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Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Parallels Access comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

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
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
384
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (3rd), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (1st)
Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...
Ranking in Remote Access
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
91
Ranking in other categories
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (2nd)
Parallels Access
Ranking in Remote Access
26th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 4.6%, down from 10.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 6.6%, down from 9.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Access is 1.8%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Access Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services6.6%
Microsoft Intune4.6%
Parallels Access1.8%
Other87.0%
Remote Access
 

Featured Reviews

HA
Senior Business Development Executive at Digitaltrack
Centralized device management has automated onboarding and improves remote security compliance
One thing I feel Microsoft Intune could improve is troubleshooting visibility. In many cases, when a policy or application deployment fails, the error messages are a bit generic. So, admins still spend time checking logs manually or testing on devices one by one. Compared to the simplicity of deployment, troubleshooting sometimes feels less mature. I also think reporting and real-time monitoring could be stronger. The dashboard gives useful information, but in large environments, many teams still depend on additional tools or scripts for deeper reporting and analytics. If I had to focus on one area first, I would probably choose troubleshooting and reporting. Deployment through Microsoft Intune is generally straightforward, but when something fails, identifying the exact root cause can still take more time than expected. Error messages are sometimes too generic, and admins often have to dig through logs, sync status, or multiple portals to understand what actually happened. I think user experience and policy management could also improve further. Microsoft Intune has become much better over the years, but sometimes the admin portal still feels fragmented because certain configurations open in different sections or redirect to older interfaces. For new admins, especially, it can take time to understand where everything is located. Another thing is policy conflict handling. In larger organizations, multiple device policies, compliance rules, and configuration profiles can overlap. When conflicts happen, the visibility is not always very clear, so admins spend time figuring out which policy actually won or caused the issue.
reviewer2795433 - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Secure remote access has protected sensitive country data and supports strict compliance needs
I understand from the IT team managing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services that it is complex to set up the multiple roles, certificates, and networks required. Networking is quite complicated. Even though on the data center side it is quite simple, maintaining the farm of other connections that connect to that server is the complex piece. I understand there are more modern systems replicating what this solution does, which are easier to use, such as Azure Virtual Desktop within Microsoft Azure Cloud or Amazon WorkSpaces, which I have used before. Rather than having to manage all the complex networking, you could abstract it away a little further in the cloud for easier use. I also understand that this tool is in an end-of-life state now, with Microsoft actively pushing people towards Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365. I do not believe further features will be rolled out due to its end-of-life state, making it a legacy solution now.
JP
CEO at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Allows users to access and operate their computers remotely
When you want to transfer a file from your iPad or remote device to the computer, the copy-and-paste feature doesn't always work. I'd have to turn on the Bluetooth a lot of times and transfer it that way on both devices, which was troublesome. However, it would sometimes randomly work. I could go on my iPad, find whatever I wanted to do, click copy, then go over to the computer through Parallels Access, click paste, and it would randomly work. I had to call Parallels many times. They would log in and try something, which would temporarily work, but then it wouldn't. When it worked, it made integration between the two things great. That was a very helpful feature that didn't get polished.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Stable solution at a good price."
"Internet-based access with security is what I have found to be most valuable. It is also a stable and scalable solution."
"I have seen a return on investment with Microsoft Intune, as it has saved me resources; previously, I managed my infrastructure with a team of around six to seven members, but after transitioning to the Microsoft Intune hybrid model, I am able to manage it with just one resource, allowing me to cut costs significantly, around 50-60 lakhs."
"It is user-friendly, and the performance is also good. It is a convenient product"
"The solution offers very good integration with broader enterprise systems and allows companies to capitalize on costs, especially if they are a Microsoft shop."
"The best features in Microsoft Intune that I appreciate most are its centralized features."
"The Autopilot feature is the most valuable because it saves significant time on managing devices. We can ship devices globally, and users can set them up on their own. It's convenient."
"Microsoft Intune has positively impacted our organization by improving our overall security posture through enforcing compliance policies and reducing access from unmanaged devices."
"We have deployed Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for logistics, CNC, and machine shop areas, and I think that it is very flexible in order to provide the correct maintenance and deploy the services."
"The most valuable features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services are unification, central management, and accessibility."
"The product is stable."
"It's simple and easy to use."
"Good screen draw feature and ability to use two monitors."
"The initial setup was straightforward and the deployment took only two hours."
"It's almost an out of the box function once you have installed the other components."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has led to measurable improvements in faster response times and increased productivity for my team as I work in a team that is spread across different time zones, and having access to remote desktop enables us to collaborate across those time zones."
"It's great that the total deployment can happen completely remotely."
"The application used to publish for mobile devices is very good and the desktop publishing is very, very good."
"We don't have problems with stability. Everything is good."
"What seems to be the most valuable from the customer side is the ease of operation, and the overall experience they have."
"It's got a very easy-to-use interface."
"Parallels Access gives me full access and control of the computer, and I can do anything I want remotely."
"Parallels Access has flexible licensing policies, which is beneficial for customers who have intermittent usage or users who are on and off the system."
 

Cons

"It doesn't economize when you scale up. We have over 14,000 employees, and we have between 7,500 and 8,000 city-owned or personal devices being used to conduct city business. Its price can be improved. It is not a cheap solution."
"Since the devices are configured over the Internet, whatever policy we apply from the compliance portal does not reflect immediately on the endpoint."
"It's only good for a Microsoft environment. While it works very well for Microsoft users but if you have other kinds of operating systems, it's very painful to use."
"However, due to access limitations, we are unable to deploy certain security features on end-user devices."
"However, with Microsoft, it takes a lot longer, and I’m not getting quick resolutions. Sometimes, I find myself bouncing around between different support groups."
"There have been instances where enrolling devices should take 10 minutes but ends up taking an hour due to various issues."
"The only issues I have had with Microsoft Intune were with applications where if they are not an MSI file, I cannot really upload it as an application."
"Almost every day during the initial deployment, I would chat with technical support for solutions. They did not give me a suitable solution to solve the false positive alarms."
"We find the services are not as transparent as we would like for our integration with Citrix."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services needs to improve its security."
"There could be some improvement in the integration of the solution."
"The stability must be improved."
"The only issue I experienced was with the initialization of the session, which affected the stability of the solution."
"The only problems that you're going to have with the remote desktop are going to be firewall ports, security, and NLA, which is a net network level access control, or TLS transfer layer security or some other SSL-type of security."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be improved by providing a way to make it configurable without using VPN from the actual service itself."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by having graphical acceleration."
"The scalability is great for small or medium-sized businesses. However, it may not scale well for enterprise-level entities."
"They could improve the reporting."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing policy. The price point is pretty aggressive."
"One challenge we do notice is that the application is limited to Windows servers only. If a customer has a Linux server, things get complicated. They should open it up a bit to be more compatible with different types of servers."
"The solution may not scale well for enterprises."
"When you want to transfer a file from your iPad or remote device to the computer, the copy-and-paste feature doesn't always work."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The E5 license is expensive."
"Licensing depends on how you are providing support to your enterprise, whether it's device-based or user-based."
"The cost is somewhat on the higher side, particularly when considering certain price points, especially in markets like India."
"Its price is in the medium range. It is acceptable because you're paying for the features. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"We don't pay for Intune because it is bundled with the premium subscription to Office 365. It includes Intune and Defender. I don't have to buy two extra products to manage my enterprise."
"Based on the features that it gives, it is cost-efficient. It is not necessarily on the expensive side of the scale. It provides a hefty number of features that any organization would want. It is in a good price range."
"I don't have any problem as far as cost is concerned. It is bundled with our license."
"The licensing costs we leave up to the customer and these vary from one to another."
"The solution has a pretty comparable pricing."
"We do not have to pay for the product."
"The tool must be cheaper."
"Its licensing is on a yearly basis. We're on the educational or academic license, and our terms are good. We're very happy with the pricing."
"The tool's pricing is high in the Slovenian market. I rate it a nine out of ten."
"I recall that you don't need to pay for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services because that's included in Windows."
"There is a licensing cost."
"The solution is overly expensive."
"The licensing costs are about $100 per user."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Construction Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
14%
Construction Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Transportation Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business195
Midsize Enterprise64
Large Enterprise190
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business45
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise36
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...
How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
The experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that the pricing is based on licensing costs and the setup ...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services can be improved in several areas. Currently, it requires a license cost, it has per...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
Our main use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is to allow multiple users to remotely access our Windows mac...
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Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Bank Alfalah Ltd.
Gilt Groupe K.K.
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Parallels Access and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
921,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.