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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
342
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

"Microsoft Intune saves eight hours per day, and during my work hours, I use my time to study and run tests on configurations I'm curious about and try them out in my environment."
"It is easy to use and easy to roll out with low impact on users; it is stable and scalable as well, and the central administration con dashboard is very easy to use and provides very good oversight on all that needs to be monitored."
"Using Azure and Intune has helped us resolve most of these issues, as we no longer need a physical infrastructure to manage systems and can push policies remotely while maintaining control over the devices."
"The best feature in Microsoft Intune is zero touch deployment, which allows me to automate many tasks compared to manually installing Windows and applications one by one, making it easier to enroll devices with Autopilot and pre-deploy applications."
"The core management feature in Intune is invaluable to us, especially considering the challenges we often face with System Center when pushing external updates."
"It's cloud-based with no need for on-premise infrastructure, you can access it anywhere and start working on it, and you will have the record of data in your hand anytime if you need it quickly."
"Remote control is the feature I like the most, as I can take control of devices so that we can work hands-on and create access with access restrictions."
"Most people prefer to use Intune if they want to implement conditional access policies to restrict customer Exchange Online or Exchange user formats emails until their devices comply."
"The performance is one of the main features of this solution."
"It allows employees to log on to corporate resources remotely."
"This solution saves us time and money because running applications directly on the server means that we can use lower-priced, entry-level computers for the users."
"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."
"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 rock solid; it’s stable and reliable, there are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn’t crash or freeze."
"It's simple and easy to use."
"It's stable, fast, compatible, and quite reliable."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its ease of use."
"The most valuable features are that it is consistently low profile and consistently works without hiccups or headaches."
"The most valuable features are that it is consistently low profile and consistently works without hiccups or headaches."
"The product’s ease of use and security are valuable."
 

Cons

"The interoperability or communication with a different platform can be better. It is a two-way street. It is not only about Microsoft. The other platforms also have to be willing to share some information, but that absolutely can be improved."
"It just doesn't handle software updates well at all by itself. You need to be a scripting wizard to make those happen properly, or you use third-party tools. The Windows feature updates are very difficult to implement. I would like to see a proprietary built-in remote control tool. I know that they have Team Viewer integrated, but it is not seamless. It would be nice if they had a seamless remote desktop capability directly from the Intune console."
"The current Intune reporting functionality could benefit from some improvements."
"There are a lot of small use cases where we realized that some technical solution was missing in Microsoft in comparison to other products."
"The configuration could be better by consolidating options and making it simpler."
"There are a lot of updates coming from Microsoft that suddenly affect our security policies."
"For an existing customer who has an SCCM, it would need to be upgraded to an MECM first before I can introduce Microsoft Intune."
"Microsoft needs to enhance device-level security, as sometimes when using Microsoft Intune, the device's operating system becomes stuck and requires a full uninstall to remove the Intune bug."
"Security in the connection between us and our clients' servers is something that can be improved."
"There is a limitation on the number of concurrent users. The limitation is 20, and you have to spin up more than one server, which is not needed at this stage because of customers."
"The performance depends on connectivity."
"Sometimes, the updates break the system."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is its security and simple configuration."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be improved because we have keyboard compatibility issues with some platforms; on macOS, we sometimes experience keyboard connectivity issues, and it can be problematic when connecting to servers that then need to connect to other servers, as the keyboard layout doesn't match."
"Sometimes difficult to set up without the requirement for login credentials each time."
"There could be better options and it could be faster."
"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

"Most of our clients come to us with licensing already in place. On average, it costs $6 per device per month to add Intune to an Office 365 subscription, but I am not sure."
"If you're subscribing to Premium or E3, there are no additional costs for Intune, it's included."
"We don't get Intune as a separate module. Most of the time, we use it within an enterprise agreement like E3 or E5. Those licenses are at a good price, but what is annoying is that every single year they go higher."
"We work with the subscription rather than a server license. I think it's economical this way because we don't have to have a server license for that, and I think that works in our favor."
"The pricing needs improvement."
"The product is expensive."
"It's reasonable. They're not giving it away, but it's reasonable."
"It comes with the E5 plan. We bought the E5 plan from Microsoft."
"The solution has a pretty comparable pricing."
"The tool must be cheaper."
"It will probably cost about $500 USD to get the resources set up in the cloud."
"The solution has a perpetual license and it is purchased upfront."
"Although not an expensive product, pricing is always something that can be improved."
"The pricing is moderate."
"The cost of the solution is low."
"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 is not cheap."
"I use the tool's free version."
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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.