Remote Desktop Software Buyers’ Guide 2025

Remote desktop software, also known as remote access software, enables a user on one computer to view or control another separate computer from any location, without having to be physically present. It’s typically used by IT teams to troubleshoot issues with end user devices, without having to call them or visit them in person, but it can also be used for file sharing, service demos, and collaborating on projects in real-time.

Market Overview

• The global remote desktop software market was valued at USD 3.33 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.3% between 2025 and 2032 to reach a value of USD 11.98 billion.
• Growth is primarily being driven by the recent increase in remote or hybrid work.
  • This increase has created a need for end users to access company data remotely, for distributed teams to be able to collaborate on projects as easily as if they were in the same office. It is also used for students accessing learning and labs without visiting their institution’s campus, and for IT teams to be able to troubleshoot end user devices without accessing them in person—all of which a remote desktop tool can support.
• As the market grows, the majority of customers are expected to invest in cloud-based remote desktop tools over their on-premises counterparts. We can also expect to see more small- and medium-sized businesses adopting remote desktop tools to enable work-from-home policies and help them mitigate the increasing costs associated with owning or renting office space (e.g., energy and water consumption, maintenance).
  • Desktops are often targeted entry points in cyberattacks, and many organizations are investing heavily in endpoint management tools with strong patching, monitoring, and compliance support capabilities. 

Why Trust Us

 We’ve researched, demoed, and tested several leading remote desktop solutions, spoken to organizations of all sizes about their helpdesk and troubleshooting challenges and the features that are most useful to them, as well as interviewed executives from leading providers in the remote desktop and wider IT management spaces.

You can find our product reviews, interviews, and Top 10 shortlists to the best remote desktop products on the market in our IT Management Hub.

Know Before You Buy: Our Recommendations

Before we jump into the details, here are our top tips on how to get the most out of your remote desktop software implementation:

• For organizations with a diverse device fleet: You need to install the remote desktop software on all client and host machines in your organization for it to work properly. Some software may only support certain types of machine, so check that your chosen solution supports all the operating system typesthat you’re currently using, as well as the number of machines you’re using. 
• For meeting your requirements: Some remote desktop tools are better suited for IT and troubleshooting use cases, while others are better for business or collaboration. Make sure you’re choosing a solution that offers features tailored to your requirements. 
• For a reliable connection: Slow or unreliable network connections on either the client or host side can disrupt your remote connections; make sure you have appropriate levels of bandwidth available to reduce latency.  

How Remote Desktop Software Works

Using remote desktop software always involves two parties: the client machine (which is the system used to access another computer) and the host machine (which is the system that will be remotely accessed). 

Usually, when you implement a remote desktop tool, you need to download and install a specific piece of software onto both the client and host machines. This is usually available from the software vendor’s website, and some vendors provide scripts to simplify the deployment process. 

Typically, remote desktop solutions operate using the same workflow. 

First, the client machine’s user (e.g., an IT admin) opens their remote desktop software and provides the hostname or the IP address of the host machine they’d like to connect to. The client machine then sends a signal via the internet to the host machine, asking it for permission to connect. When that permission is granted, the client user is prompted to authenticate, and the remote desktop software establishes the remote connection using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), capturing the host machine’s screen, mouse, and keyboard inputs then transmitting them to the client device. This enables the client user to view and control the screen of the host machine as if they were there in person. 

While most remote desktop tools offer remote access in this way, they differ in terms of the level of access they provide: some tools offer view-only access while other offer full remote control. They can also offer further additional features, such a text- or voice-chat, secure file transfer, a shared whiteboard, or a shared clipboard. 

Benefits Of Remote Desktop Software

There are three main benefits to implementing a remote desktop solution:

1. Easily assist end users that may be having technical difficulties.
   • Remote desktop solutions remove the need for employees to try to contact their IT teams either in person or over the phone. Instead, support staff can connect directly to the machine with the issue, allowing them to identify and resolve it more quickly. 
2. Enable remote work.
   • As well as offering IT support, remote desktop tools can be used by end users to access their work computers—including all their file, data, and software—without having to travel to the office. 
   • This use case is particularly relevant to organizations with hybrid workers/those that only work remotely sometimes, or workers that frequently need to travel. 
3. Improve collaboration between users that are physically apart. 
   • Remote desktop tools often offer a wide range of collaboration features, such as voice or text chat, file and screen sharing, and shared whiteboards and clipboards.
   • These can be helpful for making sure that all the users in an organization can access required applications, running technical demonstrations, in academic settings, e.g., for accessing computer labs remotely.

Common Remote Desktop Software Challenges

There are two main challenges that you might come across when implementing a remote desktop solution. Here’s what they are and how to overcome them:

1. Without the right security controls in place, a remote desktop tool could introduce vulnerabilities into your environment. Misuse or abuse of the software can allow attackers to gain unauthorized access, distribute malware, or exfiltrate sensitive data. To avoid this, we recommend looking for a solution that includes role-based access controls, encryption, and multi-factor authentication, and training your team on how to use the platform securely once it’s deployed. You should also keep up to date on any patches for the software that the provider releases.
   • “Cybersecurity is a critical consideration as threats continue to evolve. Prioritizing a platform with built-in security features can help not only detect potential vulnerabilities, but also mitigate risk in your clients’ environments.” – Jeff Bishop, EVP & GM, Product Management and Asio Platform, ConnectWise
2. If you don’t have the bandwidth and available resources, your remote desktop software might demonstrate performance issues such as lag, which can lead to frustration for both client and host users. We recommend making sure your organization has a strong internet connection, and choosing a solution that minimizes latency and runs in as close to real-time as possible. 

Best Remote Desktop Software Providers

Our team of software analysts and researchers have put together a shortlist of the best providers of remote desktop solutions, as well as adjacent lists covering similar topics:

• Top Remote Desktop Software for IT Teams 
• Top Remote Assistance Solutions 
• Top Remote Management Tools for Windows 
• The Top 11 IT Service Management (ITSM) Solutions
• Top RMM Solutions for MSPs 

Features Checklist

When comparing remote desktop solutions, Expert Insights recommends looking for the following features:

1. Desktop sharing: The solution must enable users to establish a remote connection with another machine and view the screen of that machine as if they were there in person. The best solutions not only enable screen viewing, but full desktop control.
2. Multi-monitor support: With multi-monitor support or navigation, the client user can view several host screens within a single remote desktop session and easily navigate between viewing each user’s machine with a single click. This is particularly useful for IT support and collaboration use cases.
3. Communication and collaboration capabilities: Your client and host users should be able to easily communicate with one another, whilst their machines are connected. The best solutions offer voice calling, text chat, and shared whiteboards to facilitate this.
4. File sharing: End users should be able to securely transfer files between the client and host machines, preferably via an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
5. Clipboard sharing: The client user should be able to copy and paste files between the two machines as if they were using one machine. 
6. Screen recording: For training and auditing purposes, the solution should enable you to record remote connection sessions.
7. Remote host wake/reboot: If you’re looking for a remote desktop tool for an IT support use case, the client user should be able to remotely wake or reboot the host machine and automatically reconnect to it. This will make it easier for them to clear the memory and caches, and install software patches and updates.
8. Unattended access: Again, for IT support use cases, the client user should be able to gain control of the host machine and making necessary changes independently, without disrupting or inconveniencing the host’s end user.
9. Built-in security: Your solution should offer a range of security features to prevent threat actors from accessing and potentially exfiltrating your data. These may include role-based access controls, encryption, multi-factor authentication, and single sign-on. 
10. Audit logs: The solution should create comprehensive audit logs of activities such as logins and user actions within the platform. These can be useful for proving compliance, checking accountability, and identifying malicious behavior. 

Future Trends: Where Is The Remote Desktop Market Headed?

As the remote desktop software market continues to grow, we can expect it to undergo a few key evolutions.

First, more providers will start offering support for a variety of device types so that users can establish remote connections between mobile devices as well as traditional endpoints.

Second, as we see more IT teams wanting to replace point solutions with unified IT solutions for easier management, we can expect remote desktop tools to offer more integrations with other third-party IT tools (such as PSA and ticketing tools), and allow users to build custom workflows through APIs. Some providers may also integrate their remote management software more closely with wider RMM or ITSM offerings to provide a more unified, comprehensive suite of IT management tools. 

Further Reading

You can find all our articles on remote desktop software in our IT Management Hub.

Want to jump right in? Here are a few articles we think you’ll enjoy: 

• Shortlist: Top Remote Desktop Software for IT Teams 
• Q&A: ConnectWise’s Jeff Bishop on RMM Trends, Challenges, and Priorities for 2025
• Podcast: Fortra EVP of Strategy On The Benefits Of Security Consolidation And The Evolving Threat Landscape