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ISL Online vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Intune
Sponsored
Ranking in Remote Access
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
304
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (2nd), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (1st)
ISL Online
Ranking in Remote Access
21st
Average Rating
9.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...
Ranking in Remote Access
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
80
Ranking in other categories
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.6%, down from 9.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ISL Online is 1.0%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 9.4%, down from 13.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Access Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Intune9.6%
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services9.4%
ISL Online1.0%
Other80.0%
Remote Access
 

Featured Reviews

AkashKamble - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables management of multiple operating systems with a single license
The best feature is that it's a Microsoft product, so if anything goes wrong, we get quick support for anything required. Remote system functionality allows us to sit anywhere and take control of any device via remote management. We can enhance security for clients' laptops with built-in Microsoft Defender, which is available with the Microsoft Intune license. We use it for reporting purposes through endpoint analytics. When pushing scripting, there are two types available: remediation script and reservation script. Through endpoint analytics, you can push defender policies to clients. It helps with reporting, inventory updates, and monitoring tenant status health.
ErikDas - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to deploy, stable, scalable and safe
I previously used TeamViewer. ISL Online is definitely the better choice compared to TeamViewer, as it offers a more secure connection that does not involve peer-to-peer transport, and all data is encrypted. A single license for ISL Online costs about the same as TeamViewer but with multiple licenses, ISL Online is cheaper.
Terje Romen - PeerSpot reviewer
Accessing the same desktop experience from anywhere but user template creation needs improvement
Mostly we are quite happy with it. However, some of us want a more powerful desktop. When not present, we use a remote tool called Splashtop, which is a good solution for some users. We have about ten licenses for those who need a powerful workstation at the office. We have not used many different tools. We are never in contact with Microsoft. These are quite basic configurations, to be honest. It's not complicated. AI is coming to or is already in some applications we are using. Not system-wise, however, it might be good. I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. It's quite good, yet certainly not perfect.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We were trying to solve many issues, mainly the lack of centralized management. Before Microsoft Intune, we had to manually support devices one by one, installing applications and configuring policies individually. When we implemented the tool, it became much easier to manage our devices. We enroll them in Microsoft Intune and can manage all devices with a few clicks. For application management, it's the same process. If we want to deploy applications to hundreds or thousands of devices, we can do it easily with just a few clicks. This also applies to policies."
"It is a cloud-based service. It is easy to use and offers privacy."
"It's not working perfectly, but Microsoft's Autopilot offers great visibility into automated deployment solutions."
"The ability to send configurations to our systems is valuable, particularly as we don't have a regular Windows AD server. Our current environment doesn't have a Windows AD, which limits our ability to push GPOs. However, this is where the solution can step in and help us push policies."
"Microsoft Intune is very stable due to its cloud-based infrastructure and its reliability in performance."
"The automatic patch management feature in the Intune Suite is helpful."
"The feature I like the most is that we can perform remote tasks. If we want to retire or wipe out personal data or corporate data from a device, we can use Microsoft Intune remotely, and with the click of a button, data is removed automatically. Nothing needs to be done from the end-user side."
"The ability to wipe data from and reset devices is one of the most important and valuable features. If a device is reported stolen, we can freeze it or wipe the data from it, preventing data leakage."
"ISL Online is easy to use. It provides a single platform on which we can do everything, and it's very low maintenance. After installation, you don't need an IT manager or staff to watch over it. It's secure. It's most important for us."
"I personally really appreciate the file transfer feature as it is really easy to use."
"We can also monitor our systems at any time from practically anywhere."
"Setting up the solution is easy and there's no maintenance involved."
"The most valuable feature is safety."
"The code can be delivered in multiple ways, including an email with a link for an unattended connection."
"We like drawing utilities inside ISL. That helps us mark specific regions on the screen, so that end users know what to focus on."
"It's much easier to connect with other services, and it's working great. We haven't had any problems."
"It's part of the Microsoft Operating system and is free."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is that it scales well."
"We use it to connect to the legacy system."
"It is a stable product."
"The main benefit, is that it's easy for us to get the same desktop and do things in the same way regardless of our location."
"The solution is easy to deploy and there are many features available that you can turn on or off depending on your budget."
"The most valuable feature is the remote application access."
"The solution works on Microsoft servers."
 

Cons

"There's quite a lot of development that they can do within their Intune dashboard. I think there are too many lines hyperlinked to move you around. Others, in contrast, give you a simple dashboard and an intuitive administrative walkthrough."
"There could be some kind of feature that supports a workgroup environment or a separate environment without the Entra ID."
"Intune's areas for improvement revolve around security and certificate management."
"Enrollment into the Microsoft Intune service can still get easier, especially for legacy-managed systems, such as how we get it from a GPO or an SCCM configuration into Intune."
"We only have major classifications for iOS and Android, but there are different brands that have different cycles of updates. If they can fine-tune it to make it more brand-specific, that would be even better."
"At the moment, we need more flexibility. We have some offices migrating to Windows 11 remotely. Sometimes, it is difficult to manage image installation because we have to collect some information before starting image deployment. Currently, Intune cannot collect the information needed for deploying new images."
"The reports that are generated aren't so great. They don't give a lot of meaning so far, but that could be down to user knowledge than the actual reporting side of things. I'm not a big user of it, but I was a bigger user of MaaS360, and we used to be able to run weekly and monthly reports. In the case of any deviations. we'd get a warning immediately. That's not so easy to do or to get in place for Intune. This could be just a user issue, but when I compare both, that's the only thing that's lacking for me."
"From a new user's perspective, it may be a little overwhelming because there are quite a few things to look at in the console, however, once you are sort of acclimated and are familiar with your core functions, it's fairly simple and straightforward."
"There could be a section in the menu describing the new features and changes."
"They need to better advertise the features."
"There have been times during updates when something wouldn't work quite right, however, they are quick with updates and quick with fixes."
"I would like to have a little bit more information when new features are released. They have added features that I didn't know about in the past. It would be easier for me to implement new features and consolidate them with other systems in our network if I knew beforehand."
"We miss the possibility to communicate via head-set in ISL. At the moment, we combine ISL for visual communication with Skype for verbal communication."
"I would like to be able to access and manage all brands of smartphones."
"It would be helpful if they had iSupport for supporting Apple phones."
"If there is an update or new feature on ISL Online, I don't know about it. I would be happy to receive a newsletter or notification of new features or updates."
"It could be more user-friendly."
"The solution should have better security."
"We'd like, in the future, if it would work with Linux or Unix-based operating systems or even Mac."
"Its look and feel could be updated. In Azure Remote Desktop Services (RDS), which is a VDI solution, we would like to see linked clones. It is a Hyper-V solution, and it doesn't support linked clones and uses a lot of storage. That's why we don't use it. VMware has a similar solution that supports linked clones for the master image."
"The stability could be improved."
"Microsoft Desktop Services is stable but it takes up a lot of resources in the CPU. It's a bit heavier than some solutions."
"We would like configuration to be automatic and the price to be close to zero, however, that's not realistic."
"In the next release, I would like to see better performance over slower networks, and integration with Linux, but this is something that we're going to get out of Microsoft in terms of a unified solution."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price for Intune is fair."
"Microsoft Intune is a cost effective choice. It is less expensive than other products on the market."
"The tool is cheaper than our company's other MDM tools."
"We have the business premium licenses for the solution."
"I rate Intune five out of 10 for pricing. It's expensive."
"Intune is included in the Microsoft 365 licensing package that we have."
"Microsoft Intune is pretty reasonable. We have difficulty with Azure, which is probably why we have not put many assets in Azure. Everything we put there is very expensive."
"Even if they charge a premium, they aim to provide equal value."
"We have a pay-per-use license available for 500 minutes within one year for 95 Euros. However, this option is not popular. Alternatively, we can purchase a one-year license for 339 Euros; if we need two licenses, the cost is double, and for three licenses, the cost is triple with a ten percent discount. For 99 Euros a year, we can open multiple sessions on the same computer with a multi-session subscription."
"The cost of the solution is low."
"I am aware that for Azure we do have an extra license because we are leveraging on different tenants."
"The solution is overly expensive."
"We do not have to pay for the product."
"The solution is expensive. Since things are made to be a bit easier in the solution, the solution's cost is a bit on the higher side."
"The pricing could always be improved."
"The price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is reasonable."
"The solution has a perpetual license and it is purchased upfront."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
20%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Performing Arts
9%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business116
Midsize Enterprise46
Large Enterprise152
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business39
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise30
 

Questions from the Community

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
In limited use cases, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is free as it is defaulted by any Microsoft license. The paid...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
The only problem I see is that when I am connected, there is a certain lag because of the network.
 

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
No data available
Remote Desktop Services
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Mitsubishi Chemicals, Konica Minolta, Raifeissen bank, Terpel, Singtel, Teleroute, SOS Kinderdorf, Arsys, EMAAR, Dutco, Alterdata
Bank Alfalah Ltd.
Find out what your peers are saying about ISL Online vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,566 professionals have used our research since 2012.