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Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Zoho Assist 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
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
377
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (1st), 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
6.1
Number of Reviews
91
Ranking in other categories
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (2nd)
Zoho Assist
Ranking in Remote Access
28th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.1
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 4.8%, down from 10.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 6.4%, down from 10.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoho Assist is 2.1%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Access Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Intune4.8%
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services6.4%
Zoho Assist2.1%
Other86.7%
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.
HT
Senior ZOHO Consultant at self-employed
Inexpensive with useful screen monitoring and screen sharing capabilities
I'm using the latest version of the solution. I'd recommend others switch over to Zoho. It's flexible and highly efficient while being very user-friendly. If users have remote sessions, it's quite useful; however, if there are no remote sessions needed, the solution itself isn't very useful. I'd rate the product nine 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

"Intune reduces the load on our on-prem Active Directory by having everything go to one Intune panel, so we can configure group policies, deploy applications, and manage devices, and it has really improved our operations."
"It is very stable and scalable because this is a cloud-only solution."
"The ability to manage devices with different sets of policies is most valuable."
"The security posture is very good. It's very customizable."
"Microsoft Intune not only saves costs by reducing the number of personnel needed but also offers a comprehensive solution for managing laptops, applications, security, individual access, and enrollment."
"Microsoft Intune has positively impacted our organization by covering processes, improving security, and saving time."
"Microsoft integrated BitLocker and Active Directory into Intune, simplifying management."
"The best features of Microsoft Intune include helping to know if computers are configured correctly and if users have access to apps or the platform."
"The availability is very good; it's easy to use, and new users especially find it very simple as you just connect and go."
"The most valuable feature is the remote application access."
"Installing Microsoft Desktop Services is straightforward."
"The solution is scalable."
"The solution works on Microsoft servers."
"The valuable features I mentioned assure a stable and highly available environment with maximum uptime for business users."
"Mostly we are quite happy with it."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to remote in rapidly and securely."
"Technical support is easy to reach."
"Screen monitoring and screen sharing, as well as screen remote control, are all very useful features."
"It is a scalable solution. "
"For five years of using the product, there are no issues; there are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze."
 

Cons

"Sometimes, it takes time to synchronize the policies between the portal and the devices, you don't have a way to estimate how long it will take to deploy. You have some kind of gray area, where it can deploy in 30 minutes or three days."
"I would like to see micro VPN. I like the way that some of the other providers have done something similar where, as you open that app on an end-point device, it creates a micro VPN straight into your device, which is quite a nice little feature. Also, Microsoft Intune relies heavily on its fellow products in the suite. It would be nice if Microsoft Intune could stand on its own two feet."
"I would like to see easier pushdowns. Currently, we have to package our own software and then push it. Intune can make that way easier and integrate applications, such as Zoom and Adobe Acrobat, that are used by a lot of enterprise or corporate organizations."
"I have faced stability issues with Microsoft Intune plenty of times, but I think it's part of the process."
"I heard some pain points. The main thing is the learning curve. It took time to implement. It was not the best product starting out of the gate."
"The security aspect could be more effective. We are using other applications to manage network devices and groups, so if Microsoft Intune could improve in this area, especially on a network level, it would be a real advantage."
"There is room for improvement in integration and security as well."
"Historically, Group Policy has simplified the management of various items, such as printer and drive mappings and while Intune offers workarounds, it lacks native support for these functionalities. This is an area I believe needs improvement."
"Teams component can be a bit cumbersome to use. It takes some time to get it working as expected."
"Sometimes difficult to set up without the requirement for login credentials each time."
"I want to connect easily from an external network even when I'm not in my enterprise or company. It should be easy to connect or integrate Microsoft Teams, for example, with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services."
"I think that the Single Sign-On (SSO) could be improved."
"I would like to see a web-based interface, instead of client installation to refresh the UI through HTML."
"We have used Citrix previously and it is more stable but it's a more expensive platform."
"Sometimes the server stops working, and we don’t know why. Occasionally we’ll get a message to the effect of "There is no remote license.""
"We'd like more granular security control of the desktop services."
"It could be integrated with IT management tools."
"They do have some glitches in the microphone and speaker, especially during remote access."
"Support could be more knowledgeable."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"All security solutions worldwide are expensive. Microsoft has allowed a small scale of features within Microsoft Intune for cost-efficient solutions. If you want the full suite, you need to invest more to gain better security features."
"No one can compete with Microsoft when it comes to price, and the features it is offering."
"Microsoft Intune is moderately priced. There is a monthly license required to use the solution and it is approximately eight dollars per month."
"For organizations that are a Microsoft shop, the pricing is compelling."
"It is expensive. The cost depends on the license that we choose."
"It's reasonable. They're not giving it away, but it's reasonable."
"Its licensing model is not complex, but it is very expensive compared to other solutions. They can bring more models and reduce the pricing. They should allow customers to select the features they want and price it accordingly."
"The tool is cheaper than our company's other MDM tools."
"The cost of the solution is low."
"It will probably cost about $500 USD to get the resources set up in the cloud."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comes free as part of Microsoft Windows."
"The tool's pricing is high in the Slovenian market. I rate it a nine out of ten."
"The solution comes free with Microsoft Windows."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is less expensive than some other solutions on the market."
"The tool must be cheaper."
"The pricing could always be improved."
"Its scalability depends on the business model we purchase."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business192
Midsize Enterprise62
Large Enterprise187
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.
Hitachi, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, United Nations Foundation, element
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Zoho Assist and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
914,938 professionals have used our research since 2012.