Best Remote Desktop Software for 2020

Remote Desktop Software often known as Desktop Virtualization Software is used for controlling a computer remotely through another device that's connected via a network or the Internet. Best Remote desktop software allows users to see and control a connected PC as if they are sitting directly in front of it.

Remote access and desktop control software options comprise Windows-based applications like LogMeIn, Citrix Systems' GoToMyPC, Symantec PCAnywhere and RealVNC, and Macintosh-based software like Apple Remote Desktop.

The latest versions of Windows also offer integral remote desktop abilities via the Remote Desktop Connection feature, which uses Microsoft's proprietary Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

Remote desktop solution lets users access and operates a computer without a physical presence.

Users are generally IT professionals carrying out maintenance, or support personnel providing training and support to end-users. The software gives a similar level of access as if physically present to manipulate the computer’s keyboard and mouse.

Remote administration tools enable IT professionals to be deployed remotely. Users can also achieve IT tasks without leaving their physical desk. End-users can receive support and updates to their machines more quickly and professionally. This can help in saving companies time and money.

Top 10 Remote Desktop Software

• TeamViewer
• ConnectWise Control
• Splashtop Business Access
• AnyDesk
• Zoho Assist
• VNC Connect
• BeyondTrust Remote Support
• LogMeIn Pro
• Remote Desktop Services
• GoToAssist

TeamViewer – TeamViewer is an integrated solution for all your remote connectivity requirements. It offers remote support, remote access, and mobile device support. TeamViewer ensures the best performance with its best-in-class usability, image quality, and file transfer speeds. TeamViewer involved Qualitest – a global leading independent quality assurance company – to test its technical performance and compare it to competitors. Read more

ConnectWise Control – ConnectWise Control offers a unified IT management platform your TSP needs. It is a cloud-based management solution that lets technicians complete remote support, gain remote access, and run remote meetings. It creates a meeting point for the IT support team, and customers, allowing them to receive solutions without phone or chat sessions. Its remote support lets users remotely view and control devices, servers, or workstations. Users can also create and manage sessions from a personalized and brandable centralized control panel. Read more

Splashtop Business Access – Splashtop Business Access offers remote desktop for business professionals and teams. It enables you to access your computer from anywhere just as if you are sitting in front of it. Users can easily work from home or anywhere in the world. Provides remote access to an unlimited number of computers, tablets, or smartphones. All you want is an internet connection and a user account. It is a very cost-effective starting price at just $5/month per user. Read more

AnyDesk - AnyDesk remote desktop solution enables you to connect to a computer remotely, from the other end of the office or halfway around the world. It ensures secure and reliable remote desktop connections for IT professionals and on-the-go individuals alike. AnyDesk provides multi-platform support and works across all your devices and operating systems including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, FreeBSD. The software enables you to collaborate and communicate easily, whether you’re conducting online meetings and presentations or working on the same document remotely. Read more

Zoho Assist - Zoho Assist is cloud-based remote support and remote access software that supports you to help your customers from a distance through web-based, on-demand remote support meetings. It enables you to set up unattended remote access and manage remote PCs, laptops, mobile devices, and servers easily. Within a few seconds, Zoho Assist enables you to establish secure connections to offer your customers remote support solutions. Read more

VNC Connect – VNC Connect is a simple, secure, reliable, and ready-to-use remote access and support software for professionals and enterprises. It allows you to connect to a remote computer anywhere in the world, view, and take control of the entire screen as if your sitting in front of it. The software provides a combined remote access strategy for your business that covers every remote access use case with a single subscription. No need to buy, deploy, manage, and secure separate products or modules. Read more

Market Overview

The worldwide remote desktop and remote support software market is projected to witness substantial as it is driven by the rising demand for cost-saving within the organizations to decrease the financial pressure on the organization. Moreover, features like cross-platform access, screen sharing, and easy access from mobile devices are further projected to drive the growth of the market during the next few years. Additionally, technological developments, new software launches by the major vendors are expected to spur the growth of the market until 2025.

Remote Access Software market can be segmented based on type, organization size, technology, end-user, company, and region. Based on organization size, the market can be divided into large enterprises and SMEs. The large enterprise's section is projected to dominate the market since these organizations need a robust and powerful remote desktop platform, which can help them manage numerous applications across many users and devices.

Based on region, the remote desktop solution market can be segmented into Asia-Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. Among these regions, North America is projected to dominate the market. This can be credited to the early acceptance and developments in software technologies in the region.

Remote access software allows a local user to connect and access a remote computer, server, or network. It supports connecting two or more computers or network nodes that are on distinct networks or/ and present in different geographical locations. One of the major drivers of the remote access software market is the rising adoption of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy in various organizations combined with a growing number of smartphone and tablet users.

The growing number of employees worldwide are accessing their office desktop files on their own devices to save time with quick access to the required information. Increasing globalization of businesses, supported by free trade, free capital flow, and tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets, make companies install remote access software to control their business all around the world from their headquarters itself. Businesses are required to have continuous access to their data from different places which are only possible when the entire data is on a single server and devices are accessible through high-speed internet connectivity, thus making work easier and more accessible without any interference.

The demand for remote access software is also growing worldwide due to technological development and the growing cellular network. The best remote desktop software market is further enhanced by rising security threats regarding data isolation and loss of PC or laptop for remote monitoring. The rising popularity of e-learning solutions and services provides a huge opportunity for the evolution of the remote desktop software market during the next five years. Online education, presentations, and webinars provided by most of the educational institutions as part of their distance learning courses will, therefore, boost the market growth of the remote access software.

Key players operating in the worldwide Remote Access Software market comprise TeamViewer, ConnectWise, Zoho, VNC Connect, BeyondTrust, Microsoft, Vmware, FixMe.IT, Goverlan Reach, Parallels, SolarWinds, Citrix, Go ToMy PC, Splashtop, AnyDesk, RescueAssist, UltraVNC, AeroAdmin, Parallels Desktop, Dameware Remote, and others. The companies are developing innovative technologies and software to stay competitive in the market. Other competitive strategies comprise inorganic strategies like mergers & acquisitions and new product and service developments.

The MicroQuadrant matrix offers information about the best Remote Desktop Software. It summaries the findings and analysis of how well each market vendor performs within the predefined MicroQuadrant criteria. The vendor evaluations are based on 2 broad categories: Product Maturity and Company Maturity. Each category carries several criteria, based on which the companies have been evaluated. The evaluation criteria considered under the Product Maturity comprise product features & functionalities, breadth, and depth of product offering, product innovation, product quality &reliability, and support services. The evaluation criteria considered under the Company Maturity comprise the geographic footprint (based on geographic presence), industry verticals, vision alignment, and mergers and acquisitions strategy.

Visionary Leaders offer a robust and established portfolio of solutions and services to their commercial clients. The products and solutions of these vendors are highly scalable and can be personalized as per the requirements of the clients. These vendors are generally seen investing significantly in R&D to introduce innovations in remote access software. Additionally, these vendors have also undertaken various organic and inorganic strategies to achieve constant and advanced growth in the best remote desktop software market.

Dynamic Differentiators have an important network of partner ecosystem and resellers to enhance the deployment of their solutions across a multitude of verticals. These vendors have been constantly generating positive revenue growth and their market position has heightened by their organic and inorganic ventures.

Innovators offer innovative solutions in the remote desktop and remote support software space. They also have strong product offerings. The innovators have been at the forefront in deploying their solutions for niche and custom software requirements of the clients.

The emerging players are specialized in offering highly niche and customized solutions and services to their clients. These companies develop innovative ways of working to drive business results in the market.

What are the major drivers in the Remote Desktop Software Market?

1.) The growing acceptance of cloud computing driving the demand for cloud as the deployment model

Cloud-based deployment holds the largest share of the market due to its on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially for data storage and computing power without direct active management by the user. Demand for On-premise remote access software is growing majorly among large, private, and government organizations, with a large network of desktops and devices within the organization. This demand is credited to the huge budget of these large organizations that can manage to pay for deploying on-premise models requiring high capital expenditure and regular maintenance. Additionally, the on-premise deployment model has helped large enterprises as it gives complete control over the system management when it is updated and implemented, hence leading to high security and privacy of confidential data and information. Additionally, the growing number of skilled IT professionals in these organizations for implementing and using the best remote desktop software drives the growth of the on-premise deployment model segment.

2.) The increasing number of SMEs boosts the growth of remote desktop software market

By enterprise size, large enterprises hold the major share as most of the established vendors in the global remote desktop and remote access software market design and provide their costly products and services only to large enterprises and organizations. But, the growing number of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) is inspiring global vendors to introduce cost-effective remote access software intended explicitly for small and medium businesses with a limited budget. The spread of mobile devices along with the growing internet penetration is driving the demand for remote access software markets through both the small and medium enterprise segments. The demand is additionally driven by the use of VPN technologies across medium scale enterprises.

3.) IT and Telecommunications hold the major share

IT and Telecommunication industry is extremely using remote desktop software due to rising IT infrastructure, especially in emerging economies such as India and South Korea, along with a rise in the number of employees with personal mobile devices, hence, enhancing the market growth of remote desktop software. BFSI industry is also seeing a huge demand for the best remote desktop software due to an increase in the number of e-transactions, growth in deployment of kiosks and auto teller machines, retail banking channels, and remote banking services.

COVID-19 Impact on Remote Desktop Software

As businesses transitioned to WFH environments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity for technologies like remote desktop tools increased by large magnitudes.

Organizations that were previously able to resolve IT problems in the office setting required a solution that permitted them to do this remotely. Remote desktop tools offer a way for organizations to help employees and customers, even when they’re not on-site. With remote desktop and remote support software, IT professionals can diagnose and fix technical glitches end-users are facing from the safety of their own homes.

The demand for remote desktop tools right before and during the pandemic can be experienced. It was observed that normal year-over-year traffic to the remote access software category in February, but traction started increasing beyond normal levels in March. The pandemic-induced rise in traffic peaked in mid-March.

Key Benefits of Remote Desktop Software

Business needs to be efficient with its resources. Implementing a BYOD strategy is a great way to improve your process. Getting a remote desktop connection helps to lower your production cost and expenses as well as improve your IT in numerous different ways. Below are 5 ways your remote desktop connection is enhancing your business.

Small businesses usually have a variety of tools at their disposal to enhance their process. A remote desktop connection is one of the well-known services in businesses of all sizes as it provides employees the ability to work remotely while saving on IT expenses. You can get top-quality IT solutions without a high Capex. Below are 5 key benefits of the best remote desktop software

1.) Working Remotely

For implementing the BYOD policy at your company, you need to have the essential resources to make it efficient. Virtualizing your computer makes it reachable through any computer that means you can easily access your desktop from home or on the go because you can get to it through a web browser. This lets your staff be productive from any location.

2.) Highest Security

When you have your data virtualized, security is significant to your success. You don’t want a solution that puts your data at risk. When you are using a service to get a remote desktop connection, you get a team of IT professionals to maintain your server. They make sure that your environment is continuously updated with the latest security fixes. No need to worry about your data as you get an environment that backs up your data and lets you retrieve data even if it is lost.

Additionally, the remote access software comprises many improved security features that protect your data at all times. Data is protected while transmitting with innovative key encryption. You can also view and check who is remotely connected to your business.

3.) Cost-Savings

Technology investment is not easy on the budget and it needs a lot of money to build up a reliable tech solution that will provide the solutions your business needs. Remote desktop connection helps you to save huge expenditure on IT server and maintenance. No need for heavy investment in the servers or staff to maintain those servers. Remote access also helps to save on hardware because employees can bring their own devices to access their desktop.

4.) Easy Access

The major advantage of a remote desktop and remote support software is to easily connect to your data from anywhere in the world. Your data is in a single place that is easy to access, and you don’t have to install software on your own computer. With remote access, you don’t need to travel with flash drives to take your data with you.

5.) Easy Management

Every part of your network can be managed in real-time from a single location. Remote access allows you to edit permissions to groups of users or point out specific users. You can also limit their access so they can only view certain things on their desktop. It is easier than ever to manage the network as a whole using a remote desktop connection. Overall, it is much easier to manage the network.

Why Use Remote Desktop Software?

When device-specific troubleshooting is essential, the best remote desktop software permits analysts to remotely access those devices to run basic troubleshooting. Wide-ranging troubleshooting may be more suitable for the functionalities of remote support software, but remote access software can easily handle any basic problems.

Best Remote desktop software lets analysts and administrators run and handle diagnostics, monitor device functionality, and control software or firmware updates remotely. This produces a layer of pre-emptive support for devices, as analysts and administrators can preserve device health without an end-user being directly involved.

When users need to work in different OS settings (for instance, a Mac setting for the design, a UNIX setting for archiving, etc.), the best remote desktop software can be very helpful. As long as the workstation exists where the desired tools and programs are installed, and the user’s workstation would be able to access it, the user can easily use numerous operating systems without leaving their own workstation.

Who Uses Remote Desktop Software?

IT professionals and support teams are major users of the best remote desktop software. The software significantly improves the productivity of most support teams’ day-to-day routines and tasks. Software and licensing administrators also use this software, as remote access software can support in scheduling and running maintenance on devices, irrespective of the physical location of the device or the administrator.

Teams that do heavy data collection work also find remote access software very useful. Data archives tend to be enhanced toward UNIX systems (which Windows is not) like Linux’s many variants, so being able to have a remote Linux build that can be selected from a Windows desktop can be extremely valuable.

How does Remote Desktop Software Work?

When a user initiates a remote desktop connection, the client system communicates a signal through a standard listening port through the internet to the system which acts as a host requesting access to connect and login.

Then the system that acts as the host replies back requesting for login authorizations which it checks in the list of the remote desktop user through an internal authenticating process.

After login, the user can view the screen of the hosted system and complete the operation and have control over the system similar to the user who is working in the local system.

Remote Desktop doesn’t allow multiple connections, and if you try connecting then the connection will be terminated automatically.

Types of Remote Desktop Software

1.) Operating system (OS) based - OS-based remote desktop solutions are integrated directly into the operating system itself. No extra software is essential to use OS-based remote desktop solutions; the tools are pre-installed and in place, so no extra effort is required.

2.) Third-party based - Third-party based remote access software is the one which you have to download yourself. Once you’ve finalized the software that suits your requirements and downloaded it, the software should be ready for use.

Remote Desktop Software Key Features

1.) Remote access and control – Best remote desktop software offer users with remote access to, and complete control over, other devices. The software enables users to view a specific window or the complete desktop.

2.) Multi-monitor support - Many workplaces now choose for 2–3 monitors at a workstation to help enhance productivity. Hence, remote access software needs to be capable of viewing multiple monitors as well.

3.) Multiple OS support - Businesses today use a different OS like Windows, Mac, Linux, or other operating systems, and sometimes multiple operating systems within the same organization. Remote desktop and remote support software are capable to handle viewing and using any OS, irrespective of the operating system the user is connecting from.

4.) Encrypted viewership - One user being inside and using another user’s device can leave the other user feeling susceptible. Remote desktop and remote support software provide data encryption so that the connection is secure and avoids data theft.

Potential Issues with Remote Desktop Software

1.) Connectivity - As remote desktop usage mostly occurs via internet connectivity; connectivity problems can end up bottlenecking the experience. When executing a remote desktop solution, ensure that network connectivity can be upheld at a high level.

2.) Hardware dilemmas - Remote access software also depends on in part on the end device’s hardware functioning normally. Best remote desktop software cannot access the device if there’s any problem with the end device’s hardware.

3.) Privacy – To take control of other people’s computers remotely comes with some privacy risk. If the entire system control goes into the wrong hands then there are chances of data theft. It is significant while implementing remote support software, for companies to use robust endpoint protection software to protect internal devices.

Software and Services Associated to Remote Desktop Software

Remote desktop and remote support software types are so alike that most of them end up using the two names interchangeably. There is a slight difference between the two software. Remote desktop software focuses more entirely on access to and control over a remote device, and whereas remote support software does this as well, and offer more expansive features to assist with things like maintenance and troubleshooting.

Remote access software and VDI software have the same characteristics but minor different target functions. Remote desktop tends to focus on creating connections to physical devices, but VDI homes in on desktops that are completely virtual, connected with servers, or even operating systems being run within other operating systems. VDI permits centralized hosting and viewership of numerous desktops, while remote desktop focuses on the ability to access many physical desktops from a single location.