9/29/2020 Remote Desktop Roundup: TeamViewer vs. Splashtop vs. Windows RDP How-To Geek Remote Desktop Roundup: TeamViewer vs. Splashtop vs. Windows RDP JASON FITZPATRICK @jasonfitzpatric UPDATED DECEMBER 7, 2017, 1:01PM EDT There are a plethora of remote desktop solutions on the market, and it can be tricky to pick the right one for your needs. Don’t worry though, we’ve done the legwork for you, cataloging and comparing the most popular remote desktop solutions so you can easily pick the right one. https://www.howtogeek.com/257655/remote-desktop-roundup-teamviewer-vs.-splashtop-vs.-windows-rdp/ 1/10 9/29/2020 Remote Desktop Roundup: TeamViewer vs. Splashtop vs. Windows RDP After the recent flurry of news stories regarding TeamViewer and compromised computers (you can read their press release here and our article about properly securing TeamViewer here), there’s been quite a bit of interest in alternative remote desktop programs. Fortunately, there’s practically as many ways to set up a remote desktop session as there are motivations for doing so. RELATED: How to Lock Down TeamViewer for More Secure Remote Access Rather that simply throw a laundry list of remote desktop solutions at you, we’ve opted to group them into two major categories: operating- system-based remote desktop solutions, provided by the same company behind your operating system, and third-party remote desktop clients. Each of these solution categories offers something of value depending on your needs. Let’s take a look at each category now and highlight the benefits, shortcomings, and differences. As we run through the features of the different remote desktop solutions, keep a few important questions in mind. Is the solution just for your own use or for helping friends and relatives? Just because you’re tech savvy and can easily configure things doesn’t mean they will. Do you need unattended access? A solution that requires someone at the remote PC is no good if nobody is home. Do you need on-the-go access from your mobile device? If so, a good mobile client is a must. Keeps your needs (and the abilities of the people you’re helping with the remote desktop) in mind as you read through the features. Operating System-Based Remote Desktop: Old School and Baked In Both Windows and Mac OS have had remote desktop solutions built in for ages. As such, people are comfortable using them–they’re right at hand, free, and supplied by the company they trust enough to run their entire computer. https://www.howtogeek.com/257655/remote-desktop-roundup-teamviewer-vs.-splashtop-vs.-windows-rdp/ 2/10 9/29/2020 Remote Desktop Roundup: TeamViewer vs. Splashtop vs. Windows RDP While they aren’t difficult to use, the biggest shortcoming of the built- in tools is that they need to be configured by the person on the other end. If you’re doing the configuring (either on your own machine or on the behalf of your relative when you’re visiting them in person), this isn’t a big deal. If said relative just called you up and needs help, however, you’re stuck not only dealing with their actual problem but the problem of walking them through turning the remote desktop functionality on. Once turned on, however, both the Windows and Mac OS solution allow for unattended use. Windows Remote Desktop Connection (Free) RELATED: Turn on Remote Desktop in Windows 7, 8, 10, or Vista Windows Remote Desktop Connection runs on the propriety Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and is widely supported both by Windows itself and a variety of third party client applications. You can find client apps for other desktop operating systems (like OS X and Linux) as well as mobile platforms (like iOS and Android). Although it’s easy to setup Windows Remote Desktop, there’s a bit of a catch: while all versions of Windows can connect to other machines via the RDP client, only the professional versions (and above) of Windows have an RDP server. Since most friends and relatives you may be helping are likely running some Home release of Windows or another, you won’t be able to connect to them. In addition to that, if you’re using it outside your home network you’ll need to configure the router of the remote network (e.g. your parents’ home network) to accept incoming remote desktop connections. Further, you need to know the remote IP address of the server and the login credentials for that machine. If its your own machine you’re connecting to, that’s not such a big deal. If it’s the machine of a friend or family member you’re helping, that might be a deal breaker: maybe they aren’t technically competent enough to look up their own IP address and maybe they don’t want to give you their login. https://www.howtogeek.com/257655/remote-desktop-roundup-teamviewer-vs.-splashtop-vs.-windows-rdp/ 3/10 9/29/2020 Remote Desktop Roundup: TeamViewer vs. Splashtop vs. Windows RDP Although so far we’ve made it sound like Windows Remote Desktop Connection is a terrible product for remote desktop use, it’s actually– in the right context–the best solution. If you’re running a household or office of computers with Windows Pro or better (so they all support RDC hosting), connecting to those machines with RDC is such a smooth experience it’s like literally being right at that computer. The display is crisp, fast, and full color, the connection is responsive, and other than the tiny blue toolbar at the top of the screen indicating your’re using RDC, you’d never know you weren’t using the PC sitting on the desk next to you. For home or office use with Windows computers that support it, using Remote Desktop Connection is a no brainer because that’s what RDC was made for: local network administration in a professional environment, not cross-country tech support calls with Grandma. Mac OS Screen Sharing (Free) RELATED: 3 Free Ways to Remotely Connect to Your Mac's Desktop The Apple solution is a bit more accessible in that all Mac OS computers have “Screen Sharing” built in. Even better yet, Apple’s Screen Sharing allows for a variety of connection methods–you can use your own computer login to login from afar, your Apple ID, send a request, or use a VNC (Virtual Networked Computer) connection. The VNC method is just a pretty repackaging of the ancient (but reliable) VNC protocol, but it makes it easy for non-Apple users to connect to OS X machines. That means even if you don’t have a Mac of your own, you can walk your relative through turning Screen Sharing on and then connect to it using any number of VNC clients across any number of platforms (we’ll talk more about VNC later in the article). It’s worth noting here, for the sake of thoroughness, that Apple does have its own institutional/corporate-oriented remote desktop solution that is radically more advanced than simple screen sharing– but it costs $80 a computer and is pretty significant overkill for a home user. https://www.howtogeek.com/257655/remote-desktop-roundup-teamviewer-vs.-splashtop-vs.-windows-rdp/ 4/10 9/29/2020 Remote Desktop Roundup: TeamViewer vs. Splashtop vs. Windows RDP The bottom line with the operating-system provided solutions is that they require a bit of time to set up, some foresight on your part to have installed ahead of time, and the setup process requires ensuring the remote desktop software can pass through your firewall (or the firewall of the person you’re helping)–if you’re looking for an immediate solution to help a friend in need, this probably isn’t it. If you’re looking for a solution for your own machines and you’re willing to set it all up, both Microsoft’s RDP and Apple’s VNC systems are widely supported and pretty flexible. Third Party Remote Desktop: Flexible And Full Featured While both Windows and Mac OS have their own remote desktop/server clients, as we just saw, there’s a whole world of third- party remote desktop solutions out there to meet nearly every need. Though we’re only highlighting the most widely adopted and feature rich solutions here, we’d encourage you to check out Wikipedia’s rather comprehensive feature chart comparing dozens upon dozens of different remote desktop products if you’d like to dig deeper into the matter. By far these solutions shine (save for our last entry, VNC) in pure ease of use. Unlike the configuration requirements we mentioned above, using them is as simple (for the person you’re connect to) as running an application and giving you the login code. TeamViewer (Free for Personal Use) Despite the knocks it has taken in the press recently, TeamViewer is a very popular product and, Windows Remote Desktop aside, likely the most widely used remote desktop software around. One of our favorite things about TeamViewer is how flexible it is. You can run it once to get remote assistance and then never start it again, or you can set it up with advanced security rules for unattended use. Because you can download the TeamViewer app, run it, and get a https://www.howtogeek.com/257655/remote-desktop-roundup-teamviewer-vs.-splashtop-vs.-windows-rdp/ 5/10 9/29/2020 Remote Desktop Roundup: TeamViewer vs. Splashtop vs. Windows RDP unique ID and a randomly generated password, it’s super easy to have a friend or relative in trouble grab the app, give you their credentials, and log right in to help them.