Remote desktop software, also known as remote access software, enables one computer to view or control another computer from any location. It can be used for transferring files between two machines without having to use a third-party communication or file-sharing app, for collaborating on group projects in real-time, and for demoing services to potential customers. But one of the most common use cases for remote desktop software is for IT teams or help desks to remotely troubleshoot problems on their users’ or customers’ machines without having to pay them a visit or talk them through the issue over the phone. This saves time and resources, while enabling businesses to offer comprehensive IT support to their remote users.
When an IT admin starts a remote desktop session, their machine—the “client” system—sends a signal via the internet to the machine they want to access—the “host” system—asking for permission to connect to that machine. The host system then authenticates the client system by asking the admin to log in using their credentials. Once logged in, the admin can view the screen of the host system and control it as if they were there in person.
To enable this, remote desktop solutions offer remote access between the client and host systems; this can range from having view-only access to taking full control over the host machine. They should also offer a text-chat or voice-chat for communicating. Most solutions offer file transfer via a file management interface, but some also offer drag-and-drop file sharing, a shared whiteboard, or a shared clipboard that enables admins to copy text, images, or files from one machine, and paste them onto the other.
In this article, we’ll explore the top remote desktop software. We’ll look at features such as remote access, communication tools, and secure file transfer. We’ll give you some background information on the provider and the key features of each solution, as well as the type of customer that they are most suitable for.
Atera is an all-in-one IT platform for remote monitoring and management, helpdesk, ticketing, and automation, enhancing IT department productivity by integrating RMM, remote desktop access, IT automation, patch management, scripting, help desk, ticketing, network discovery, and reporting into a single dashboard with its proprietary Action AI™ solution.
Why We Picked Atera: We picked Atera for its comprehensive remote desktop access and real-time monitoring, boosting IT team efficiency. We also like its seamless integration with third-party security tools.
Best Features: Atera delivers a comprehensive remote desktop software suite with real-time monitoring, detailed activity logs, and in-depth endpoint analytics, offering complete visibility and control via a single endpoint agent for Windows, Linux, and Mac devices. You can utilize IT documentation, remote endpoint access, patch management, and network discovery, with seamless integration into third-party security tools like MDR, password managers, PAM, backup, and endpoint protection. Admins can start remote sessions from alerts or tickets, perform diagnostics, schedule updates, and troubleshoot issues without user presence, all secured with TLS and 256-bit AES encryption.
Strengths:
Enhances productivity with centralized IT management
Provides secure, cross-platform remote access
Strengthens security with third-party integrations
Improves resilience with automated diagnostics
Reduces wait times with efficient ticketing
Pricing: Contact the Atera team for pricing details.
Who It’s For: Atera is ideal for IT teams aiming to improve efficiency, reduce help desk wait times, and enhance resilience against security threats.
ManageEngine Remote Access Plus is a HIPAA-compliant remote desktop and remote access software that enables teams to quickly troubleshoot endpoint issues, delivering a comprehensive helpdesk dashboard for IT admins and technicians to access remote devices efficiently.
Why We Picked ManageEngine Remote Access Plus: We picked ManageEngine Remote Access Plus for its ability to connect to all network endpoints for faster troubleshooting, improving support response times. We also like its powerful, audit-ready reporting, including session and chat history.
Best Features: ManageEngine Remote Access Plus provides remote desktop control and access, enabling screen recording, file downloads, and more to speed up support, with voice, video, and text chat assist for enhanced collaboration. It offers granular device control, including remote process management, command prompt, and user management, connecting to all endpoints for quick issue diagnosis. You can utilize remote turn-on and turn-off capabilities, supported by comprehensive reporting to track errors over time, available in three editions: a free version for ten or fewer endpoints, Standard, and Professional with the fullest functionality.
Strengths:
Accelerates support with comprehensive endpoint access
Enhances collaboration with multi-channel communication
Improves oversight with detailed audit reporting
Simplifies management with granular device control
Scales effectively with flexible edition options
Pricing: Contact the ManageEngine team for pricing details, with a free version available for up to ten endpoints.
Who It’s For: ManageEngine Remote Access Plus is ideal for IT teams and technicians seeking a HIPAA-compliant solution to troubleshoot endpoints quickly.
AnyDesk provides secure remote access to any device running the AnyDesk host application, with cloud and on-prem deployment options across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, FreeBSD, and Raspberry Pi.
Why We Picked AnyDesk: We picked AnyDesk for its cross-platform compatibility, allowing technicians to troubleshoot any host device from any client. We also like its high frame rates and low latency, ensuring efficient connections even in poor internet conditions.
Best Features: AnyDesk delivers a lightweight software suite with real-time screen sharing, recording, remote printing, chat, and unlimited file transfer, ensuring comprehensive remote support. It secures all connections with TLS 1.2 protocol and AES 256-bit encryption, requiring two-factor authentication for admins to prevent unauthorized access. You can utilize the Enterprise version’s training and deployment support, including installation, client setup, management, and script writing, with high frame rates and low latency enhancing performance across supported devices.
Strengths:
Ensures secure access with robust encryption
Supports diverse devices with cross-platform compatibility
Enhances efficiency with low-latency connections
Simplifies management with Enterprise training
Protects data with two-factor authentication
Pricing: Contact the AnyDesk team for pricing details, with the Enterprise version tailored for business needs.
Who It’s For: AnyDesk Enterprise is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and mid-market enterprises with diverse device fleets seeking a user-friendly remote desktop service.
BeyondTrust is a market leader in access management solutions, with BeyondTrust Remote Support designed to enable service desks, IT admins, and vendors to provide fast, secure support to users and customers across physical, virtual, and cloud deployments. The solution is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android devices, plus legacy systems via RDP, Telnet, SSH, and VNC.
Why We Picked BeyondTrust Remote Support: We picked BeyondTrust Remote Support for its customizable support interface and real-time features like live chat and screen sharing, enhancing user experience. We also like its robust audit trail and granular permission settings.
Best Features: BeyondTrust provides a Web Rep Console allowing admins to troubleshoot via any browser with live chat, screen sharing, and full remote control, initiating sessions via email invitation, access link, or session key. It offers a customizable support interface reflecting your brand, with all sessions recorded and logged for compliance, accountability, and training. You can leverage in-built security features, including privileged credential rotation in the Remote Support Vault and granular role- and session-based permissions enforcing least privilege, supporting legacy systems and modern platforms securely.
Strengths:
Enhances support with a customizable, browser-based console
Ensures compliance with detailed session logging
Strengthens security with credential rotation
Supports diverse devices, including legacy systems
Simplifies access with flexible session initiation
Pricing: Contact the BeyondTrust team for pricing details.
Who It’s For: BeyondTrust Remote Support is ideal for mid-market and large enterprises needing a robust remote desktop tool, especially those proving compliance with strict industry or federal data protection regulations.
ConnectWise Control is a leading remote access solution deployed as-a-Service and compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS across most browsers.
Why We Picked ConnectWise Control: We picked ConnectWise Control for its ability to live stream remote sessions via device cameras, enhancing real-time troubleshooting. We also value its robust security with AES 256-bit encryption and two-factor authentication.
Best Features: ConnectWise Control delivers standard remote desktop features, including live streaming of sessions via user device cameras for real-time issue resolution, secured with AES 256-bit encryption and requiring two-factor authentication for admins. It offers role-based access policies to define technician permissions and session activity logging (hosts, guests, timestamps, video recordings) limited to specific accounts. You can customize the platform with white-labeling for customer support, configuring host and guest clients, and integrate seamlessly with ConnectWise products and third-party tools via the ConnectWise Marketplace, ensuring a navigable and reliable interface.
Strengths:
Enhances troubleshooting with live session streaming
Secures access with strong encryption and authentication
Customizes support with role-based policies
Simplifies integration via the ConnectWise Marketplace
Ensures reliability with a user-friendly design
Pricing: Contact the ConnectWise team for pricing details, with Access and Support packages tailored to different team sizes.
Who It’s For: ConnectWise Control is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and mid-market enterprises needing secure, customizable remote support solutions.
GoTo Pro is a remote access solution for SMBs, enabling IT teams or support desks to access up to 10 end-user computers simultaneously across Windows and macOS devices.
Why We Picked GoTo Pro: We picked GoTo Pro for its real-time remote control and multi-monitor display, enhancing troubleshooting efficiency for IT teams. We also like its ease of establishing connections between clients and hosts.
Best Features: GoTo Pro delivers real-time remote control with desktop sharing, multi-monitor display, clipboard sync, remote printing, and a whiteboard tool, supporting admins from browsers, Windows/macOS desktops, or iOS/Android mobile devices. It provides in-depth reporting on all remote access sessions, including recordings for auditing and accountability, secured with authenticated SSL/TLS connections and 256-bit encryption. You can enhance security with two-factor authentication (2FA) via one-time passcodes or RSA SecurID, account lockout after multiple failed attempts, and inactivity timeouts, though remote access is currently limited to desktops.
Strengths:
Boosts efficiency with multi-monitor remote control
Ensures compliance with detailed session reporting
Strengthens security with 2FA and encryption
Simplifies connections with a user-friendly interface
Supports scalability for small to mid-sized teams
Pricing: Contact the GoTo team for pricing details.
Who It’s For: GoTo Pro is ideal for small to mid-sized businesses looking for an intuitive, user-friendly remote desktop tool to troubleshoot end-user desktop issues.
Remote Desktop Services (RDS), formerly known as Terminal Services, is Microsoft’s remote desktop solution for Windows devices, offered by the Washington-based tech giant, enabling remote access to desktops, applications, and virtual machines. While RDS only enables users to access devices running Windows, they can do so from Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android client devices that support Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), with deployment options on-premises via Windows Server 2016 or in the Microsoft Azure cloud.
Why We Picked Remote Desktop Services (RDS): We picked RDS for its speed and scalability in establishing remote connections . We also like its native multi-factor authentication controls.
Best Features: RDS delivers Windows Remote Assistance, allowing IT admins to gain cooperative control of a host system upon user invitation, and Remote Desktop Connection, granting full access with the host’s user rights for local-like interaction, including printing, audio, and multi-monitor viewing. It supports in-app and web single sign-on, with security enhanced by FIPS 140-compliant encryption methods like AES 256-bit (from Windows Server 2003 onwards) or RC4 128-bit, and native multi-factor authentication via smartcards to prevent unauthorized access.
Strengths:
Ensures fast, scalable remote access across platforms
Enhances security with multi-factor authentication
Supports local-like functionality with multi-monitor views
Simplifies deployment with on-prem and cloud options
Provides cost-effective IT support for Windows devices
Pricing: Contact the Microsoft team for pricing details, included with Windows Server licensing.
Who It’s For: Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is ideal for organizations of any size needing a lightweight, cost-effective solution to offer remote IT support for Windows devices.
Splashtop SOS is a remote desktop and remote support software for IT teams and help desks, compatible with Windows, macOS, virtual machines, iOS, and Android devices, including unattended access for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Why We Picked Splashtop SOS: We picked Splashtop SOS for its fast connections and support for mobile devices. We also like its easy-to-manage interface, praised by users for both technicians and end users.
Best Features: Splashtop SOS, hosted on AWS with firewalls, DDoS mitigation, and intrusion prevention, delivers quick deployment and secures remote sessions with TLS 1.2 and AES 256-bit encryption, plus session access codes, auto-lock, idle timeouts, and connection notifications. It offers remote viewing and control, drag-and-drop file transfer, live chat, Windows desktop sharing, and remote reboot, with all connections, file transfers, and events logged for auditing, including recordable sessions saved locally. You can customize the SOS app layout to match your business interface, available in SOS for unlimited on-demand devices, SOS+10 for 10 unattended machines, and SOS Unlimited for unrestricted access.
Strengths:
Ensures rapid deployment with secure AWS hosting
Enhances security with robust encryption and logging
Supports mobile and unattended access flexibility
Simplifies support with a customizable interface
Scales with tiered package options
Pricing: Contact the Splashtop team for pricing details, with packages tailored to different access needs.
Who It’s For: Splashtop SOS is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) needing a comprehensive, easy-to-manage remote desktop solution. Larger organizations may consider Splashtop Enterprise for advanced features.
TeamViewer is a market-leading platform comprising tools for remote access, control, monitoring, management, and troubleshooting, with its flagship remote access and support product compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, IoT devices, and kiosks.
Why We Picked TeamViewer: We picked TeamViewer for its robust support for mobile devices and ease of configuration, enhancing flexibility for IT teams. We also like its strong community and responsive support team.
Best Features: TeamViewer delivers ad-hoc remote support with integrated service case management to manage tickets efficiently, offering full remote control, secure file sharing, remote printing for Windows and macOS, screen sharing for mobile devices, mobile-to-mobile connections, and live chat. Technicians can view system diagnostics remotely via the desktop app, with all sessions secured by AES 256-bit encryption and two-factor authentication for identity verification. You can benefit from SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, ISO 9001:2015 certifications, and GDPR compliance, ensuring suitability for regulated industries, with a user-friendly interface and broad device compatibility.
Strengths:
Enhances support with mobile and cross-platform access
Secures sessions with industry-standard encryption
Simplifies management with integrated case handling
Ensures compliance with robust certifications
Supports growth with a strong community network
Pricing: Contact the TeamViewer team for pricing details, with options like Remote Access, Premium, Corporate, and Tensor licenses.
Who It’s For: TeamViewer is ideal for small businesses with less experienced IT teams and larger enterprises needing a wide-featured, compliant remote desktop solution.
RealVNC, a remote desktop and remote access specialist based in Cambridge, England, offers VNC Connect as its flagship remote access solution. The Instant Support package is designed for IT teams and help desks to provide real-time, effective support, compatible with Windows and macOS.
Why We Picked VNC Connect (Instant Support): We picked VNC Connect for its ease of deployment and support for multiple authentication methods, simplifying setup for IT teams. We also like its ability to connect from iOS and Android devices.
Best Features: VNC Connect’s Instant Support includes a host (VNC Server) and client (VNC Viewer) setup, with VNC Viewer available for desktops and mobile devices, enabling technicians to offer remote control, live chat, two-way file transfer, remote printing, text copy and paste, and keyboard mapping. It secures sessions with system login credentials and end-to-end AES 128-bit encryption by default, with enterprise options for AES 256-bit encryption and multi-factor authentication via Duo, RSA SecurID, Yubico Yubikey, and FreeRADIUS. You can configure additional security features like session permissions, authentication thresholds, screen blanking for Windows, and comprehensive audit trails.
Strengths:
Simplifies setup with quick deployment and mobile access
Enhances security with customizable encryption options
Supports real-time collaboration with live chat tools
Ensures compliance with detailed audit trails
Adapts to needs with flexible authentication methods
Pricing: Contact the RealVNC team for pricing details, with Instant Support tailored for help desk needs.
Who It’s For: VNC Connect is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) needing an effective remote helpdesk for desktop devices, with customizable security options.
Zoho Assist is a cloud-based remote access software delivering unattended remote access for IT teams and MSPs, offering secure and effective support across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Raspberry Pi, and ChromeOS devices.
Why We Picked Zoho Assist: We picked Zoho Assist for its strong unattended access functionality and wide device compatibility, enhancing support flexibility. We also like its ease of use with minimal setup knowledge.
Best Features: Zoho Assist enables technicians to start remote sessions from any device via browser or mobile app, offering multi-monitor support, file transfer, one-click reboot and reconnect, live chat, voice and video chat, a shared clipboard, and high levels of aesthetic customization for a branded support experience. Technicians can share their screen for demonstrations, with all sessions secured by TLS 1.2 and AES 256-bit encryption, and file transfers protected with SSL 256-bit encryption. You can leverage activity logging for auditing, two-factor authentication via SMS or time-based passcodes, inactive session timeouts, and data anonymization for enhanced security.
Strengths:
Expands support with broad device compatibility
Ensures security with robust encryption standards
Simplifies management with unattended access
Customizes support with branded interfaces
Enhances trust with detailed audit logging
Pricing: Contact the Zoho team for pricing details, with plans ranging from one to unlimited technicians.
Who It’s For: Zoho Assist is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) seeking a secure, user-friendly remote desktop solution.
Secure remote access with file transfer and multi-monitor support.
Remote desktop and application delivery platform for enterprises.
Remote control and management tool with robust admin features.
HTML5-based remote desktop software for browser access without client installs.
Selecting the right remote desktop solution for IT teams involves aligning the platform with your organization’s technical requirements, security needs, and operational efficiency. Consider these key steps to make an informed choice:
Focus on critical features to ensure secure and efficient remote access:
Balance functionality with usability to maximize adoption and efficiency:
Our guide to the leading remote desktop software for IT teams provides a comprehensive overview of platforms designed to enable secure, efficient, and flexible remote support. The article evaluates tools based on features like cross-platform support, robust security, advanced management tools, and centralized administration, catering to IT teams of all sizes. It emphasizes balancing performance, scalability, and usability to streamline troubleshooting, enhance productivity, and ensure compliance in distributed or hybrid work environments facing increasing demands for remote access.
Key Takeaways:
We’ve explored the leading remote desktop software for IT teams, highlighting how these tools empower technicians with secure access, advanced management, and centralized administration. Now, we’d love to hear your perspective—what’s your experience with remote desktop platforms? Are features like cross-platform support, robust security, or remote management tools critical for your IT team’s support strategy?
Selecting the right remote desktop solution can transform how you deliver IT support, but challenges like connection latency or setup complexity can arise. Have you found a standout platform that’s streamlined your remote operations, or encountered hurdles with scalability or usability? Share your insights to help other IT teams navigate the remote desktop landscape and choose the best tool for their needs.
Let us know which solution you recommend to help us improve our list!
Remote desktops provide users with a way to tap into a device without needing to be physically connected to or even in the same location as the host device. Someone accessing the device in this manner will be able to interact with files, documents, and software in the cloud. While the term ‘desktop’ is primarily used, it can refer to various device types, including PCs, servers, smart devices, applications, or any device capable of enabling remote connection and access.
Remote desktop software works by capturing a device’s screen, mouse, and keyboard inputs and transmitting them to another device, where they can be controlled by a secondary user remotely. This method is commonly used by tech support professionals to troubleshoot and solve issues on a client’s computer.
A remote desktop software solution, once implemented, essentially runs on the Windows server – or the host – that powers the operating system and applications on top of it. The solution creates a virtual desktop projected onto the clients’ devices using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). This protocol captures mouse and keyboard inputs from the client devices, sending them to the server for further action.
In the modern era, home and hybrid work environments have become the norm. Since the pandemic, there’s been a significant rise in partially or fully remote workforces, with no signs of reverting to pre-pandemic conditions. According to the Office for National Statistics, data from February 2022 indicates that 84% of workers who had worked from home during the pandemic wished to continue incorporating remote work into their future routines.
This means increasingly businesses are employing remote and hybrid workers that need robust support and security. Remote desktop software tools allow these employees to maintain productivity and security, especially when the standard office structure and support are unavailable. Remote desktop software is crucial for businesses connecting teams across different locations. These solutions are excellent for delivering IT assistance or general support to those working from remote endpoints, enhancing the user experience for both employees and clients.
Modern remote desktop solutions must combine security, flexibility, and collaborative features. This combination ensures that IT teams can access devices remotely, troubleshoot issues from any location at any time, and save costs related to physical device transport.
If your organization is considering employing a remote desktop software solution there are several benefits worth considering, including:
Facilitates Remote Working
Remote desktop software facilitates remote work by making it easier for employees to complete their workday away from the office. It gives them secure access to files, data, and software programs they need to complete their daily tasks.
Makes Businesses More Scalable
Remote desktop software are highly scalable, with a range of plans available to accommodate different sized organizations. This flexibility means that organizations pay for the services and number of users they require only, saving cost and making it so that reductions and increases in the workforce can be easily accommodated as the software adapts to the organization’s needs.
Stronger Technical Support
Organizations concerned with providing good technical support would be well served by a remote desktop software solution. These solutions are a great way for IT teams to quickly identify and efficiently resolve issues. The screen sharing feature offered by these solutions also makes it easy for IT professionals to conduct educational sessions to help users learn ways to resolve these issues themselves should they reoccur in the future.
More Effective Collaboration
Remote desktop software can help teams to collaborate better by allowing them to share files and screens more easily, making idea swapping and collaborative working much easier..
Better Security
The best remote desktop software solutions will come equipped with a range of security features and protocols designed to help ensure that any remote access that is granted is done safely and securely. This should give organizations some peace of mind, to know that what might have become a potential entry point for threats will instead be robustly defended.
While using remote desktop software provides a lot of great benefits, these are challenges to consider before making the decision to incorporate this technology into your IT stack.
The first thing to be aware of is that a remote desktop solution will require bandwidth, which could potentially lead to performance issues like a lag in the movement of the mouse while accessing the computer remotely. The next important consideration to make is your choice of remote desktop software solution provider, and the features they provide.
Organizations and their IT teams should give a lot of careful consideration to which vendor they go with, being sure to choose one with the capabilities and price that suits them best. We recommend solutions that offer the following features:
Desktop Sharing
The desktop sharing feature is a key capability for a remote desktop software solution. This feature enabes users to connect to a remote desktop, allowing you to see their screen, share your own screen, or even display your screen to multiple other users.
Multiple Monitor Navigation
With multi-monitor navigation you can view several screen setups within a support session, allowing for navigation across two or more connected windows so you can switch between viewing each users monitor with a simple click.
Automatically Reboot and Reconnect
It is very important to be able to reboot a remote computer and automatically reconnect, as this allows you to bring the computer back to a cleaner state by clearing the memory and caches, boosting the performance. It is also necessary to install necessary software patches and updates.
Unattended Access
With this feature there is no need to disrupt or inconvenience the users to gain control and resolve whatever issues they are in need of assistance with. Instead, technicians can gain control independently and make the necessary changes.
Built-In Live Chat
Instant messaging is a useful tool for delivering remote tech support, allowing admins to communicate and stay up to date on what is happening on the remote end in the most quick and efficient way.
Strong Security
Security is an essential feature of any remote connection. Strong encryption and device authentication goes a long way in keeping remote connections secure, allowing workers to receive support without worrying about the security of their data and connection.
Caitlin Harris is the Deputy Head of Content at Expert Insights. As an experienced content writer and editor, Caitlin helps cybersecurity leaders to cut through the noise in the cybersecurity space with expert analysis and insightful recommendations. Prior to Expert Insights, Caitlin worked at QA Ltd, where she produced award-winning technical training materials, and she has also produced journalistic content over the course of her career. Caitlin has 8 years of experience in the cybersecurity and technology space, helping technical teams, CISOs, and security professionals find clarity on complex, mission critical topics like security awareness training, backup and recovery, and endpoint protection. Caitlin also hosts the Expert Insights Podcast and co-writes the weekly newsletter, Decrypted.
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and Founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO and founder of EPA Cloud, an email security provider that rebranded as VIPRE Email Security following its acquisition by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013. Craig is a passionate security innovator with over 20 years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with cutting-edge information security and cybersecurity solutions. Using his extensive experience in the email security industry, he founded Expert Insights with the singular goal of helping IT professionals and CISOs to cut through the noise and find the right cybersecurity solutions they need to protect their organizations.