If you need to work from home, control, fix or access another computer from your Mac, we’ve taken a look at the very best remote desktop software for Mac in 2023.
However, finding software that does this reliably and securely isn’t easy and we found the best remote desktop software for Mac to be GoToMyPC for its all round ease of use, performance and security.
Taking control or accessing another PC or Mac computer remotely is also known as Virtual Network Computing (VNC).
It can be useful in a variety of situations such as screen sharing, working from home, fixing a computer remotely, system administration or network monitoring of computers.
All the remote desktop apps reviewed here are suitable for connecting from Mac to Mac as well as Mac to PC or from mobile devices such as iPad, iPhone and Android to Mac.
Many of them make an excellent alternative to MobaXTerm for Mac which doesn’t exist on macOS and are the best alternatives to Back To My Mac which Apple has now dropped from macOS.
It’s important to be aware that there aren’t any remote desktop apps that are optimized for retina displays on Macs.
For example, if you try to access your Mac remotely with your iPad on maximum resolution settings, the screen may look blurry.
In most cases, this can simply be fixed by lowering the resolution settings to give a much sharper image.
All the remote desktop solutions reviewed here are compatible with the latest versions of macOS including Ventura and Sonoma.
All those that offer Cloud solutions also work on the latest Apple Silicon M1, M2 and M3 Macs too.
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Best Remote Desktop Software For Mac
Here then is our list of the best remote desktop software for Mac of 2023 in order of ranking.
1. GoToMyPC
GoToMyPC For Mac is the best remote desktop software for Mac as it is incredibly easy to use and offers rock solid reliability.
GoToMyPC is owned by GoTo which is one of the biggest players in the remote desktop market and was formerly known under the LogMeIn brand.
GoToMyPC For Mac is suitable for home users, small businesses and corporations as it sets-up everything automatically even if you’re behind a corporate firewall on Mac or PC.
As a result, GoToMyPC is a particularly popular choice among companies and corporations that allow employees to work from home.
GoToMyPC is extremely easy to setup and use and allows you to transfer files between Macs and Windows PCs.
It’s also one of the most secure remote desktop tools we’ve used as it protects each computer connected to it with an individual password so that no one else can access your network except authorized users.
We also like the fact that GoToMyPC allows you to temporarily invite another user into a session which is useful if you need tech support to fix a problem with your Mac or PC.
GoToMyPC also has an iOS app which allows you to easily connect to your Mac or PC from your iPhone or iPad.
GoToMyPC pricing isn’t the cheapest remote desktop software for Mac but is definitely worth it for the reliability and ease of use it provides.
GoToMyPC is currently offering 25% off GoToMyPC Plans which start at $31.13 per month for Pro plans aimed at teams and $33.00 per month for the Personal Plan aimed at individuals that only need access to one computer.
If you’re a small business and need to up to control of between 2 to 50 computers, you’ll need to sign-up to the Pro Plan.
There are also Corporate Plans starting from $21.00 per month for large teams needing invoiced billing and more admin controls.
You can also try a 7 day free trial of GoToMyPC with no credit card needed.
You can check out our full GoToMyPC review for more.
Pricing: Starts at $31.13/month
2. RemotePC
Despite the name RemotePC isn’t just for Windows PCs.
RemotePC has an excellent Mac desktop client which allows you to easily connect to other PCs, Macs and mobile devices instantly.
It’s easily the best remote desktop solution we’ve seen in terms of value for money when it comes to remotely administering computers.
Connections with RemotePC are secured with TLS v1.2 and AES 256 bit encryption.
You can choose to connect to other computers either via the desktop app or via the web app and establishing a connection is simply a case of selecting the one you want and clicking “Connect”.
You can chat online during remote sessions, print to remote printers and even record your remote sessions.
One thing we like with RemotePC on Mac is that you can toggle between either Better Quality or Better Speed depending on how the remote connection is performing.
There are various paid plans but the basic Consumer Plan allows access to 2 computers simultaneously and costs $37.12 per year with the new user discount.
You can try a 7 day free trial of RemotePC to see for yourself.
Pricing: Starts at $37.12 per year with up to 50% off.
3. Zoho Assist
If you’re looking for a remote support solution for your Mac, Zoho Assist is the one of the best remote desktop software for Mac specializing in both remote helpdesk and unattended remote access of both Macs and PCs.
Zoho Assist is a popular all round remote access software that’s not just for customer support but also makes it ridiculously easy to connect, access or control another computer or mobile device.
It’s also probably the best deal on the market for remote access software on this level with a limited Free Forever plan and paid plans starting at just $10 per month.
Although Zoho Assist can be used by anyone, it’s ideal for Customer Support and IT Professionals, IT Help Desks, Outsourced IT and MSP Support.
Some of the nice advanced touches in Zoho Assist include remote printing and custom branding of your company or organization.
Zoho Assist is also one of the most secure remote desktop tools for Mac users with no prior installation required at either end.
There are a range of extra security measures taken by Zoho Assist such as two factor authentication, SSL and 256-bit encryption and action log viewer to see who’s accessing your network in real time.
You can try Zoho Assist free to see for yourself.
You can also read our full review of Zoho Assist for more.
Pricing: Limited Free Forever plan / Paid plans start at $10 per month
4. ManageEngine Remote Access Plus
ManageEngine Remote Access Plus is an easy to use enterprise remote desktop software that’s packed with features and highly scalable.
ManageEngine Remote Access Plus allows IT help desk technicians and system administrators to remotely manage and troubleshoot Mac, Windows, and Linux computers anywhere in the world.
Some of the best tools in MangeEngine Remote Access Plus include advanced remote access control, system manager, Wake on LAN, remote shutdown and remote file transfer.
ME Remote Access Plus is suitable for those that need to offer high level remote support and reduce troubleshooting times.
Some of the highlights of ME Remote Access Plus include:
- Advanced Remote Control that’s HIPAA ready for confidential connections
- System Manager with 12 different tools to remotely solve issues with files, printers, user management etc
- Voice & Video chat with technicians
- Wake up on LAN which instantly switches-on remote machines including Macs
- Remote Shutdown allows you to automatically turn-off machines with no users or for security
- Detailed reports on your network so you can see remote sessions, chat history and troubleshooting history
You can install ManageEngine Remote Access Plus on premises or in the Cloud.
You can also try ManageEngine for free for 30 days to test it for yourself.
Pricing: Free / Starts at $75 for Cloud edition
5. LogMeIn
LogMeIn for Mac is one of the most powerful remote desktop apps for Mac users of all abilities and needs.
LogMeIn for Mac offers specific tools for individuals, small businesses, IT professionals and help desk technicians and is the best on the market when it comes to enterprise remote desktop support.
LogMeIn offers a range of remote networking solutions, including the popular GoToMeeting video conferencing software for Mac.
LogMeIn is one of the first ever remote desktop tools on the market and years of experience and refining have made it one of the best remote desktop apps we’ve tried on macOS and Windows.
One of the things we like most is that LogMeIn is extremely easy to use, connects to devices in seconds and has lots of useful extra touches like the ability to print remotely from any device you’re connected to, HD video support, support for multiple monitors and more.
All LogMeIn plans include an unlimited number of users, 1TB of file storage to share and exchange files and a free license for password manager LastPass so you don’t have to keep entering passwords across your devices.
LogMeIn does not compromise a firewall but is still able to share screens behind one while still using SSL/TLS or even RSA SecureID and 2-factor authentication.
If unauthorized or failed logins are detected in a brute force attack, LogMeIn will also automatically lock accounts to protect them.
There is an also an excellent LogMeIn iOS app which make it very easy to log into your Mac or Windows PC from your iPad or iPhone.
Although not optimized for retina displays, connections between Macs and iPads using LogMeIn are surprisingly crisp and smooth.
Note that remote sound is not supported in LogMeIn for Mac running on Apple Silicon M-chip Macs.
LogMeIn pricing starts at $30 per month for individuals which allows access for up to 2 computers, unlimited users, remote printing, 1TB file storage and more.
There are also plans for Power Users and Small Businesses which allow access to up to 5 and 10 computers respectively.
Note that there is no longer any version of LogMeIn Free for Mac which was discontinued in 2014.
You can try a free trial of LogMeIn Pro which lasts for 14 days.
You can also check out our full review of LogMeIn For Mac for more.
Pricing: Starts at $30/month
6. Splashtop
Splashtop is a user-friendly way to connect to another computer or device.
Splashtop is particularly good for gaming needs as it streams 3D graphics, sounds and video across local devices extremely well.
For example, if you need to play a 3D game from your iPhone or iPad (Splashtop for iPad is also available), Splashtop enables you to play it on your Mac with almost no noticeable lag.
There’s a very limited free version for personal use and also Enterprise and Business plans.
The downside is that Splashtop is only really free for local use because for remote access features across the internet, you must purchase in-app upgrades.
If you want to access another computer over the internet for example, you must pay for Access Anywhere which starts at $5 per month.
It’s also a little tricky to set up with restrictions on port forwarding but overall, it’s generally very reliable and effective at remote networking.
You can also currently get 30 days extra for free added to your plan.
Pricing: Starts from $5/month
7. Jump Desktop
Jump Desktop is easily one of the slickest and easiest to use remote desktop solutions for Mac users with a dedicated Mac client.
Remote networking can be a complicated affair but it’s clear the developer has gone to a lot of effort to make remote desktop connections easy enough for anyone to use without sacrificing features and stability.
In fact, Jump Desktop is unique in using your Gmail account to automatically setup and configure a remote connection without any further effort on your part.
Jump Desktop for Mac is multi platform supporting iPad, iPhone, iPod and even Android and can be used for connecting from Mac to Mac too.
Jump Desktop is extremely easy to use and doesn’t require networking knowledge making it ideal for beginners to Remote Desktop software. All you need is a Gmail account to get started:
Alternatively, Manual setup is also available for those that know what they’re doing when it comes to Remote Desktop connections.
One of the smartest things about Jump Desktop is that it can map Mac keyboard shortcuts to make them work on Windows.
Jump Desktop can also stream audio from your Mac to another device using Jump Desktop Audio.
You can also copy and paste between macOS and Windows and vice versa which is really helpful if you work on both Mac and Windows constantly.
Jump Desktop also has a Live Previews feature which allows you to keep an eye on all connected computers in real time.
Collaborative Screen Sharing allows many users to connect to the same computer, where each user gets their own mouse cursor. This feature makes it easier than ever to co-editing documents, change design or prepare presentations with remote team members.
The full version of Jump Desktop is $34.99 which is a modest one-off price to pay without any other monthly fees.
Pricing: $34.99
8. AnyDesk
AnyDesk for Mac is a slick cross platform remote desktop software with flexible pricing models and an easy to use interface.
AnyDesk is particularly good for those with slow internet connection as it still manages to maintain a responsive and lag-free connection.
There’s a desktop AnyDesk app for Mac, Windows, Linux and mobile so it’s easy to connect to different devices wherever they are.
Setting up a remote connection with AnyDesk is easy with an intuitive setup wizard that even beginners to remote desktops can quickly grasp.
AnyDesk uses a combination of two-factor authentication and whitelisting to ensure that connections are secure.
You can also drag and drop files for quick file sharing or use the built-in file transfer manager for more control.
Other useful features include customization of the quality of the remote display, configure access permissions and the ability record sessions for reviewing later.
On the downside, the free version of AnyDesk has a cap on the number of devices you can connect to and for professional use you’ll definitely need to subscribe to a plan starting at $14.90 per month for the Solo plan.
Pricing: Starts at $14.90/month
9. TeamViewer
TeamViewer is easily one of the most popular remote desktop tools in the World users making it simple enough for anyone to connect to another PC or Mac.
One of the best things about TeamViewer is that for home users it’s free to use although for small businesses and corporations, there are enterprise features.
The free version of TeamViewer is probably the most popular desktop sharing tools out there for gamers on both Mac and PC.
TeamViewer Enterprise plans also include TeamViewer Monitoring & Asset Management which not only provides remote access to Macs or PCs, but also monitors system critical aspects and provides easy IT inventory tracking.
TeamViewer is extremely easy to setup. All you need to do is install the TeamViewer client on both machines, enter the ID of the computer you want to connect to and that’s it.
There’s very little configuration of ports or firewalls as everything is handled automatically by the setup wizard.
Once installed, you simply ask the person you want to connect to for their Partner ID to establish a connection. Alternatively, you can give someone your partner ID and password to allow them to connect to you.
TeamViewer is extremely secure offering 2048-bit RSA keys and 256-bit AES encoding.
Note that unfortunately, the Mac version of TeamViewer does not support sound or remote microphones. You can only hear sound if the remote computer you are connecting to is running Windows.
Pricing: Starts at $24.90/month
10. Remotix VNC & RDP
Remotix is an extremely fast, slick and user-friendly remote desktop connection client for Mac.
In fact, If you just need to share the screen of your iPad or iPhone with your Mac, then there are few better RDP clients around.
There’s very little lag in connections made with Remotix to Windows either as it quickly optimizes itself for the speed of your internet connection.
For those new to remote desktop connections, it guides you clearly through the setup process. You can store connection profiles via iCloud backup and even access printers from your remote Mac using Remotix.
You can clearly see how many connections you’ve got open via the Multiple Computer Observer screen:
Remotix is also one of the most secure RDP clients for Mac available with built-in SSH tunneling for both RDP and VNC.
You can also set a master password to protect all of your connections rather than have to enter individual passwords for each one.
If you’ve been having problems with Back to My Mac, or just want to connect to Macs, Remotix is definitely worth checking-out.
Pricing: Starts at $49.95
11. Royal TSX
Royal TSX for Mac is focused firmly on system administrators or professionals that need a remote desktop solutions with a very high level of security.
Royal TSX is very well designed and makes it straightforward to manage connections in the left-hand sidebar with convenient tabs to control sessions.
Royal TSX is very versatile supporting RDP, VNC, SSH based terminals or web-based interfaces.
Security is a big selling part of Royal TSX for Mac as it uses using the highly secure 256 AES encryption standard.
Other enhanced secure features include built-in credential management, safe team-sharing features and the ability to share a list of connections without sharing your personal credentials.
Royal TSX is also one of the few RDP servers for Mac which supports PIV or CAC Smart Card Redirection.
There are various pricing plans for those that need more than this with the Individual License starting at $50 for multiple devices including Macs.
Volume licensing for unlimited users on a particular site start at $874 for a site wide license with a Global license for multiple users on multiple sites costing $1694.
Enterprise licenses are available on request
Pricing: Starts at $50
12. NoMachine
NoMachine is a slick Remote Desktop Client which tends to go under the radar when Mac users are looking for remote desktop software but is definitely worth a look.
NoMachine looks great on macOS, is very easy to set up and use and there’s a free version for limited connections.
The good thing about NoMachine is all you need to connect to another machine over the internet is its IP address and port number.
It’s incredibly easy to use and setup with no manual configuration required.
A setup wizard clearly takes you step-by-step through the connection process. Connections are stable and fast and there’s a NoMachine forum where you’ll get help with any problems you might have with the client.
There’s also an extensive knowledge base for those with more technical needs but generally, you shouldn’t have many problems if you just need NoMachine for basic remote connections.
NoMachine for Mac is free for personal use but there are paid Enterprise and Cloud editions available.
Pricing: Free / Enterprise plans starting from $44.50
13. Parsec
If you want to connect to a remote PC for gaming, then take a look at Parsec.
Although Parsec can be used for connecting to business apps remotely on a PC, it’s very popular with gamers that want to play PC only games that are not available for Mac.
For example, games like Diablo 4 that are not available for Mac can be installed on a PC and then by using Parsec, you can connect to the PC to play Diablo 4 on a Mac.
Parsec also has it’s own catalog of games Parsec Arcade which provides a ready-made selection of games that you can play on Mac or PC remotely.
Parsec supports HD and up to 60fps for gaming.
Parsec is also used by developers, designers, architects and engineers to collaborate on projects on both Windows and macOS.
Parsec also hosts macOS in the Cloud so that you can build and test games or applications in macOS remotely. This means you can even use video editing software such as Final Cut Pro remotely on a Mac with remarkably low latency.
Pricing: Starts at $8.33/m
Free Remote Desktop Software For Mac
The following solutions all have free versions which can be used either free for personal use or with limitations. Most of them offer Business and Enterprise plans for those that need unlimited features and functionality.
The most well known remote desktop tools on Windows are Microsoft Remote Desktop and Citrix Receiver.
However, neither are the best remote desktop software for Mac users.
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft Remote Desktop is mainly designed for Windows users and has various problems on Mac although admittedly is has improved in recent versions.
Citrix Receiver for Mac was discontinued in 2018 but we think the software featured here are much better value alternatives to Citrix.
Note that there is also no version of the popular Windows remote control support app UltraViewer on Mac.
Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager
After years focusing on Windows, Devolutions also has a Remote Desktop Manager for Macs which offers a limited free version for individual use with some powerful features for Enterprise environments.
Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager isn’t just a port of the Windows version – it’s been built specifically for Mac and the result is very good.
Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager is a little bit like Royal TSX and is definitely suitable for system admins and small businesses and has all you need to manage a network of computers.
One of the handy things about it is that it’s integrated with other popular RDP clients such as Teamviewer, Microsoft Remote Desktop and even Telnet.
The interface is also well designed allowing you to organize sessions by groups or folders and if you already use the Windows version, you can connect to the same databases with the Mac version so you can access all previous sessions.
Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager isn’t quite as RDP novice friendly as apps such as Splashtop and Teamviewer but for those with just a little Remote Desktop experience, it offers a lot of Remote Desktop power for free.
You can use Devolutions Remote Desktop for free but there are limitations compared to the Enterprise version.
You can see a comparison of the Free edition with the Enterprise version here.
Chrome Remote Desktop
Chrome Remote Desktop is a Google plugin which works directly within the Google Chrome web browser. If you’re a Chrome user, it’s a very simple and free way to connect your Mac to another user.
Simply install the Chrome Remote Desktop plugin and you can connect to any other user with Chrome installed on any type of computer or mobile device (including iOS).
Once installed, Chrome Remote Desktop works pretty much in the same way as TeamViewer. Just enter the ID of the computer you want to connect to, and it will connect instantly.
Since it’s only a browser plugin, it can be prone to a certain amount of instability and bugs and there’s no way to share sound between computers with it but as a cheap and cheerful VNC solution that requires no client to install, it’s very effective.
Note that Google does not record any of your activity using Chrome Remote Desktop – it uses SSL and connections are directly from host to remote session with no Google interference in the middle.
Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop is Apple’s version of Microsoft RDP for Mac.
With Apple’s decision to drop the free Back To My Mac tool from macOS, Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) is now the only remote desktop software that the company offers nowadays.
It’s important to be aware that ARD is mainly aimed at system administrators and there are far easier remote desktop apps to use nowadays.
Apple Remote Desktop is also only for connecting to other Macs and iOS devices and if you’re not experienced with remote networking or VNC clients, we don’t recommend it.
As a professional tool for system administrators to manage Apple devices on a network however, it gives you a lot of power to install software and updates such as Flash and Java, push UNIX commands and update macOS remotely.
Because of the explosion in more user-friendly remote desktop apps, ARD has become an increasingly unpopular remote desktop solution except among IT users.
You may also find that despite it being an Apple product, ARD for Mac is also frustratingly slow at times compared to most of the other remote desktop software featured here.
Apple Remote desktop costs $79.99.
Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac
Microsoft RDP for Mac is now called Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac (confusingly also known as RDC for Mac or Remote Desktop for Mac) and is probably the most well known way of remote networking on Windows.
Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac is a Microsoft tool which allows you to connect your Mac to PC Windows machines and other devices.
However, Microsoft Remote Desktop on Mac has always had more problems and limitations than the Windows version which is why we don’t recommend using it.
There are many issues with Microsoft RDP on Mac such as instability, usability issues and glitches that make it frustrating to work with.
Unlike the Windows version too, the Mac version does not support more secure methods of login such as via smart cards, PIV and CAC cards etc.
For every new connection you make on Mac too, you must pre-configure everything and add it to a connection list – you can’t simply just paste in an IP address and connect to another machine like with most remote desktop clients.
It can also be quite unreliable at connecting – sometimes it simply times out, freezes or won’t connect and you feel like you’re never sure if you can trust it to work when you really need it.
However, if your company or organization requires you to use it – like many do – you may have no choice.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a wide range of Remote Desktop Connection Managers for Mac although this list is by no means exhaustive.
We’ve covered a combination of paid and free remote desktop apps for Mac software and many vendors.
For rock solid security connecting to both Mac and Windows PCs, GoToMyPC is the best remote desktop software on the market.
The best enterprise remote desktop software for Mac is ManageEngine Remote Access Plus for power, features and scalability.
For all round remote access and help-desk support, Zoho Assist is another excellent remote desktop solution for connecting to both PCs and Macs.
For value for money, RemotePC for Mac offers the best value on the market.
For professionals that need an easy to use robust remote desktop solution on a Mac, LogMeIn Pro is a solid remote software solution.
If you have any suggestions for other remote desktop software for Mac that should be included in this article, or have any experiences or questions with the Mac remote apps reviewed here, let us know in the comments below.
LogMeIn is great and very reliable (way better than TeamViewer IMO), BUT I cannot get sound to work. I’ve been working with our IT guys and I edit video remotely, and he cannot figure out how to get the sound to work for me with either LogMeIn or TeamViewer. His guess is that they are both incompatible with OSVenture. Any suggestions?
Unfortunately remote sound is not supported on Apple Silicon Macs with the M1/M2 chip in LogMeIn or Teamviewer.
GoToMyPC is extremely unreliable. Even after “downgrading” the latest version to try to get it to work on OS 13.4 Ventura, it still would not work. The tech guy even said he had no other suggestions so after a decade of frustration I am ditching the overpriced, unreliable product.
Did you grant permissions for GoToMyPC to work with Ventura? You need to go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and select g2p_launchagenthost.
Completely agree. Not to mention, I can’t remote into my MacOS using GoToMyPC from a Linux box which is the whole reason I need remote desktop on my Mac. Luckily, I tried their 7 day free trial instead of buying first.
Great list! And did you hear something about Getscreen.me? See this brand in reviews of remote access programs, high ratings and affordable price. I am looking for a replacement for Teamviewer and am testing different programs.
I use TeamViewer and anydesk. And don’t know about others remote desktop very well. Thanks for sharing this information.
hello everyone
i added a vpn for working to my macbook. and now i remote to my windowes computer with “microsoft remote desktop” app bu i get error “0x204”
can any body help me?
I’m a newbie and what I need is a way to remotely connect to my elderly mother-in-law’s Mac from my Mac so I can show her how to find things on her computer, manage files and folders, and use basic apps like Facebook and email. Is remote desktop software what I need, or is it overkill?
Presuming you’re not on the same WiFi network and she’s in another location, using remote desktop software will be the easiest option for you.
This is incorrect. macOS has everything he needs built-in. There are multiple ways to make it work. When Apple discontinued Back To My Mac, they replaced it with Apple ID-based tunnelling, built into the included VNC/ARD client.
First, if he can FaceTime his mother-in-law, there’s a “share screen” option on her end that will let him establish a tunnelled ARD session.
Alternatively, if he doesn’t want to walk her through running FaceTime and finding the button, in the Finder on his Mac, he can select Go->Connect to Server (or type Command-K) and enter:
vnc://
where the bit is his mother in law’s Apple ID email address, so something like vnc://pauls-mother-in-law@gmail.com
She will then get an alert on her screen notifying her that he is requesting access to control her computer. She can allow him to either view screen or control screen.
Which of these apps allow audio to be transmitted from a mac to an iphone? Thank you!
Jump Desktop allows you to stream audio from a Mac to another device.
Splashtop is nice. It can do Mac to PC with audio no problem. Its just it has restrictive ports and if you’re company locks it down, you’re out of luck. No workarounds.
Teamviewer can work, but it won’t tell you that while it works with MacOS, there will absolutely be no chance to hear audio or use the remote mic. Why they are in this list, I have no idea. If you can’t get sound from a remote device, why even use remote desktop software, just use Apple remote desktop.
Thanks for your comments on Splashtop and Teamwviewer. It’s true that Teamviewer for Mac doesn’t support audio in you’re connecting to another Mac but if you’re connecting to a Windows machine, you can hear sound.
I am surprised that the Screens App was not mentioned. I have found it very easy to use on a variety of platforms.
Thank up so much. The resolution setting in the setup of the Remote Desktop settings…correct? And thanks again.
No problem and yes that’s correct.
I am a complete newbi to Remote Desktop programs and usage. I am looking at buying a new iPad Pro for use during travel. I want to be able to connect with home Mac Mini and access my desktop versions of Quickbooks for Mac, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and MSOffice. I noticed a comment about the screen content being blurry with some programs. As an editor and proofreader, I would need clear view of screen content. Could you help with the best options for this? Thank you.
Unfortunately there aren’t any remote desktop apps for Macs that are optimized for retina displays and if you try to screen share at maximum retina resolution, it can look blurry. However, in almost all cases, you simply have to lower the resolution settings in the setup preferences to see much sharper results. It won’t be retina quality but it’s more than enough to work with remotely.
Microsoft’s does not allow incoming connections to a mac, right?
That’s correct.
In addition to above, you may try on premise R-HUB remote support servers http://www.rhubcom.com/v5/remote-Support.html for remotely accesing computers from anywhere.
Hi,
We need to find a Mac RDP client that supports both microphone redirection and gateway access to a windows client. We are using Dragon Naturally Speaking on the Windows client. Can anyone recommend which RDP to try?
Hi Ira,
the latest Royal TSX V3 beta does support both.
You can try it for free here: https://www.royalapplications.com/ts/osx/features-beta
cheers,
felix
Interesting article with some good tips for useful tools. Actually tried NoMachine (it’s available for Linux, Windows not just Mac) on my Mac from all of my devices (iPad, Win PC). Works a charm.
Glad it helped you find NoMachine Chris – it’s a great cross platform RDP client.
For Mac to Mac folks might consider checking out http://slinkware.com/
Steve, Thanks for this. Great, easy tool for Mac to Mac sharing. We’ve taken a look at it and added it to the article.
Hi
I am currently trialing a free copy of Royal TSX using a Mac Mini to connect to 2 different Windows servers one running server 2003 (running an old version of filemaker which we are upgrading over 6 months) and one running server 2012 (our recent replacement which will take over the filemaker once upgraded). We had been using Microsoft remote desktop on all other macs and PC’s needing access to these servers but found incompatibility between Mac OS versions and the different server OS’s.
Back to Royal TSX on my Mac mini, I was wondering if any other users had trouble with copying and pasting text. I might select and copy from an email on the 2012 server and then go to the 2003 server and paste into filemaker but find the text isn’t on the cl;ip board. This seems to get progressively worse over the course of a day.
I have also experienced crashes with TSX – “Warning (a) Decryption using Standard RDP Security mechanisms (section 5.3.6) failed. (b) Session key creation using Standard RDP Security mechanisms (section 5.3.5) failed”
This morning I had a prompt for an upgrade to TSX and went through the install. When I next launched TSX and connected to my connections I had the following warning – The plugin you’re trying to use is incompatible with the Royal TSX version you’re currently using! If you choose to continue you might encounter bugs and crashes. Are you sure you want to continue? yes or no?
I assume the upgrade would have updated the plugin as well. I don’t get an option on how to fix.
Anyway this is some feedback on the Royal TSX product so far.
Ian
Ian, Thanks for the feedback. Felix at RoyalTSX will probably respond to you here shortly about these issues but if not, we’ll try to put you in touch with someone who can help.
Hi Ian,
could you please contact us via http://support.royalapplications.com/?
This is not the best place to discuss your issues.
thx,
felix
Hi Felix
I have contacted via the website but have not heard anything back???
Ian
Ian,
I answered your email on 2015-03-03 and I’ve just forwarded my reply to you again.
regards,
felix
Just an FYI. RoyalTSX crashes on Yosemite if you try to enable the SmartCard. Too bad nobody out there is interested in supporting these reliably–us CAC users would be all over this.
Jack, Thanks for the update. It’s possible that this may be fixed shortly in a Beta release for Mac although the RoyalTSX beta page for Mac is still empty. Try contacting them to see if they are aware of the problem on Yosemite.
Hi Jack,
we’re aware of the issue.
Unfortunately, it’s a bug in the SmartCard libraries that Apple ships with OS X 10.10 Yosemite.
Apple is aware of the bug too but there’s no ETA for a patch.
Here are several references to the issue:
http://ludovicrousseau.blogspot.fr/2014/12/os-x-yosemite-bug-scardgetattrib.html
https://smartcardservices.macosforge.org/trac/ticket/139
http://openradar.appspot.com/19085357
https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/issues/2184
We’re actively looking at our options for providing a workaround, but at the moment it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to fix this…
Sorry for the rather bad news.
cheers,
felix
Thanks for clarifying the situation Felix.
You mentioned that Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac 8 doesn’t support PIV or CAC. Do any of the other clients? I need PIV access to remote systems, and the formal recommendation is to use rdesktop, an X11 program that’s ugly to set up and ugly to use.
Hi Bryan,
Royal TSX does support Smart Card redirection.
cheers,
felix
Bryan, I’m afraid there are no RDP clients on Mac that work with PIV or CAC. We strongly recommend that you install Windows via Bootcamp on OS X in order to access PIV or CAC on Mac.
Like previously mentioned we added support for Smart Card redirection to Royal TSX a few months ago.
http://v2.royaltsx.com/resources/rtsx_smartcard.png
FANTASTIC REVIEW !! Looking for a solution to use my new MacMini to connect to Windows 7 PC and QB and electronic medical records program. I’ve tried RDC (poor), then Microsoft desktop connection (good) and CoRD (good). So far, I think MDC is slightly faster, although I like the interface of CoRD better. I think tomorrow I’m give Jump a try, and maybe Ericom Blaze. Would like to hear of any other suggestions, or recommendations. Fabulous review, and thank you very much.
Hey Scott,
you might want to take a look at Royal TSX.
It offers a lot more features than any of the mentioned solutions, is free for small environments (up to 10 connections) and available on multiple platforms, including OS X, Windows, iOS and Android).
Check it out at: http://www.royaltsx.com/main/home/osx.aspx
cheers,
felix
Thanks Scott and glad it helped you in your search for a remote desktop connection for Mac tool. I think you’ll be impressed by Jump Desktop – it’s incredibly slick and the interface is excellent.
Unlike Microsoft Remote Desktop 8, other clients like CoRD, 2X Client for RDP and TSclientX support setting the “Client Hostname”.
A Client Hostname allows the client to act like a Windows computer with that name. Otherwise some applications may default to some unwanted behaviour (HIS/RIS – PACS viewer integration with our setup, for example).
Note that itap Mobile has been discontinued as of October 8th 2013, as per their website:
http://itap-mobile.com/itap-rdp
Thanks for the update! The timing is suspicious considering Microsoft have released the new version Remote Desktop for Mac 8.0 today – and it does look a bit like iTap for Mac suggesting Microsoft has possibly bought it.
I think you may have a critical typo in your article. You list Snow Leopard as 10.5.8 as the max requirement for MS Remote Desktop. I believe you mean 10.6.8.
Actually the sentence you are referring to in the article is about the old Remote Desktop 2.2 for Mac. I’ve double checked and it works on OS X 10.4.9 Tiger and above according to Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=1350
So indeed, it is a typo – it’s now changed to OS X 10.4.9 in the article.
Thx for double checking. Yes, I was commenting about v2…..but now you have the sentence reading as “Snow Leopard 10.4.9” when you now are saying it should read “Tiger 10.4.9”. Oops.
Thanks – now corrected.
I have been very impressed with Remotix for Mac from Nulana:
http://www.nulana.com/remotix-mac/
I second that.. great software.
Thank you for this excellent list! One thing that frustrates me is the dock continually popping-up when I move my cursor down to the start bar to pull up a different app in a full-screen RDP session (currently using 2x). Do any of the apps have the ability to disable the dock, ideally in the OS X space where I have the RDP session open? Thanks!
Hi Chuck,
the next version of Royal TSX (http://www.royaltsx.com/main/home/osx.aspx) will have full screen functionality (including multi-monitor support) and will behave like you want it to (completely hiding the dock).
cheers,
felix
After trying almost all of these on my laptop I want to share that on a retina display everything looks blurry. Except for iTap. Not sure what sort of magic they do but fonts are significantly clearer on it. On a regular laptop (non-retina) or computer all of the mentioned applications work just fine, but try it on retina and you will see the difference.
Thanks for sharing Nikolay. It’s true that some of these RDP for Mac clients still haven’t been updated for retina displays. However, Jump Desktop for example does support retina displays but you have to access View and then select Actual Size. This shrinks the desktop to 1:1 retina size. To expand this to full screen you need to CMD click on Jump Desktop and select Edit and in the Display section scroll down and select 2880×1880 and then connect.
Very good list of tools. You can also check on premise deployment of remote support appliances. Just Google “remote support appliances” and you will find a number of vendors.
Thanks Andrew.
The 2X Client only works with the 2X server, so it is not really a RDP client.
I see your point although in the general sense that it allows remote desktop access, it is an RDP client.
The 2X client allows both RDP and 2X Server connections, but defaults to 2X.
I’m not sure why you devote the first third of your blog post to the Microsoft client when it is not supported by any current version of OSX. The System Requirements says: “Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac (version 2.1.1) is not intended for use with Mac OS X v10.7 (Lion) or later.”
You’re right Microsoft does say it’s not “intended” to work with Lion and above but in actual fact, Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac does work with both OS X 10.7 and OS X 10.8.
Do any of these RDPs allow dual monitors?
Yes they do – it’s pretty standard with RDP for Mac clients nowadays. Microsoft Remote Desktop, CoRD and iTap definitely support dual monitors and I think the others do as well.
You should check out Royal TSX. It’s a full featured RDP connections manager that can also do VNC, SSH, Telnet and more.
http://www.royaltsx.com/main/home/osx.aspx
Hi Felix, Thanks for the tip. It looks like an interesting VNC for Mac client – I’ll take a closer look and maybe add it to the post.
Very useful post, please keep it updated when you can!
Cheers,
Matt
Hi Matt, Thanks – we’ll keep an eye on remote desktop software for Macs and update the post when there’s something new.
This is due to the “GateKeeper.” Disable gatekeeper and you will be able to run the program!
There is an RDP client for Mac Mountain Lion called Ericom Blaze. Blaze is more than an RDP client, as it also compresses and accelerates RDP by up to 10 times, so it improves performance when accessing PDFs, PPTs, Flash movies and other graphics-intensive applications.
Ericom Blaze works with any standard RDP host, including VDI, Terminal Servers and remote Windows PCs.
Click here for more info:
http://www.ericom.com/mac-linux-windows.asp?URL_ID=708
Please note that I work for Ericom
Thanks for the suggestion Adam. I’ve added Ericom Blaze to the bottom of the post but we couldn’t install the free trial from the Ericom website due to a “damaged file” message in OS X.
To fix the “damaged file” error, you have to adjust the Mac System Preferences – Security & Privacy setting to “Allow applications downloaded from: Anywhere”.
Note to other users: Note that by doing this, you are disabling Gatekeeper in OS X which is designed to protect you from installing software made by developers not endorsed by Apple. Only select “allow applications download from anywhere” if you are comfortable with this.