My company uses Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for our company's accounting software, which doesn't have a cloud solution. In our company, we deployed a server with the help of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
Technical Support Manager at It Outsourced
An easy-to-install and easy-to-use solution with a high a capacity of RAM
Pros and Cons
- "The installation of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was easy."
- "The biggest reason we don't use the solution for our company's clients is the solution's prices."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable feature is that it's a technology that we are familiar with in our company. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has been around since Windows NT 4 domain, making it a very familiar solution. It was easy to find a lot of clients familiar with the idea of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services since it was not a new concept to them. In general, the solution tends to work well. It is an easy-to-use solution.
What needs improvement?
The biggest reason we don't use the solution for our company's clients is the solution's prices. In our company, we do our own hosting through a hosting partner since this method offers a much cheaper price. Finding entry-level servers that are limited in the IOPS is frustrating. In our company, we feel quite restricted on the speed that we can get out of the entry-level type of service that we use, making it difficult to sell the solution, especially when clients compare the cloud solution to an on-premises solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for five to six years. I work at an IT support company that resells, implements, and offers support for Microsoft products.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
My company is happy with the stability of the solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I think it's a very scalable product. The product's scalability depends on how big our company's clients are, so it is not an area we need to worry about since you can use its gateway server for different servers.
My company works with small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support doesn't get covered under Office 365.
My experience with other Microsoft support, apart from Office 365, has not been that fantastic since I remember being quite shocked using the solution.
I haven't used support for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
How was the initial setup?
The installation of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was easy.
The installation of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services takes around four hours.
The solution is deployed on the cloud and on-premises.
A single technician is involved with the deployment part of the product in our company.
What was our ROI?
In our company, we consider Microsoft Remote Desktop Services as more of an added service than something that generates income for us. We do make a little bit of income with the help of the solution, but most of all, it's just a value-added service that the product provides for our company. Our company won't get rich by selling Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive. My company pays toward the monthly licensing costs of the solution, though we also have the option to opt for perpetual licensing offered by Microsoft. Microsoft licensing models are quite complex, so we tend to use a monthly subscription-based model in our company.
The additional cost, apart from the solution's licensing cost, is related to the technical support a user wants.
What other advice do I have?
Though not a lot, some maintenance is required for the solution. One person can do the maintenance of the solution.
I would tell those planning to use the solution not to underspec the server, especially with IOPS, while keeping in mind that the amount of RAM can be more than expected. I would say that the need for a VPN, owing to security reasons, is important.
I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller

Head of IT at a engineering company with 10,001+ employees
Scales well but reliability could improve
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is that it scales well."
- "The reliability of the solution could improve."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is a remote desktop service to connect outside our company.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is that it scales well.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for approximately eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The reliability of the solution could improve.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately 60 to 400 people using the solution.
I rate the scalability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used VMware and switched to Microsoft Remote Desktop Services because the price was lower.
What about the implementation team?
The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was done by our company.
What other advice do I have?
We are going to discontinue the use of this solution within a few months.
The newer versions of the solutions work better than the older ones.
I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services
May 2025

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Web Manager at a healthcare company with 1-10 employees
Useful as a help desk service and comes free with Microsoft services, but has a complex setup
Pros and Cons
- "It's part of the Microsoft Operating system and is free."
- "The administrative functionality is not enough for me."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution as a remote desktop. I'm using it over a VPN and SSH too.
What is most valuable?
I like how it shows the user how you can do things as a help desk service.
It's part of the Microsoft Operating system and is free. If comes with the larger Microsoft licensing.
What needs improvement?
It's so insecure, and it's so limited. It became more limited since we cannot use the administration tools. Nothing is really working at this moment. I'm using it over a VPN and SSH too.
I've tried Microsoft's user assistance, and it's limited.
The administrative functionality is not enough for me. I don't want the user to see what I am doing. I don't want to reveal any authorization keys or passwords. I want to be in the background, managing the desktop and using the Remote Desktop Viewer while handling best practices.
I'd like a chat function so we can talk right there in the app. It would be better than picking up the phone and guiding the users.
I'd like stronger security.
I'd like to lock the session and take over a session so the user can just watch what I am doing and not interfere.
While the setup looks simple, in the end, it is pretty complex.
A big upgrade would be if they stepped back from the TCP RDP port they are using and design it after an SSH tunneling and use that port since a tunnel is between two devices, and it is a very secure way to connect. The added benefit is you would also have the possibility to share local and remote resources.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for a long time. I've used the product for more than seven years. I've likely used it since Windows 7.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is okay, depending on the internet connection. I'd rate it seven out of ten for its general level of stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Basic remote services are not very scalable. I'm trying to use InTune instead, which seems to have more of the functionality I need.
Right now, usage is limited, and we only have ten people on the solution. It's used mainly by people who are not always in the same location.
How are customer service and support?
User support is limited. They lack documentation. However, there is a learning center at Microsoft.com, which is pretty good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used Log Meln previously. It's a lot better, yet it is quite expensive. There's also TeamViewer, which is well known, and we've used it before. Once again, with the things I do, it is expensive. As a company, you need to pay a big fee. It's not ideal for small teams.
How was the initial setup?
The solution starts off simple in terms of deployment. However, it gets complex. You have to open locked ports, and that can make your network insecure.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is great as it's free in the larger Microsoft system. It's integrated with the operating system. For me, the licensing is a five out of five in terms of useability and affordability.
What other advice do I have?
I'm an end-user.
The solution is used on-prem with VPN tunneling and SSH. With an Azure AD connection, we can use it on the cloud.
It's not the best, as the users can always see what you are doing, which is not always ideal. I'd rate it six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Information Technology Consultant at Eta2u
Easy to use with good availability and reliability
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is stable and reliable."
- "We'd like to see more integration with other vendors."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for accessing services in our infrastructure, and also, since it's a remote service solution, the desktop infrastructure.
How has it helped my organization?
I use the solution as a necessity in order to connect to some servers or to some desktop infrastructure.
What is most valuable?
The availability is very good.
It's easy to use. New users especially find it very simple. You just connect and go.
The solution is stable and reliable.
You can combine the Remote Desktop Services with Citrix in some form, however, not with all of the features of both. It depends on the situation.
What needs improvement?
We'd like to see more integration with other vendors.
The solution could offer better, easier scalability.
Technical support response times could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and the performance is good. It's reliable. I haven't had issues with it. There are no bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability maybe should be improved. I'm not sure, with the latest version, how scalable it is. We had issues a few years ago and I worked closely with the guys that implemented them. I know that there were better products in the market on the side of scalability. It could scale a lot easier or faster.
Right now, we have about 100 people on-premises using the solution. We are a small firm.
How are customer service and support?
I don't have much experience with Microsoft services or support.
As far as I've seen, they are there. However, they are kind of slow. That said, it's not something we can generalize and say, "Well, this is Microsoft." In our experience, they are okay.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We use Vendor Desktop Infrastructure. We still use Citrix and we used VMware Horizon as well.
How was the initial setup?
I wasn't a part of the initial setup and, therefore, can't speak to the process.
That said, I do not recall the team having any major issues.
We have a team of two engineers that can handle deployment and maintenance tasks. It's good to have a few people available in case someone goes on holidays or has a day off, et cetera.
What about the implementation team?
Our team handled the implementation in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not aware of the exact costs of licensing. You might have to budget a bit for maintenance, however, it's very minimal.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We test a lot of solutions as we use a lot of different products with clients. We must remain sharp, so we spend some time looking into many options to see what would work best for each customer.
If it's something new appears in the market, we will install it in order to see if it's okay to recommend to our customers.
What other advice do I have?
We are a Microsft partner. Microsoft product is used in over 90% of the corporate environment here.
This solution is a technology implemented in our company. My position is in the IT department; I also sometimes help troubleshoot.
We tend to use the latest version. We are using both cloud and on-premises deployments.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Endpoint & Digital Workplace Management at Telekom Malaysia
Easy to deploy and there are many features available that you can turn on or off depending on your budget
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to deploy and there are many features available that you can turn on or off depending on your budget."
- "I would like to be able to leverage it on other operating systems."
What is our primary use case?
My current role is as an Assistant General Manager in Point Application Services. I am a global administrator for Microsoft 365. We chose this solution based on the requirements we had.
What is most valuable?
We are using Azure Virtual Desktop, this is the most valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
The product can be improved by ensuring that people can access it from anywhere and be leveraged on any kind of device virtually. We are leveraging it on some laptops and PCs, but not on mobile devices. I would like to see Virtual Desktop leverage these devices in the future.
Furthermore, I would like to be able to leverage it on other operating systems. Currently, we only leverage it on Microsoft Windows. By being able to access other technologies, companies and users can use multiple technologies.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for less than 3 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. We are not leveraging all the applications on Azure Virtual Desktop yet.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We are able to scale up with Microsoft Remote Desktop.
How are customer service and support?
The support we receive from Microsoft is great.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to using Microsoft Remote Desktop, we were using Citrix VDI. We are still using both solutions with different perspectives because on is leveraging on-premise and the other on the cloud.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is straightforward. By using Microsoft, you have access to the Wizard, which is helpful.
What about the implementation team?
We used the Microsoft team to deploy the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not responsible for licensing and pricing. I am aware that for Azure we do have an extra license because we are leveraging on different tenants. The first tenant is only leveraging on Microsoft 365.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is easy to deploy and there are many features available that you can turn on or off depending on your budget.
I would rate this solution a 10 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Technology Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Secure Connections and Flexible Access Enhance Work Efficiency
Pros and Cons
- "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 only problem I see is that when I am connected, there is a certain lag because of the network."
What is our primary use case?
My current use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is connecting to services which are specific to a remote location because I am working from India. There are times that I need to connect to those services, so via Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, I access that system because I need to connect to VPN. Some services are specific to a particular location and shouldn't be accessed here, so I connect to that Remote Desktop to use it. It's mainly for support and management activities.
What is most valuable?
I find the ease of use of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services most valuable, as it allows me to have remote access and connect securely. Another valuable feature is file transfers, as it enables me to move files between local and remote machines efficiently.
The main benefits that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services provide to me include streamlining my working process, ensuring security, and offering flexibility to connect to virtual desktops and apps from multiple devices.
What needs improvement?
The only problem I see is that when I am connected, there is a certain lag because of the network.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for five, six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
For stability, I would rate the product an eight.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability, or ability to expand, a seven.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support from Microsoft is something I have never used, but I would give them a seven or eight.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
What other advice do I have?
I am not working with products such as Intune, Remote Desktop, or storage solutions such as Azure. Currently, I am using all the Microsoft tools that are available such as Office and Power BI. I have completed some certifications for Azure, but I am not an avid user of Azure. I am not sure if I bought Microsoft Remote Desktop Services on AWS Marketplace or directly from Microsoft because it is provided through my organization. I have experience with virtualization, but I haven't used the session virtualization feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. I do not use the centralized application management function of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services or the centralized dashboard. The solution is cloud-based. I am using multi-factor authentication through Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, and I would rate it a nine. Overall, I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Last updated: Jun 14, 2025
Flag as inappropriateStudent at Queens University Belfast
Saves time and is convenient to use, but the stability must be improved
Pros and Cons
- "The product saves time."
- "The stability must be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use the tool to switch to my company’s Windows desktop from my personal system.
What is most valuable?
The product saves time. It is convenient to use. It is a smart solution. The security is good.
What needs improvement?
The stability must be improved.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product’s stability a six out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have a bunch of users.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is easy. It took five to seven minutes. The solution is cloud-based.
What about the implementation team?
We can do the deployment ourselves. We install an application and connect to the server. We must provide our credentials to connect to the tool.
What other advice do I have?
People who want to use the product must do a bit of research before making a decision. We faced compatibility issues since some users were using different operating systems. So, our organization asked us to use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Windows is a very common operating system used all over the world. Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Head of Infrastructure and Application Support Department at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Straightforward with a good user interface and an easy setup
Pros and Cons
- "The solution works well as a remote desktop."
- "The pricing could be better."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for security purposes. For example, blocking copy-paste.
What is most valuable?
The solution works well as a remote desktop.
The security is good. It can block copy-paste attempts.
It's a straightforward product.
The user interface is good. It's just a plain Windows interface. It's easy to understand.
It is very easy to set up.
What needs improvement?
There isn't any feature missing.
I don't like Windows too much. The whole idea of the remote desktop is nonsense in the Unix world.
The pricing could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for 20 years. I've used it for two decades or so. It's been used by me for a long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
While the solution is stable, it is sometimes slow. I'd rate the stability at eight out of ten. It is mostly reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Windows isn't really scalable. I'd rate it six out of ten in terms of scalability.
We use the solution enterprise-wide. We likely have 100 people using it. We do not have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
I've never used technical support in the past.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Citrix in the past as well. I used it for different use cases. We like Microsoft for its small-scale simplicity. It is not VDI, per se. It's just a remote desktop.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple and straightforward. The product is very simple.
Its deployment only takes a half-day. The software makes everything very easy. you just buy the license and install it. I'm not very technical and therefore don't know all of the steps.
One person who is knowledgeable can handle the initial setup. Typically, it doesn't require anyone with high skill levels.
What about the implementation team?
We can handle the setup ourselves.
What was our ROI?
The ROI isn't the best as it is a pretty expensive product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You do need to pay for a license and it is expensive. We have a perpetual license. The more users you have the more expensive it can be.
What other advice do I have?
We are using the latest version of the solution. We are using the solution that comes with the Windows Server between 2019 and 2022.
I'd recommend the solution to others.
I would rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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