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CEO at iSolute Ltd
MSP
Top 5
Affordable solution and has an easy installation process
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution performs well and is easy to use."
  • "It could be more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

The solution helps users to access desktops remotely.

What is most valuable?

The solution performs well and is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft's desktop versions have a limit of only one concurrent session. It needs to be improved. Also, they should enhance the solution's user interface. It could be more intuitive compared to TeamViewer and AnyDesk. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution's stability as a nine.

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
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Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have used VNC Viewer, UltraVNC, and TeamViewer before.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is easy to install.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution's license is affordable.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend the solution to others and rate it as a nine.

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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2092029 - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at a recruiting/HR firm with 11-50 employees
Real User
Easily integrates with other Microsoft products, is stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "I give the stability a nine out of ten."
  • "We encounter challenges with portability, especially for users of iOS devices."

What is our primary use case?

We predominantly use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to access our server. Our team works remotely and needs to log in to perform tasks such as billing. We had two options: either use our existing internal infrastructure or move to the cloud. However, we also required remote printing services so that team members could print from their local desktops. To achieve this, we implemented terminal printing services, VPN, and remote desktop. The purpose was to enable both on-site and remote team members to perform billing tasks, invoicing, and tracking truck movement.

What is most valuable?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services meets all our requirements.

What needs improvement?

We encounter challenges with portability, especially for users of iOS devices. It becomes particularly difficult for us to manage if both ends have iOS devices, whereas having the same infrastructure with Microsoft Windows environments on both ends works seamlessly. The licensing of iOS presents problems for third-party integration and has room for improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for eight months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I give the stability a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I give the scalability an eight out of ten.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. We activated the solution smoothly and completed the deployment within a day. Beforehand, the distributor's tech team came to discuss our network and gain an understanding of everything. It took them a day to configure the solution. Although everything went smoothly thereafter, we encountered some initial challenges. Specifically, we faced issues connecting to the local and remote printers, as printing services were not functioning properly. To address this, we worked on it for a day and met our requirements within two to three days. It's worth noting that the solution isn't entirely plug-and-play, and there are challenges that require mitigation.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was completed in-house with the help of the distributor techs.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost is fair.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution a ten out of ten.

We have around 70 people using the solution within our Accounting, Billing, and Sales departments.

I recommend Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to others.

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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1185063 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Manager of Software and Controls at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Simple remote system access, reliable, and uncomplicated setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is the ability to remote into a system that is not on-premises."
  • "Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by having a better application for managing multiple sessions. There used to be one but they stopped supporting it."

What is our primary use case?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is used to connect to other systems.

How has it helped my organization?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has helped our organization because it provides easier access to desktops without having to be physically on-site.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is the ability to remote into a system that is not on-premises.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by having a better application for managing multiple sessions. There used to be one but they stopped supporting it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Microsoft Remote Desktop Services within the last 12 months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability could improve by having a multi-session manager.

Our IT department uses Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is simple, it is not complex.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comes free as part of Microsoft Windows.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Support Technician at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Real User
Offers a very secure network by enabling restriction of user numbers and accessibility when required
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution now includes a multi-screen feature which is great."
  • "Sometimes difficult to set up without the requirement for login credentials each time."

What is our primary use case?

We predominantly use RDS to connect up to a computer and a LAN. We are non-profit and help other non-profits with their technology. We are customers of Microsoft. 

What is most valuable?

This is a user-friendly solution and I'm very pleased that RDS now includes multi-screen. If you're remotely controlling a system that has two monitors, you can split and have your own, it's a nice feature. I like the ubiquity of the product, the fact that it's around as a protocol, and that it can be utilized at the admin level to look at any console that one might need. You don't need to think about it very much. Of course, the fact that it uses an active directory for security and authentication is pretty nice. It helps secure a network to a large extent because you can really restrict the number of users and accessibility if needed. Those are all good things.

What needs improvement?

I've sometimes had trouble setting up an RDS connection if I want a specific user to be able to log in with their credentials and have the RDS element retain those settings so that the password isn't required each time. There can be issues with that. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for many, many years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I've got no issues with the stability of RDS. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't have much to offer regarding scalability. We use RDS predominantly for admin connection to other servers in a network. I might log into one computer in a remote network and then use RDS to get from that server to a different server but that's as far as it goes.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is relatively straightforward, especially if you're familiar with the solution. Most organizations we deal with have a technician, or at least a network administrator who deals with any day-to-day issues. We generally maintain the operating system for these organizations and we run updates on them all the time.

What other advice do I have?

There's nothing to be afraid of with this solution. I don't have any problems with it, it's great for me. 

I rate this solution 10 out of 10. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1694097 - PeerSpot reviewer
Process Control and Automation Engineer - PCD Administrator at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Stable and easy to use product, could be made simple from the perspective of the end user
Pros and Cons
  • "The technical support is good."
  • "From the perspective of an IT professional, Microsoft Remote Desktop is very easy to use. However, it could be made easier to use for the end user, especially when it comes to activating it."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft Remote Desktop if we want, for example, to help a user that has a problem. We can also use it to take the control of a computer on a remote location.

What is most valuable?

The simplicity of the product has been most valuable to me. This is especially true if you use a Microsoft product to connect to Microsoft Remote Desktop. There is no broker in between. Microsoft Remote Desktop is something that comes with Windows at no cost unless you use a Microsoft server.

For me, it boils down to simplicity. There is no cost and the setup is easy. 

What needs improvement?

From the perspective of an IT professional, Microsoft Remote Desktop is very easy to use. However, it could be made easier to use for the end user, especially when it comes to activating it.

Microsoft could also improve the sustainability of this product, especially in terms of account redundancy. They could also add something like a log to make more easy to use so that they can easily prevent some of the failures. I think Microsoft can do better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft servers for more than 20 years. My first Microsoft server was NT 3.5.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft Remote Desktop is quite stable product now, particularly if you compare it to previous version.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Microsoft Remote Desktop is scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good. I have had some issues with them, but most of time the technical support is good. Phone support is difficult for me to use but the Microsoft Knowledge Base has been helpful. It is easy to find solutions to problems in the knowledge base. You can also get email support, which is useful. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Kannan Raja - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Executive at a leisure / travel company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 10
Installation is straightforward and done by a vendor engineer
Pros and Cons
  • "Installing Microsoft Desktop Services is straightforward."
  • "Microsoft Desktop Services is stable but it takes up a lot of resources in the CPU. It's a bit heavier than some solutions."

What is our primary use case?

We're using Microsoft Remote Desktop to remotely log into computers via terminal services.

What needs improvement?

Microsoft Desktop Services is stable but it takes up a lot of resources in the CPU. It's a bit heavier than some solutions.

For how long have I used the solution?

About a year.

How was the initial setup?

Installing Microsoft Desktop Services is straightforward. It was handled by the vendor. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft Desktop Services eight out of 10. At the moment, I wouldn't recommend it to others. 

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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1549326 - PeerSpot reviewer
ICT Infrastructure Specialist at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Very reliable and scalable, good pricing, and supports HTML5 web client
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of this solution at the moment is the HTML5 web client. You get a browser experience, not just the terminal sort of client, and the integration with Azure multi-factor application."
  • "Its look and feel could be updated. In Azure Remote Desktop Services (RDS), which is a VDI solution, we would like to see linked clones. It is a Hyper-V solution, and it doesn't support linked clones and uses a lot of storage. That's why we don't use it. VMware has a similar solution that supports linked clones for the master image."

What is our primary use case?

Our use case is two-fold. We use it for securing workplaces in our on-premise environment for remote users. We also use it for management. We manage most of our environments from a secure remote desktop in our data center. We connect through a remote desktop gateway with a two-factor application installed there.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of this solution at the moment is the HTML5 web client. You get a browser experience, not just the terminal sort of client, and the integration with Azure multi-factor application.

What needs improvement?

Its look and feel could be updated.

In Azure Remote Desktop Services (RDS), which is a VDI solution, we would like to see linked clones. It is a Hyper-V solution, and it doesn't support linked clones and uses a lot of storage. That's why we don't use it. VMware has a similar solution that supports linked clones for the master image.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable. At the moment, we have around 2,000 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have a Premier support contract, and it works great.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial setup was straightforward. Because of COVID-19, we had to deploy workspaces for our users. It was fairly simple to deploy our RDS farm so that our users could work safely from home.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. I would rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services an 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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1319745 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Analyst at a university with 201-500 employees
Real User
Great screen draw feature; option of using two monitors is very useful
Pros and Cons
  • "Good screen draw feature and ability to use two monitors."
  • "Lacks a notification feature when internet is down."

What is our primary use case?

When I'm in the office I use the solution to connect to another server to look at files or services that are running, things like that. When working from home I use it to connect to our VPN and then to my work computer and pretty much do everything that way. I'm a senior software analyst at an educational institution and I believe we have a partnership with Microsoft. 

How has it helped my organization?

Because of Covid, the solution has given those stuck at home the ability to continue working.

What is most valuable?

I think the price of this product is great. The solution allows me the option of using two monitors. I like the screen draw in Remote Desktop, it's better than GoToMyPC, which I've used previously although the improvement could also be related to a better internet connection over the past six months. 

What needs improvement?

It would be helpful if there was a feature that notifies you when the internet is down so you're not working for nothing, it should be something that pops right up where you can see it. The internet is always going to go down and the product seems to notice that it's down before my VPN notifies me that it's gone down. You're working and nothing's happening and it takes time to get the notification. 

For an additional feature, I'd like to see Remote Desktop specify which computer Zoom meetings will run on. I've joined a couple of sessions from home, and when I turn on my video, all you see is my empty desk chair at the office.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for six months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is not really relevant but the solution is used by a fair number of the IT staff. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never needed to use technical support. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used GoToMyPC because I used to do upgrades from home at night. We were paying for that solution which wasn't necessary with the free Microsoft option. I used both of them for a short time and realized Remote Desktop really seemed to draw the screen better and also everybody else was using it. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. You've got to have the IP address of the computer you're connecting to - in our organization it's managed by our network manager.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. 

I rate this product an eight out of 10. 

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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.