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Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs VNC Connect 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
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
343
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (2nd), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (1st)
Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...
Ranking in Remote Access
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
88
Ranking in other categories
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (5th)
VNC Connect
Ranking in Remote Access
18th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
5.9
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 8.0%, down from 10.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 7.3%, down from 12.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VNC Connect is 2.9%, down from 3.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Access Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Intune8.0%
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services7.3%
VNC Connect2.9%
Other81.8%
Remote Access
 

Featured Reviews

Abhinandan Yadav - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt Ltd
Modern endpoint management has transformed onboarding and strengthened remote security controls
The features of Microsoft Intune are straightforward, including Windows Autopilot, zero-touch deployment, centralized device management, and conditional access security controls. Using zero-touch deployment and Windows Autopilot in Microsoft Intune has significantly improved my workflow and organization. New laptops are shipped directly to users with no IT handling needed, and there is no manual imaging or configuration required. These features have a real impact. They save hours of manual setup per device, reduce dependency on the IT team for basic provisioning, and ensure every system is configured consistently and securely. Microsoft Intune has positively impacted my organization by improving device management. Devices are managed from a single cloud console. It has reduced manual work for provisioning and configuration. It has faster onboarding using Autopilot. It has enhanced security posture through enforced compliance policies, encryption, antivirus, and password rules. Conditional access ensures only trusted devices can access resources. I have better support for remote users, as devices can be managed from anywhere with no dependency on office network or VPN for basic management. It has easy troubleshooting and policy updates.
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.
Jose Miguel Moya - PeerSpot reviewer
SACTA Architect at MRInformatica
Easy to deploy, but scalability needs improvement
There are no specific challenges I faced while using the product. I haven't used the solution to support any AI-driven projects. In our company, we need to have remote access to our labs because if not, people have to move to the laboratory, and we will spend a lot of time working. I don't know the features of VNC Connect that improved our company's support capabilities. I rate the tool a six out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Compliance and the policies that can be set are the most valuable features."
"From a solution perspective, I always recommend that you go for it."
"The most valuable feature of Intune is the central dashboard for compliance and policy management."
"Autopilot is one of the best features because we can use it during remote migration and it especially helps in this pandemic situation where we don't need any end-user computing engineer support."
"This product works very well for companies already using the full Microsoft suite."
"The solution appears to be stable and scalable."
"As the solution is a software as a service, the scalability is unlimited."
"We were able to deploy about 65 computers in under two weeks to a completely remote user base without touching any of the machines."
"Microsoft is very reasonable in its approach to cost."
"I find the ease of use of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services most valuable, as it allows me to have remote access and connect securely."
"The most valuable feature is ease of use."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by helping us function efficiently when we're not physically at certain machines."
"The solution is rock solid; it’s stable and reliable, there are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn’t crash or freeze."
"Good screen draw feature and ability to use two monitors."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of use."
"The solution is really fast."
"The most valuable features are that it is consistently low profile and consistently works without hiccups or headaches."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its ease of use."
"The product’s ease of use and security are valuable."
"The most valuable features are that it is consistently low profile and consistently works without hiccups or headaches."
 

Cons

"We would like to see support for Chrome and/or devices for Chromebooks."
"However, I dislike how it lags sometimes. I cannot work on multiple processes at the same time."
"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."
"I assess the stability of the product as low. I have faced downtime crashes and performance issues with Microsoft Intune."
"There are a lot of small use cases where we realized that some technical solution was missing in Microsoft in comparison to other products."
"There have been instances where enrolling devices should take 10 minutes but ends up taking an hour due to various issues."
"The solution could improve by having better integration with Apple."
"I expect Microsoft Intune to have more features in the cloud because there are two major functionalities that we need to be added. This is software metering and license management. These functionalities, for now, must be on-premise. For this purpose, we have set up a SQL Server and I hope that in near future this option will be in the cloud in Microsoft Intune."
"We've had a few occasions when the application has crashed suddenly, possibly due to updates."
"We've had issues with security breaches."
"There could be better options and it could be faster."
"The solution is unsuitable for direct external internet connections. You must set up a VPN and password handling to use it."
"I would like to see a web-based interface, instead of client installation to refresh the UI through HTML."
"It could be made simpler from a management perspective."
"The only problem I see is that when I am connected, there is a certain lag because of the network."
"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."
"We occasionally have issues with the graphic software of the interface."
"Improvements are required in the area of scalability since it is an aspect of the tool where there are shortcomings."
"We occasionally have issues with the graphic software of the interface."
"Ease of access is a bit of a challenge."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a license needed for this solution and it is either included in one of the enterprise license agreements. Microsoft licensing is a mathematical institute, it could be quite complex. We tend to ask specialized organizations to research what the most profitable way it would be for us to use licenses in the organizations."
"Microsoft Intune is moderately priced. There is a monthly license required to use the solution and it is approximately eight dollars per month."
"I rate Intune an eight out of ten for affordability. It's bundled with the 365 licensing, which is competitive overall."
"Intune's pricing is reasonable considering its benefits and the high costs it helps avoid."
"With one user base license, we can use Intune for up to five devices. However, with Soti MobiControl, each license is tied to a single device, meaning one license is dedicated to one device only."
"The price is reasonable, but they should lower it a bit to make it more competitive. It's cheaper than AirWatch and other products, but I still feel like Microsoft can make a base version or with Exchange online or a la carte only Intune version which will be useful. A customer who doesn't want to go full-fledged E3 or E5 can take out or consume an Intune solution only for their purpose, and we want to target that customer."
"With our standard E5 agreement with Microsoft, there have been no pricing concerns. Introductory professional services, like a fast-track service, were included with our E5 membership, and there have been no additional costs."
"It is expensive. The cost depends on the license that we choose."
"Although not an expensive product, pricing is always something that can be improved."
"It's not an expensive product."
"The solution has a perpetual license and it is purchased upfront."
"There is a licensing cost."
"I think that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is expensive compared to Login solution."
"The solution is expensive. My company pays toward the monthly licensing costs of the solution...The additional cost, apart from the solution's licensing cost, is related to the technical support a user wants."
"The solution comes free with Microsoft Windows."
"The solution is overly expensive."
"I use the tool's free version."
"The tool is not cheap."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Government
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
18%
Computer Software Company
9%
University
8%
Media Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business128
Midsize Enterprise55
Large Enterprise170
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business42
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise35
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?
Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...
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?
I was not involved in the pricing and licensing perspective, so I cannot speak too much on that. However, I know that...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
I understand from the IT team managing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services that it is complex to set up the multiple ro...
What needs improvement with VNC Connect?
The bandwidth is slow. Improvements are required in the area of scalability since it is an aspect of the tool where t...
What is your primary use case for VNC Connect?
I use the solution to get remote access to our labs.
What advice do you have for others considering VNC Connect?
There are no specific challenges I faced while using the product. I haven't used the solution to support any AI-drive...
 

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.
Telesat Canada, St. Anthony's School, Pratt and Whitney, City of Sacramento
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. VNC Connect and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
886,932 professionals have used our research since 2012.