As remote access continues to grow as a principal method of people using computers for their businesses and personal use, field innovators keep developing optimizations and new methods of enhancing the remote access feature. For the time being, the remote desktop protocol, known as RDP, remains the king of the field despite its old age and certain flaws. Still, newer remote access methods are rising to challenge it. Recently, we have seen remote desktop software coming into the scene. These remote desktop software options either use an enhanced version of the RDP protocol or have come up with their own unique protocols that allow a user to establish a remote desktop connection.
While when you use an RDP connection, you are left to your own devices on how to establish the connection and maintain your way around the potential stability and security issues that may arise, this remote desktop software will instead simplify the process and add its own security and stability measures of its own. Recently, we have also seen Chrome Remote Desktop exploding into popularity. With that in mind, which option is best for you?
RDP VPS vs Remote Desktop Software
Before we get to the software itself, let’s take a quick look at the principal differences between remote desktop software and using an RDP VPS service. An RDP VPS server is a virtual private server that uses the remote desktop protocol as the primary means of allocating dedicated resources from the host virtual machine to the user. With an RDP VPS server, you are already afforded all the necessary resources and hardware; you will simply use the RDP protocol to establish the connection between your local machine and the VM in question. If you want this, Cloudy is a great option to get remote desktop VPS hosting.
On the other hand, you are afforded no allocated resources with remote desktop software. So first, you need to get an RDP server from an RDP server provider. Not sure which provider to go for? Check out Cloudzy’s list of the Best RDP server providers of 2022. Once you have an RDP server of your own, you can use its credentials within the remote desktop software to easily connect to and use it. Still, most RDP servers use shared hosting, and you will likely not have admin access. So, consider your options against your needs before choosing between RDP VPS and remote desktop software.
What is Chrome Remote Desktop?
However, those are not your two only options. Since 2018, Chrome has come up with an extension for its famous browser, Chrome Remote Desktop. Since then, this feature has developed into a standalone entity and has gained widespread popularity. The main factor behind Chrome Remote Desktop’s popularity is that it is readily accessible on every computer that has an instance of Google Chrome installed. Furthermore, it is free and easy to use. While you do not get any allocated resources with it and still need to provide both ends of the connection yourself, the ease of use and the fact that it costs nothing has made Chrome Remote Desktop a fierce competitor for many other remote desktop software options.
There are, however, several underlying issues with Chrome Remote Desktop. These include that the security is somewhat weaker compared to remote desktop software. It also has no built-in chat, no multi-session support, and even no multi-screen support. All in all, Chrome Remote Desktop is a reliable alternative to get out of the most basic uses of Remote Desktop Software. However, it is not as optimized and cannot directly replace the three remote desktop software I will mention now.
Zoho Assist
Zoho Assist is a jack of all trades regarding remote desktop software options. It has OS compatibility with macOS, iOS, Android, and Windows. So while it does not support Linux, you are covered on all the other major OS options. There is even a web-based client. This will eradicate your need for installing software and allow you to quickly access your server regardless of the device you are using through the web, similar to Chrome Remote Desktop. Zoho Assist incorporates several security measures to ensure that your online safety is not compromised. There are two plans that you can use with Zoho Assist. These include unattended access and remote support, which can be tested for 15 days with the trial. It even has fast file transfer and remote reboot, which is impressive for its low price.
LogMeIn
LogMeIn is another reputable option as far as remote desktop software goes. It also comes with its own set of impressive features similar to Zoho Assist; these include advanced file transfer and remote reboot. It comes with fully optimized multi-screen and multi-session support, making it excellent for large corporations that run large remote access servers for their employees. It is also an excellent option for the members of the IT community. The security is also top-notch, and as the cherry on top, you also get more than one terabyte of storage to your name and unlimited user access. However, several flaws, such as a lack of local email clients and improper compatibility between macOS and Windows, make the high price tag hard to justify. Still, if you are not bothered by these flaws, and if that one terabyte of storage is tempting, then, by all means, go for LogMeIn.
AnyDesk
AnyDesk is one of the world's oldest and most well-known remote access clients, and it is not that hard to see why after you use it once. Anydesk’s base client is free and incredibly easy to use. You simply use the generated key of your target machine to access it quickly; however, for a small subscription fee, there are all sorts of benefits coming your way. These include server monitoring which allows you to run several servers and sessions simultaneously, as well as multi-session and multi-screen support. Anydesk features a very easy-to-use interface and excellent connection quality with low latency. It has no session limit with the paid plan and an easy installation process with a tiny installation file. Last but not least, it also has multi-platform support, and you can use it to control another computer from your computer or vice versa.
Summary
There are many great remote desktop software options for you, and we only named three of them here. However, if you lack the means to provide the second computer yourself, then a premium RDP VPS is a great alternative!
