This page is a comparison of notable remote desktop software available for various platforms.
Remote desktop software
Software Protocols Creator First public release date Latest stable year, version License Free for personal use Free for commercial use AetherPal Proprietary AetherPal Inc. 2011 2016, Valet Ammyy Admin Proprietary Ammyy Inc. 2007 2015, 3.5 AnyDesk Proprietary AnyDesk Software GmbH 2015 2025-05-7, 9.7.3 Anyplace Control Proprietary Anyplace Control Software 2002 2012, 5.4.0.0 Apple Remote Desktop RFB (VNC) Apple 2002 2023, 3.9.8. Apple Screen Sharing (iChat) Proprietary, RFB (VNC) Apple 2007 2014, 1.6 AppliDis RDP Systancia 2013, 4 SP3 Cendio ThinLinc RFB (VNC) Cendio AB 2003 2026-08-21, 4.21.0 Free use limited to 10 concurrent users. Chrome Remote Desktop Chromoting Google 2011 2025, 139.0.7258.8 Citrix XenApp/Presentation Server/MetaFrame/WinFrame RDP, ICA Citrix Systems 1995 2018-06-01, 7.18 Ericom Connect Proprietary Ericom Software 2015 2019, 9.1 GO-Global Proprietary GraphOn Goverlan Systems Management (Goverlan Reach Remote Control) Proprietary, RDP, RFB (VNC), Intel vPro KVM, SSH Goverlan Systems Management 1998 2019, 9.01 GoToMyPC Proprietary Citrix Online 2000 2013 HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS) / ZCentral Remote Boost HP RGS HP Inc 2003 2022-05-01, 22.1 IBM Director Remote Control Proprietary IBM I'm InTouch Proprietary Communique 2000 2015, 9.51 Krdc RFB (VNC), RDP Tim Jansen, Urs Wolfer, a.o. 2010 2021-03-04, 20.12.3 LogMeIn Resolve Proprietary GoTo 2023 2025-11-12 MeshCentral WebRTC Yilan Saint-Hilaire 2007 2026, 1.1.56 Mikogo Proprietary BeamYourScreen GmbH 2015-03-24, 5.2.2 NetSupport Manager Proprietary NetSupport Software 1989 2019 Netviewer Proprietary Netviewer AG NX technology (NoMachine) Proprietary NoMachine 2003 2025-01-28, 8.16.1 Oracle Secure Global Desktop Software/Sun VDI AIP Tarantella/Oracle Inc. 1997 , 5.2.903 Parsec Proprietary Parsec Cloud, Inc 2016 , 3.5 Proxy Networks Proprietary Funk Software Inc. 1993 2020-01-29, 10.2 QVD NX and HTTP Qindel Group 2001 , 4.2 rdesktop RDP Matthew Chapman 2001 2019, 1.9.0 RealVNC VNC Server/Viewer Proprietary, RFB (VNC), SSH RealVNC 2002 2025-10-16, Server 7.15.1, Viewer 7.15.1 Remmina RDP, RFB (VNC), SPICE, XDMCP, SSH, EXEC Originally written by Vic Lee 2009 2025-01-05, 1.4.39 Remote Desktop Services/Terminal Services RDP Microsoft 1998 2016 Remote Utilities Proprietary Alex Ter-Osipov, Remote Utilities LLC 2004 2019 RustDesk Custom Rendezvous protocol Purslane Ltd. 2020 2026-01-09, 1.4.5 ScreenConnect Proprietary Elsinore Technologies 2008 2026, 26.2 Single-technician license - 1 connection - 3 unattended access agents Splashtop Proprietary Splashtop Inc 2010 2026-01-19, 3.8.0.4 No SSH with X forwarding X11 1999 2015, OpenSSH: 7.1, protocol: 2.0 Sun Ray/SRSS ALP Symantec pcAnywhere Proprietary Symantec Corporation 1986 2012, 12.6.65 TeamViewer Proprietary TeamViewer GmbH 2005 2025, 15.70.3 (Windows), 15.70.4 (macOS & Linux) Techinline RDP Techinline Ltd. 2006 2016, 4.2.2 TigerVNC RFB (VNC) Red Hat, Cendio AB, The VirtualGL Project 2009 2025-02-13, 1.15.0 TightVNC RFB (VNC) GlavSoft LLC, Constantin Kaplinsky 2001 2024-06-17, 2.8.85 Timbuktu Proprietary WOS Datasystems pre-1988 2013, 8.8.5 (macOS)/9.0.5 (Windows) TurboVNCRFB (VNC) The VirtualGL Project 2004 2026-08-20, 3.3.1 UltraVNC RFB (VNC) Rudi De Vos, Ludovic Bocquet 2002 , Veyon RFB (VNC) 2005 2021-03-11, 4.5.4 Vinagre RFB (VNC), SPICE, RDP, SSH The GNOME Project 2007 2019-05-08, 3.32.2 xpra Bencode-based, rencode-based, YAML-based, RFB (VNC) for desktop mode Nathaniel Smith 2008 2025-04-23, 6.3. X11vnc RFB (VNC) Karl Runge 2001 2019, 0.9.16. X2Go NX Oleksandr Shneyder and Heinz-M. Graesing 2006 2020-02-13, 4.1.2.2 x2x X11 David Chaiken 1996 2003, 1.27
Operating system support
Software Windows macOS Linux FreeBSD Java (client) Android iOS rowspan="2" Windows Mobile rowspan="2" Server Client Server Client Server Client Server Client Client ServerClientServer Server Client AetherPal Ammyy Admin AnyDesk AppliDis Apple Remote Desktop Cendio ThinLinc Citrix XenApp Ericom Connect GO-Global Goverlan Systems Management (Goverlan Reach Remote Control) GoToMyPC HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS) / ZCentral Remote Boost . IBM Director Remote Control I'm InTouch KRDC LogMeIn Pro Mikogo NetSupport Manager Netviewer NX Technology (NoMachine) Oracle Secure Global Desktop Software Parsec Proxy Networks QVD rdesktop RealVNC Free RealVNC Personal RealVNC Enterprise Remmina Remote Desktop Services/Terminal Services . Remote Utilities RustDesk ScreenConnect Splashtop SSH with X forwarding 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. . Sun Ray/SRSS Sub7 Symantec pcAnywhere TeamViewer . . . . . . . . . Techinline TigerVNC Requires installation from source. TightVNC 1.3.x version only Timbuktu TurboVNC UltraVNC Veyon xpra No seamless mode No seamless mode Working code exists but it is unmaintained The server includes a built-in HTML5 client X11vnc X2Go . . x2x It is designed to run only on the client; it can connect to any X11 server. This could actually work when running an X server, but it is easier to use Win2VNC instead. MeshCentral Software Server Client Server Client Server Client Server Client Java (client) Client Server ClientServer rowspan="2" Server Client rowspan="2"
Features
Software AetherPal Client & server Unlimited Ammyy Admin Client & server AnyDesk Client & server Unlimited (depends on license) Anyplace Control Client & server Unlimited AppliDis Client & server Unlimited Apple Remote Desktop Client & server Unlimited Apple Screen Sharing(iChat) Client & server Unlimited Cendio ThinLinc Client & server (Linux only) Unlimited Chrome Remote Desktop Client & server Unlimited Citrix XenApp Client & server Unlimited Ericom Connect Client & server Unlimited GO-Global Client & server Goverlan Systems Management(Goverlan Reach Remote Control) Client & server Unlimited GoToMyPC ? HP Remote Graphics Software(RGS) Client & server Unlimited IBM Director Remote Control Client & server I'm InTouch Web client & Win server KRDC Client only LogMeIn Pro only Mikogo Client & server NetSupport Manager Client & server Unlimited Netviewer Client & server NX technology (NoMachine) Client & server Oracle Secure Global Desktop Software/Sun VDI Client & server ParsecClient, Win8+ server & Enterprise Relay Proxy Networks Client, server, & gateway Unlimited QVD Client & server Unlimited rdesktop Client only RealVNC Home Client, server & listening in listening mode Unlimited RealVNC Professional Client, server & listening in listening mode Unlimited RealVNC Enterprise Client, server & listening in listening mode Unlimited Using a Java applet. Remmina Client only Unlimited 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. Remote Desktop Services/Terminal Services Client & server Unlimited Remote Utilities Client & server Unlimited (depends on license) RustDesk Client & server ScreenConnect Client & server Splashtop Client & server Unlimited SSH with X forwarding Client & server Unlimited . Sun Ray/SRSS Client, server, & hardware Sub7 Client & server Symantec pcAnywhere Client & server TeamViewer Client & server 3-15 Techinline Client & server 1 or unlimited TightVNC Client, server & listening in listening mode Unlimited TigerVNC Client, server & listening in listening mode Unlimited Timbuktu Client & server TurboVNC Client, server & listening in listening mode Unlimited UltraVNC Client & server & listening Yes, with SC version + external "Repeater" server Unlimited Veyon Client & server Unlimited Token-Based xpra Client & server Unlimited X11vnc Server only Unlimited X2Go Client & server x2x Client only MeshCentral Client & server Unlimited
Terminology 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. 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
See also Comparison of SSH clients List of Remote Desktop Protocol clients
Notes
References