer for Android, TeamViewer.
  27. ^ TeamViewer for iOS, TeamViewer.
  28. ^ TeamViewer for BlackBerry, TeamViewer.
  29. ^ TeamViewer QuickSupport for Windows Mobile, TeamViewer.
  30. ^ TeamViewer for Windows Mobile, TeamViewer.
  31. ^ TeamViewer for Chrome OS, TeamViewer.
  32. ^ "Tightvnc Portfile". MacPorts. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  33. ^ a b c User's Guide, TurboVNC.
  34. ^ MS Windows Vista Support, UltraVnc, archived from the original on 11 October 2007, retrieved 11 October 2007.
  35. ^ a b c d Client, X2Go.
  36. ^ Server, X2Go.
  37. ^ "Connect Admin 9.1.1 Guide - Overview". guide.ericom.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  38. ^ "Security Information". LogMeIn.com. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  39. ^ "Remote Computer Access: Control Your PC or Mac from Anywhere | LogMeIn Pro". LogMeIn.com. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  40. ^ "Operating System Support Matrix". Parsec. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  41. ^ "All Advanced Configuration Options". Parsec. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  42. ^ "Security At Parsec". Parsec. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  43. ^ "The Parsec Relay Server - An On-Prem High Performance Relay Server". Parsec. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  44. ^ Seamless RDP, Cendio, archived from the original on 22 July 2010, retrieved 26 May 2009.
  45. ^ ssh (manual page), OpenBSD.
  46. ^ Ars technica.
  47. ^ Xpra Proxy Server.
  48. ^ Xpra Authentication Modules.
  49. ^ Feature Ticket.
  50. ^ "doc:newtox2go". X2Go. Retrieved 8 March 2015.