Talk:Comparison of remote desktop software

Talk article structure

This talk page for the article Comparison of remote desktop software has been refactored to group the comments into the following logical sections

• Rows (i.e. candidates, or instances of software)
• Cells (comments about content of cells that represent individual "facts")
• Columns (i.e. software features)
• Tables (structure and formatting)

It would help future maintenance of the main article if you could place your talk comments in the appropriate section. Thanks

Refactoring Note: To avoid bias I did not modify the original comments, nor the order in which they appear. I merely grouped them as subsections of the main sections mentioned above. I hope you find that I have placed your comments in the correct sections :-) Artemgy (talk) 11:59, 24 November 2009 (UTC)

Rows / candidates

This section discusses the individual rows that appear in the table(s), which represent specific instances of software listed as candidates in this comparison. It includes suggestions of candidates that are not yet listed but perhaps should be.

DWService

DWService is very good.

Gitso

Please add Gitso. It is free software and it is VNC based. It is multiplatform also, for Mac, Linux and Windows.

Ciampix (talk) 00:31, 10 February 2014 (UTC)

GPL

There are some rows that are listed as having a GPL license, yet "free for personal use" and/or "free for commercial use" is set to "no." From what I understand about the GPL, I am not sure that this combination is actually possible. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 57.80.144.6 (talk) 16:26, 30 November 2012 (UTC)

• A lot of GPL software gives users the option to choose a commercial license if they don't intend on releasing their derived product as GPL.

Deleting table rows

Stop deleting table rows in a biased manner! An editor just deleted some rows which did not have Wikipedia articles about them, but did not delete all of the table rows satisfying that criterion. That is biased.

In any case, I don't think that we should only be comparing remote desktop software products that have individual Wikipedia articles. That would be unhelpful. Just because a product is little-known, doesn't mean it can't be best-in-class, hypothetically speaking. —greenrd 12:01, 28 April 2007 (UTC)

One of the deleted rows was ThinLinc, it had a pointer to the manufacturers (Cendio Systems) home page, which of course was not good. It should have pointed directly to the product page: http://www.cendio.com/products/thinlinc As a former employee of the company I do not wish to add the row again with that correction, but as a Netizen I want to point out that Wikipedia is about collecting information, not about censorship.

Wikipedia is about cooperation and so is the World Wide Web, we use links to point to information you get "from the horses mouth", we keep information, because destroying information is destroying Wikipedia, it is actually worse than spamming because it is done "because I know what is good for you, and you don't", and it is not obvious that information has been tainted.

Thus requiring that every page is a complete article worthy of being printed in a Encyclopedia Galatica (complete with external references) and then requiring that every item mentioned on a page needs a link, not to just any informational web page but to the almighty Wikipedia Galactica is killing the idea of both the web and Wikipedia. —User:TorbjörnAxelsson2007-12-13 09:00(UTC)

XDMCP

Does XDMCP really belong in this list? It's real purpose if for dumb terminals and created before the days of current remote desktop applications. --Skunark 04:23, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Probably not, it was an attempt at populating the list content. Feel free to remove. RFB/X11 doesn't really "Fit" here, does it? Sartan 03:02, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

ShowMyPC

http://showmypc.com should be included in the list since it is a remote desktop software. I actually don't know its details, just used.

SPLASHTOP

What about Splashtop?? I love that program. It should be listed here for sure. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.242.168.162 (talk) 17:52, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

GotoMyPC and GotoAssist

http://www.gotoassist.com/en_US/entry.tmpl This product is similar to CrossLoop but has more features. http://www.gotomypc.com/remote_access/remote_access This product has been on the market for a long time and is mature, available on multiple platforms. —Preceding unsigned comment added by JPWhiteFitMan (talk • contribs) 18:26, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

Seriously, it makes no sense that "gotomypc", surely the most discussed remote desktop software applications these days, is nowhere discussed here or in related wikipedia entries. kentfx 04:39, 25 December 2010 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kentfx (talk • contribs)

What about TurboVNC

Any chance of getting TurboVNC included here? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 158.35.225.227 (talk • contribs) 15:32, May 18, 2007

• Ditto for Remote Administrator... This article needs to be expanded. -AlexLibman 19:16, 29 May 2007 (UTC)
• I agree radmin and Teamviewer are musts to be added to this article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Erehe (talk • contribs) 23:30, 22 March 2008 (UTC)
• Add Danware's Netop... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 159.53.46.143 (talk) 16:49, 13 May 2008 (UTC)
• Add "clicknet" - proprietary, but can also work via modem, not only via internet. Good if the person helped has a phone line, a laptop with a modem but has issues with the tcp/ip stack or is supposed to work remotely (sales, data entry). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.203.68.10 (talk) 04:19, 26 March 2010 (UTC)

Where is NoMachine? NX?

ATM NoMachine information is incorrect: link to wiki page is incorrect, first public release missing (should be around 2002), lists 4.0 as stable, which is not even of alpha quality. Should reference 3.5.0 as stable instead. Xtaty (talk) 11:07, 12 June 2011 (UTC)

x2go missing

x2go is a reasonable NX-based remote desktop software package, with clients for a wide range of platforms.

VineServer and VineClient are another couple of VNC implementations that should be mentioned

I was looking for an OSX general remote solution (not limited to X apps) and I found Vine via Google but not here. 69.118.123.126 (talk) 12:17, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

I would recommend using Vine Server along with Chicken of the VNC for client. The Vine Viewer is not free. --71.141.148.143 (talk) 22:20, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

ncomputing and similar access terminals

Devices such as NComputing's access terminal probably ought to feature somewhere in this table. Not sure how, thought. BTW: I do not work for ncomputing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dwlegg (talk • contribs) 10:22, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Synergy

The comparison of synergy is not in the list. As it uses RDP to switch from mointors to mointors, it should be included. Someone could be kind to add to the comparison list with other details describing the different kinds of use each has —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.120.222.254 (talk • contribs) 08:35, October 10, 2007

Yeah, I was kind of expecting Synergy to be on this list myself. http://synergy-foss.org/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.156.205.173 (talk) 03:58, 27 August 2013 (UTC)

OSX 10.5 "Screen Sharing"

Can the native OSX 10.5 aplication of "Screen Sharing" be added to this list? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.250.4.67 (talk) 06:42, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

it's essentially just another version of VNC for the Mac, but probably should have its own line Msilverman (talk) 22:06, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

PCNow form WebEx (Cisco)

Does this product belong here? I'm currently researching it and was looking for it in the table - but at this stage I'm not certainif it is a like-for-like product, but I believe it is. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.120.229.238 (talk) 20:42, 6 November 2008 (UTC)

Livecare Support

http://www.livecare.net/en/index.php Alfax (talk) 21:02, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

BASS (Application and Desktop Sharing) from Columbia

There's another, totally separate, application and desktop sharing solution, recently disclosed from Columbia University (December 2008): BASS. You can download a Windows server installer, and a generic Java client, for free for reserach/non-commercial use, but I haven't found source anywhere. The protocol is a wrapper around PNG on top of RTP.

http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~boyaci/

71.202.24.31 (talk) 04:07, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

SSH client for Win Mobile

http://theregoesdave.com/2008/03/05/the-free-windows-mobile-ssh-client/ Ashayh (talk) 15:54, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

Possible additions to the list

KDE's Desktop Sharing (krfb) RFB server, and GNOME's Remote Desktop (vino) RFB server and Vinagre RFB client could all be added. Open4D (talk) 15:43, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Also, SSVNC (which is a version of TightVNC using SSH). Open4D (talk) 16:22, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

How about Sun's VirtualBox's RDP server (VRDP)? 99.173.27.56 (talk) 18:51, 9 March 2010 (UTC)

Citrix Online's GoToMyPC? Kinduv big. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.219.125.1 (talk) 20:01, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

What about Thinomenon's Remote Desktop Client (Thinomenon RDC)? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.250.62.9 (talk) 15:43, 19 September 2012 (UTC)

Skype

What about the screen sharing feature od Skype? 86.2.33.101 (talk) 13:21, 14 June 2012 (UTC)

SPICE

Shouldn't SPICE be in this list or is it a virtualisation specific protocol? I've seen things on the interwebs that suggest it can be used for remote access. BordenRhodes (talk) 03:54, 7 August 2012 (UTC)

Remmina

The GTK+ Remote Desktop Client, by Vic Lee. http://remmina.sourceforge.net --AlastairIrvine (talk) 08:34, 28 September 2012 (UTC)

Ericom Connect

I suggest adding Ericom Connect. I'd add it myself, except since Ericom is a client of mine I have a conflict. But I believe any objective analysis would show it deserves a place on this list. I've collected all the relevant information to fill in the table. Rabcfi (talk) 13:39, 7 March 2019 (UTC)

As an editor with a conflict of interest you are welcome to make a specific suggestion with all the values here on the talkpage (ideally with some sources although this requirement is handled very lenient in this list), since the main article has been reviewed and accepted. I have added a COI info tag on top, including a "suggest content" convenience link, if you'd like to prepare such a suggestion in more detail. GermanJoe (talk) 15:20, 7 March 2019 (UTC)

Remotely

Please consider adding Remotely. It is FOSS. I am not in any way affiliated with this software. Nyq (talk) 10:23, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

Cells / "facts"

This section dicusses specific "facts" that have been stated in cells or footnotes for the comparison tables. Sometimes the comments question the data, put the case for how the data might actually be improved, or simply point out potential errors

RFB

What is RFB memory in fire systems —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.225.137.249 (talk • contribs) 05:16, April 27, 2007

RDP not supported in Linux?

This "fact" (as it seems to be indicated in the current version of the table) can't possibly be true. rdesktop, anyone? Renaissongsman 00:12, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

I think the current format of the list is wrong. Linux has RDP support (rdesktop as RDP client, xrdp as RDP server), but is there an application called Remote Desktop Connection (RDC != RDP!) for Linux? Or is it just the application that comes along with Microsoft Windows? What about the support for Mac, is that correct? IMO there shouldn't be mention about rdesktop support for Linux on RDC nor on any other RDP software which isn't actually supported in Linux. Also the list is lacking the xrdp. --Tanger 17:14, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

I too think the format of the table is wrong. perhaps there should be one table for each protocol (X11, RDP, RFB/VNC , bomgar, etc...) and then each table listing the name of the software package and its capabilities X11 possibly deserves separate discussion as the terms server and client mean different things to the other systems Jasen betts (talk) 03:45, 11 February 2010 (UTC)

RFB vs. VNC

Why is the protocol sometimes RFB, sometimes VNC, and sometime both? RFB is VNC's protocol, isn't it? Engelec (talk) 21:03, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Why no sessions comment for SSH with X forwarding?

What was the intent of the no sessions comment for SSH with X forwarding? This seems to imply that the author believed that a complete X desktop cannot be viewed remotely. While it is true that one may forward only one application one can also forward the desktop and run the window manager and everything all on the 'remote' machine. Since running X means some sort of Unix in most sane configurations the user can even log into the remote machine multiple times and have multiple desktops. How is this 'no sessions at all'? 64.56.231.11 (talk) 23:03, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

File Transfer over SSH

Why the no file transfer comment for X11 over SSH? You can just use SCP to transfer the file. Watson Ladd (talk) 15:20, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

Log me in free

Does log me in free really have remote audio? Whoever added it may have been using the demo of the other version I think. Maybe we could all check this? ·Add§hore· ^Talk/_Cont 09:08, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

EchoVNC with OSX

The table entry for EchoVNC indicates no client for OSX, yet the EchoVNC project page claims compatibility with OSX. http://sourceforge.net/projects/echovnc/ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.165.109.35 (talk) 18:07, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I did some digging around... what the page indicates is that it is possible to connect to a server running VNC; that's just another way of saying that since EchoVNC is compatible with VNC, you can use it to connect to Macs or whatever else you have running VNC. However, the client itself is Windows (and apparently Linux too, judging by the files section) Joren (talk) 19:03, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Columns / features

This section discusses columns in the table(s) which represent features. It includes suggestions for new columns and how to improve the way features are communicated to the reader.

LAN only support (ip address connections)

A lot of these tools require you to be connected to the internet to function at all (Splashtop for example) or they need internet to maintain an address book or relay connections. This information is really useful in corporate environments that are heavily restricted behind firewalls. 70.163.214.16 (talk) 04:58, 13 April 2020 (UTC)

I strongly agrees on the importance of this feature.

Send your screen 2,000 kms to a ISP server and then come back, versus a 2 meter tour to your local router is a huge difference.

Also this feature could bring a big diference in connections that need to be on all the time, as sending them to the internet will probably end up needing dome subscription to a licensed version of the software (AnyDesk, TeamViewer) Sully76 (talk) 00:07, 14 November 2022 (UTC)

vGPU

I wonder why this is not included. Utilizing the GPU of the remote machine during remote sessions is nothing uncommon anymore. Dieter.wunderer (talk) 00:37, 9 February 2019 (UTC)

Auto logon

Accessing a remote machine (you need frequently) without entering the credentials every time might also be an important criteria for selecting candidates. Dieter.wunderer (talk) 00:37, 9 February 2019 (UTC)

Local resolution

The remote machine should automatically take over the resolution/monitor setup of the local machine (i.e. native resolution instead of scaling for full screen). Let's say the remote machine is set to 1920x1080 (because this is the native resolution of the attached monitor). If you connect with a local machine with e.g. 2 monitors with 2560x1440 each, the remote machine should be set to this setup and transfer 5120x1440 natively without scaling. This cannot be set manually on the remote machine, as at least Windows does not allow to set a higher resolution than the native monitor resolution, and of course you cannot add monitors, which are not physically attached.
Is there any other program next to Microsoft's RDT supporting this? Dieter.wunderer (talk) 00:37, 9 February 2019 (UTC)

Access Permissions Request

Currently only "yes" and "no" are used. What does "no" mean? Does it mean "no by default"? Does it mean "never"? Does it mean "configurable"? NetOp is listed as "yes" but should be listed as "configurable" or "optional".Sqgl (talk) 12:05, 30 June 2013 (UTC)

Application Provision

The features comparison definitly needs a column for the ability to provide (single) applications to an accessing client. e.G. Citrix's Published Applications. This is an essentially feature. 78.54.160.191 (talk) 23:22, 9 December 2011 (UTC)

Video Support

which protocol support remote watching video/camera?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.155.92.114 (talk) 19:58, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

Encryption format/type

I've had some conversations on the security of remote access protocols, particularly VNC vs RDP. I would have liked to refer to this article as a guide, but all I found was 'Yes/No'. Will there be signifigant opposition from the community if I renamed the 'Encryption' Contents from Yes/No to "None, '128-bit RC4 w/ TLS' for RDP, '128-bit RC4/AES/AESV2 with plugin' for UltraVNC, and so on? Sartan 23:55, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Instead of the reactionary approach, I've gone ahead and added this ;) 'References are' the pages themselves. Sartan 00:18, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

multiple sessions

They all pretty much do multiple sessions. Would it be better to list which apps can share desktops, require full desktop or just an application? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Skunark (talk • contribs) 05:05, 12 May 2007 (UTC).

I was almost thinking of setting this up to specify application sharing (RDP, ICA) rather than 'multiple sessions' because this is vague and undefined. Let's fix this! ;) Sartan 03:01, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

I think modifying it to denote tabbed sessions, or possibly adding such a column might be in order. --67.131.123.130 (talk) 15:44, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

Encryption Misleading

Coloring the encryption column red if not on is NOT a problem if using ssh. Indeed if ssh is being used then likely you would want to turn encryption off so that unnecessary work is not done. The only time that encryption would be useful if it were greater than ssh or done faster. 128-bit is not strong encryption, perhaps a red mark should be made of these! 4000-bit is strong. 2000-bit is good? Perhaps this could be expanded by someone (no visits from NSA please). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 220.240.85.65 (talk) 17:19, 14 May 2007 (UTC).

I suggest we rename the column to 'Native Encryption', because you can encrypt pretty much anything you want if you set up a proper SSH tunnel. Whether this is done, or a best practice or not, is really up to the administrator although the application cannot enforce it. Sartan 03:03, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Port knocking

I think port knocking is a useful feature and should be listed in the table. Does anyone agree? I only know of one VNC that implements it, though. --AndrewZ 15 May 2007 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.59.193.95 (talk) 19:10, 15 May 2007 (UTC).

I think port knocking is a useless feature in general. If it's nonstandard, it's creating the usual troubles that nonstandard solutions cause. If it's standard, it effectively provides just another password, the effect of which you can easily achieve by using a password with double the normal length.
You may disagree, but if my points are at least reasonable, the feature is controversial enough to be unsuitable for inclusion in a feature comparison table. It has too many columns already :)
-- jo@durchholz.org —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.245.139.70 (talk) 10:13, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Port knocking is significantly different from passwords. See Port_knocking#Benefits for details. Superduperpup (talk) 19:10, 26 January 2012 (UTC)

I've just read that article, and it is indeed very different from using passwords, as instead of sending the password (preferably hashed) over an encrypted channel, the ports are sent in the clear for everyone to read. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.114.146.117 (talk) 01:14, 29 August 2016 (UTC)

Pricing

Any thoughts on a column for price? I don't see it having been done before here, but would be useful info for potential users. The only hitch would be getting a fair comparison across different pricing schemes. jeffjon 20:48, 29 August 2007 (UTC)
I support this for usefullness, down side is that it might be different prices based on region and a prices do vary over time.--ThinSTAR (talk) 13:22, 4 September 2014 (UTC)

Windows Vista Support

The Windows support column should be split or have a seperate demarkation indicating support of Windows Vista and more specifically user acess control and other new 'features' in Vista. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mamanakis (talk • contribs) 21:27, September 25, 2007

Yes, I would strongly support such an additional column, since Vista's UAC (User Account Control) poses some difficulties for remote desktop software. --Oltsw (talk) 13:43, 9 November 2008 (UTC)

Clipboard transfer

Hi, i would like to add a new column to show clipboard transfer feature. Benbac20 (talk) 23:40, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Support for authorization via Active Directory

For Windows remote administration solutions that would be nice to see if AD authorization is supported. UltraVNC definitely supports it. 87.226.226.210 (talk) 07:33, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

The full list of Windows authentication modes: Windows, NT Domain and Active Directory credentials. RealVNC/VNC Enterprise Edition - supports all of them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.226.226.210 (talk) 09:57, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Add column for version numbers

Suggest adding version numbers to add in comparison, as programs are not static, and features may change. Possibly add another column to show last update for that row. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.241.103.90 (talk) 11:30, 16 March 2009 (UTC)

I second ðat. For instance, I have just heard rdesktop does not support RDP 7, which would be a significant information but is nowhere to be found. Leandro GFC Dutra (talk) 15:37, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Table needs more columns

The table needs to show compatibility by platform via client OR server (or controller and controlled). For example, microsoft's remote desktop connection can be remotely controlled by Mac or Windows computers. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.169.209.123 (talk) 10:31, 19 June 2009 (UTC)

Needs another column

Support for accented characters, at least in TightVNC this is broken and in the mailing list it refers to problems in the server. I came here attempting to search for an alternative no such luck, does anyone know another free VNC that supports this ? Thanks. --89.152.177.195 (talk) 22:40, 22 November 2009 (UTC)

Symbian clent column

while java, BB and winMO clients are listed, it's always good to have a column if there us a symbian client supported.120.56.141.220 (talk) 07:00, 26 October 2010 (UTC)Rohan 26 october 2010

Web Client

Can you guys please add this feature to the appropriate table sheet? TeamViewer has a web-based flash client that requires no installation, which is extremely cool. Please add it guys. Thank you! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tonyjustme (talk • contribs) 18:57, 22 January 2011 (UTC)

Seconded. Although I think it should be clear which rely on just standard browser technologies (JavaScript, websockets, etc.) and which require special plug-ins (like Flash). CendioOssman (talk) 11:33, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

Suspending a Session

I would like to know which systems allow me to suspend a session and reattach later, possibly from a different host. I think it's worth a column in the feature table. Jrvz (talk) 13:10, 6 May 2013 (UTC)

Touch support

Needs a column for direct touch support. For example, on a tablet, Teamviewer and I believe Microsoft Remote Desktop support using touch directly, while Chrome Remote Desktop only supports using swipes to move the cursor. I've heard Microsoft Remote Desktop also supports hover interaction using a stylus held above an element or control on the screen. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.231.144.65 (talk) 21:58, 31 July 2014 (UTC)

TCP VS UDP

I think this article needs a TCP or UDP column. (Have you ever Maximized a window in VNC over an SSH tunnel? It's slow because both SSH and VNC are TCP.) I'm looking for a UDP remote desktop application to run over my UDP OpenVPN for maximum throughput, but without this column, I'm finding it difficult to locate such a solution. As an example of one protocol that does support UDP: Microsoft Remote Desktop. Are there any others? Hopefully as this column gets filled in, we'll learn together. 2605:E000:1119:4017:5E2F:64CC:E121:8C55 (talk) 21:58, 28 August 2017 (UTC)

update technique

These days, if any app doesn't have its own method of receiving automatic updates (let alone a friggin' remote desktop app) it should be noted. Why not have a column that lets people note the update mechanism? Manual/Automatic/Checks and Notifies. I also think any that haven't been updated in the past decade should just be removed from the list and ones ones that say they are deprecated. Or maybe just throw them in some 'archived/legacy' section.Jawz101 (talk) 18:58, 6 February 2020 (UTC)

Tables / structure

This section discusses ways in which the overall presentation of the data in the comparison article could be improved by altering the structure or formatting of the table(s) presented

Features table too wide, should be split into two (or more) separate tables

The features table is unviewable on my computer (MacBook Pro 2013 13 in) with Firefox because it's way too wide. There's no way to scroll it. When I shrink it so the whole table is displayed it's way too small to read. -- Dough34 (talk) 18:22, 7 July 2019 (UTC)

How about table row text headers?

I'd think that to be helpful. Renaissongsman 00:12, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Recommend splitting the table in to three: client, server, java/browser viewer

I think this table would be better viewed if it was split into 3. Also, most if not all of the remote desktop software supports multiple sessions. All of the VNC server and clients do. Also, you might want to list Unix as the other OS candidate, they were listed there at one time. --Skunark 03:45, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

Table formatting

In my web-browser I can see red/green cells in the table, but inside are undefinable symbols. Perhaps there are problems with Unicode on my PC, but it can be a problem to read this article for someone else too. Please change the symbols to conventional yes/no! --Happywren 05:05, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

I am actually the one who changed the table from displaying "Yes" and "No" to a checkmark and an X. I had taken into consideration that in some rare cases there may be problems displaying these characters. However, my reason for making the change was to in fact resolve an even more common display issue. When you look at the table in a smaller resolution such as 1024x768, it becomes obvious how width is a constraint. Personally, I use a widescreen 1680x1050 LCD monitor, and the table could be considerably larger without a problem. But I deemed that it would most likely be more appropriate to cater to the compatibility issues of those on lower-end computers. If anyone else would like to comment on the table, please do. --CMBJ 09:45, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

Width issues can be solved by splitting the table into two or more tables (ideally by theme, but you could at a pinch just call the second one "Continued" or something). I think that is a better way to solve it. My friend has a newish laptop, and he can't see this page properly on Windows XP, so I don't think the problem displaying the checkmarks is that rare.—greenrd 10:58, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

I have made the necessary changes to resolve this compatibility issue. --CMBJ 02:25, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

Separate into tables for Protocol, Client Implementations, Server Implementations?

I think the table as it currently exists is confusing, with entries that are a mishmash of the three. It seems to me that it'd make sense to break it into separate tables something like this: Protocols

• Protocol,
• License,
• Standard (e.g. Proprietary, Published Standard, etc.)
• Encryption Support (none, built-in, plug-in),
• OS Availability

Client Implementations

• Protocol(s),
• License,
• Encryption Support,
• OS Availability,
• columns for features e.g. Audio

Server Implementations

• Protocols,
• License,
• Encryption Support,
• OS Availability,
• columns for features

The Remote Desktop Connection entry, for example, is a bit of a joke - does it refer to the protocol, the Microsoft RDP client (which version?), or the Microsoft RDP server (which version?). Does xrdp (with its own line) mean that this line should actually list Linux support as 'Yes' because there's a server implementation available? Fencepost (talk) 18:36, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

I agree the table needs splitting as it's getting rather long, but I'd prefer a different criteria because some entries are both client and server so I'm not sure if it is a useful criterion to split on. I'd suggest we split by platform:

• Windows
• Mac
• Linux
• Cross-platform

Opinions? Pgr94 (talk) 11:14, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

That is an interesting idea but since most of the software here is cross platform, all it would really do is weed out a few of the one-platform only ones and leave us with a still huge table of most of the products Msilverman (talk) 20:52, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

Yes, looking at the table more closely you're right. I'm not sure this is a useful criterion, but splitting by license into proprietary vs GNU-compatible divides the table into a fairly equal number of items. Sensible? Pgr94 (talk) 08:04, 1 April 2008 (UTC)

I think its a good idea, the current table isn't clear on the server vs client distinction, It is hard to tell what OSes the server runs on vs. what the client runs on... and they are different sets for many of the products. One thought I had, while they aren't currently in the table, there are several AJAX / web browser based products which don't have clients per se and a few VNC clients that don't have servers. If the intent is to comprehensive maybe they should be taken into account as well. 74.62.149.29 (talk) 03:16, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

I agree, I was looking into FreeNX and discovered that while it has a windows client, it does not have a windows server. It has both client and server for Linux. NoMachine has a workaround, but this is just an example, I'm sure others have a similar situation. Footnote/Reference: http://www.nomachine.com/ar/view.php?ar_id=AR02D00349 137.244.215.56 (talk) 12:34, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

I think the default sort criteria should be General information AND Features tables divided by protocol. As example, I want to look for a RFB client or server that support a particular feature, I will find all related software together.--Efa (talk) 08:48, 12 February 2011 (UTC)

I agree with this 100%. I just spent the entire day installing FreeRDP because the Operating System Support mislead me into thinking FreeRDP had both client and server software. As it turns out, it's strictly client-side software. I've gone ahead and updated the table to reflect my findings so no one else has to waste their time. Viltris (talk) 04:26, 8 November 2014 (UTC)

Split table by making vertical cuts

This is how Comparison of software pages are usually done. You get multiple tables, each with all of the softwares listed. Typically we would see one table describing platform support, another table describing features etc. Duckbill (talk) 11:05, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

Filters

The tables are getting big enough to be awkward. I would like to see a "filter" option, where I could select a column, indicate that I want to keep "yes", and all the "no" rows would be eliminated. Also that column would be eliminated. Then I could select a different column and further simplify the table. Or you could do the same thing with sorting, if I could indicate whether I want "yes" or "no" answers to sort first in this column, and that I'm providing a lower-precedence part of the sort key (i.e. I'm only changing the rows that sorted the same for all the previous parts of the sort key). Jrvz (talk) 13:20, 6 May 2013 (UTC)

removing platform to be unconnected to any other information makes this page almost useless

Splitting this table so platform is its own separate table, completely divorced from any other information and with not even the came rows listed as the other tables, makes this page difficult to the point of virtual uselessness as a resource for finding screen sharing software. Guess I'll look elsewhere to find usable screensharing software. Major fail. I understand the need not to have great big wide tables but reducing the page to complete practical uselessness as a reference is not the answer. 107.3.134.109 (talk) 20:56, 19 October 2020 (UTC)

Not refactored

The remaining sections of this talk article have NOT been refactored

Purge redlinks and extlinks?

The general rule of thumb for list and comparison articles is that only items which are notable enough to have their own articles should be listed/compared. Accordingly, I propose to purge all the redlinked and extlinked items from the page. Please give your views on this.

• Does anybody object to purging the list in principle?
• Does anybody think that any of the specific redlinked/extlinked items should be kept as they are notable enough to deserve an article? If so, can they make a stub for the item(s)?
• Does anybody know of any of the redlinked/extlinked articles having an article which they are not correctly linked to? If so, can they correct the links?

--DanielRigal (talk) 22:07, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

Redlinks

I see that red links are accumulating again. I am going to purge them again, in a day or so. If anybody wants to fix any of the red links in the meantime then please go ahead. --DanielRigal (talk) 15:47, 22 November 2008 (UTC)

Done. --DanielRigal (talk) 21:34, 26 November 2008 (UTC)

VERY BAD. Removing information just because it's not popular is NOT how to do an encyclopedia!. If something is LESS popular, put it on a second table (or a second page with a list+link below the main table). Good thing ppl making dictionaries don't react like this, or we would lose old words to the "ministry of truth and popularity" (heck, even Orwell failed to imagine this one). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.203.68.10 (talk) 04:25, 26 March 2010 (UTC)

followup comment to "Add column for version numbers"

• I agree that there should be a bit of an update done here. I am researching these companies for work and I have found that the columns are missing a few items I thought were very important such as: Session recording, safe mode, inviting other people to a session, remote printing, multiple monitor support, remote access, and chat. Also there seems to be a few new and pretty big players missing such as Webex. Also surprised that Bomgar doesn't have a site they seem to be more notable than most and quite unique. There are a few smaller sel hosted solutions that I thought should be here as well. I have the information for about 10-12 companies but not this entire list. —Preceding unsigned comment added by WikiNC (talk • contribs) 17:27, 1 May 2009 (UTC)

remote desktop clients

I just started looking for remote desktop clients. This seems to be a technology started by Microsoft. I use Python and I found cspace (http://cspace.in). It is written in python, it is open source, uses qt. I currently works for remote desktop, chat, and file transfer and on windows and unix. It has not been updated for more than a year. I have not tried it yet, although its open source nature could make it powerful. Because of virtualization and the cloud, remote desktops could replace browser based rich clients, such as ajax. Sun apparently has a java based rich client remote desktop. Ideally, the remote desktop should be all in the browser. Silverlight may make this possible.

Remote desktops are vastly more powerful than trying to do things in a browser and probably far less complicated. 207.237.37.226 (talk) 13:49, 25 May 2009 (UTC) David Jensen

Sound and xdmcp

The table lists xdmcp as having audio support. Does it? I'm not aware of it. Does anyone have actual information on this, or is this just an error? --jdege (talk) 23:03, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

Cheeky!

Someone just tried to add a link to a spammy website with what looks suspiciously like a prettied-up version of this very table! While the table itself looked OK, it was a spammy website because it had unrelated junk on it on other pages. Be on the lookout for such subtle spammers!--greenrd (talk) 20:34, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Image copyright problem with File:E-ball.GIF

The image File:E-ball.GIF is used in this article under a claim of fair use, but it does not have an adequate explanation for why it meets the requirements for such images when used here. In particular, for each page the image is used on, it must have an explanation linking to that page which explains why it needs to be used on that page. Please check

• That there is a non-free use rationale on the image's description page for the use in this article.
• That this article is linked to from the image description page.

This is an automated notice by FairuseBot. For assistance on the image use policy, see Wikipedia:Media copyright questions. --07:25, 15 February 2011 (UTC)

Direct X, openGL, hardware 3d acceleration

Does anyone know which of these RD-solutions supports 3d-hardware acceleration? I read that RealVNC does. — Preceding unsigned comment added by JPBoyd (talk • contribs) 11:32, 11 April 2011 (UTC)

Web client filter?

Teamviewer has a flash web client. Could one of you introduce that as a filter in the chart?

Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.119.217.157 (talk) 17:29, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

Sub7 GPL??

Original page of sub7 article says that it is only freeware. I have not found any easy accessible source code for sub7. Is it GPL? I think it is not. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.199.69.186 (talk) 11:02, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

I noticed that as well. Since no reference or the source code can be found I'm changing the license to freeware per sub7. Palosirkka (talk) 18:27, 31 May 2014 (UTC)

SUGGESTION FOR A NEW INNOVATIVE FEATURE FOR ALL WIKIPEDIA TABLES

hello!

I am not sure if this is the right section, so please feel free to transfer it to the right one. Anyway, I would like to suggest a feature where we will able to choose (by ticking boxes) two or more criteria in the table and display only those software (table entries) that match both, for example software that are free for personal use and support file transfer

thanks! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.132.61.165 (talk) 12:37, 17 March 2012 (UTC)

I agree. I come to pages like this when I need to find a piece of software that does what I need it to do. So if I need to find something that is 'Free for personal use', runs on Linux and is able to at least do file transfers, I'm screwed since they are in 3 different tables. What we need is a table where you can add your own columns dynamically, get a drop down box for choices in a column (like OS) and the ability to sort on more then one column. The OS table in the article is stupid btw. With the values only being 'Yes/No/Unknown' this could easily be integrated in a single column in another table and then actually be useful! 87.211.235.65 (talk) 02:21, 21 May 2013 (UTC)

I agree 100%. The presentation of the tables in the article is useless.

Maybe this will be some help:

First, press F12 and in the pane that pops up, select the Console tab.

Enter:

dataset=Object.values(Array.from(document.getElementsByTagName("TABLE")).map(x=>{var spans=[];return{head:(y=>y[0].map((z,i)=>y.map(a=>a[i]).reduce((p,a)=>p.length&&p[p.length-1]==a?p:p.concat(a),[]).map(a=>a.innerText.replace(/^\s+|\s+$|/g,'')).join(": ")))(Array.from(x.tHead.rows).map(y=>{var row=[],col=0;Array.from(y.cells).forEach(z=>{while(spans[col])row.push(spans[col++].cell);for(var i=0;i<z.colSpan;i++){row.push(z);spans[col++]=z.rowSpan>1?{cell:z,span:z.rowSpan}:null}});while(col<spans.length){var cell=spans[col++];row.push(cell?cell.cell:null)};spans=spans.map(z=>z&&z.span>1?{cell:z.cell,span:z.span-1}:null);return row})),body:Array.from(x.tBodies[0].rows).map(y=>Array.from(y.cells).map(z=>z.innerText.replace(/\[\d+\]/g,'')))}}).map(x=>x.body.map(y=>y.reduce((p,z,i)=>{if(!/^\s*\??\s*$/.test(z))p[x.head[i]]=z;return p},{}))).reduce((p,x)=>p.concat(x),[]).reduce((p,x)=>{var o=p[x.Software];o=o?o:{};Object.keys(x).forEach(y=>o[y]=x[y]);p[x.Software]=o;return p},{}))

Now you should have all the information in the tables as an array of JavaScript objects.

To look for property values that interest you, enter:

(x=>{Object.keys(x).forEach(y=>x[y]=Object.keys(x[y]).sort());return x})(dataset.reduce((p,x)=>{Object.keys(x).forEach(y=>{var o=p[y];o=o?o:{};o[x[y]]=null;p[y]=o});return p},{}))

This should list all properties with all their distinct values.

Take care that a Yes with a note (Yes^[xyz]) is different from a Yes without one. In my opinion that's a feature since a lot of Yesses in the table are Nos in disguise. (Another thing that makes the tables near-useless to the average user.)

Now suppose, for the sake of the argument, that we need it to be free software that runs on Windows:

selitems=dataset.filter(x=>/^(?:GPL|BSD|MIT)$/.test(x.License)&&/^Yes(?:\[(?:ab|r)\])?$/.test(x["Microsoft Windows: Client"])&&"Yes"==x["Microsoft Windows: Server"])

Now you should have a selection of programs, but they're hard to compare because they contain a lot of irrelevant information.

How about filtering out properties which are the same between all of them, or which are of no interest to us:

selitems.map(x=>Object.keys(x).filter(y=>!/: (?:Client|Server)$|^(?:Java|iOS|Chrome OS) \(client\)$/.test(y)&&!selitems.every(z=>x[y]==z[y])).reduce((p,y)=>{p[y]=x[y];return p},{}))

I hope this was some help. But yeah, the Wikipedia table system needs an overhaul, and the three tables need to be joined.

Another thing that would be particularly useful, would be the ability to rotate header labels. That way it would be possible to greatly reduce the size of Yes/No columns. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.114.146.117 (talk) 12:34, 28 August 2016 (UTC)

Table General : changing column "First public release date" to "Last public release year" ?

Hello, is it really usefull to have the column "First public release date" ?, I think it would be more usefull to change it to a column named "Last public release year". Comments welcome. Or other option : changing "Latest stable version" column, to "Latest release year". --Dadu (talk) 10:41, 20 April 2013 (UTC)

Renamed column "Latest stable version" to "Latest stable version year". --Dadu (talk) 14:48, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

Missing From Tables

The following are missing from "Table 2 - Operating Systems Support"

Software Missing
Anyplace Control
Anywhere TS
Apple Screen Sharing (iChat)
Chicken of the VNC
Chrome Remote Desktop
LiteManager
LogMeIn Pro

The following are missing from "Table 3 - Features"

Software Missing
LiteManager
Radmin

Medic48 (talk) 16:33, 7 April 2015 (UTC)Happywren 17:05, 14 March 2018 (UTC)

AnywhereTS - Out of Business

According to the AnywhereTS website at http://anywherets.com/ - AnywhereTS is no longer supported as the company has gone out of business, should we consider removing the product from the tables? Medic48 (talk) 13:52, 7 April 2015 (UTC)

BeAnywhere Support Express - Available for iOS

BeAnywhere can now support iOS

I will update the table to reflect this. Medic48 (talk) 14:19, 7 April 2015 (UTC)

GO-Global - Available for Android & iOS

GO-Global can now support Android and iOS.

I will update the table to reflect this. Medic48 (talk) 15:38, 7 April 2015 (UTC)

Other programs that could be added to comparative

Do not know if any of these was mentioned in previous messages, but some are quite interesting:

• gtk-vnc: VNC viewer widget for GTK
• Vino: An integrated VNC server for GNOME
• DirectVNC: Very thin VNC client for unix framebuffer systems
• SSVNC: VNC viewer that adds encryption security to VNC connections
• LibVNCServer: Library for creating vnc servers
• Remmina: A GTK+ RDP, VNC, XDMCP and SSH client
• gtkvncviewer: A small GTK tool to connect to VNC servers
• noVNC: VNC client using HTML5 (WebSockets, Canvas) with encryption (wss://) support
• Guacamole: HTML5 clientless vnc gateway
• VNC Reflector: Specialized VNC server which acts as a proxy sitting between real VNC server (a host) and a number of VNC clients.

--190.226.99.86 (talk) 11:23, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

AnyDesk is removed

AnyDesk is removed at 14:15, 23 March 2016‎. but this software is still actively updated. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 61.220.35.20 (talk) 11:42, 29 July 2016 (UTC)

Some questions after working on the article.

What's the point of the OS column in the first table? Isn't it redundant with the second table?

Similarly, the Server/client/listening column seems to be partially redundant with the OS table, and it contains some items where it's hard to know what exactly is meant.

x2x, x2vnc (and their unlisted but for most people much more useful sibling Win2vnc) are, I think, a very different kind of program than your normal remote desktop software. I don't see why they're here at all, because the only thing they share with the rest is that they share some underlying tech. Their purpose and use is completely different. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.114.146.117 (talk) 11:17, 31 August 2016 (UTC)

UltraViewer

It would be nice if someone would add UltraViewer on this list as well.

It's free for commercial use as well. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.2.200.233 (talk) 14:20, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

Some editors of this page are not interested in adding anything on this list, much less giving all available remote desktop options to the readers. Rather, they remove some products on very vague and unclear basis. Radmin and Remote Utilities are a good example. They are just being wiped from Wikipedia and no one of the other editors or admins cares. This is despite the fact that Radmin has been around on the market for almost 20 years and was one of the pioneers of the industry , and Remote Utilities has been around for almost 14 years and has a feature set which far exceeds the one provided by many products in this list. Yet, someone out there thinks that these products are "not notable". ConradSallian (talk) 19:42, 9 November 2017 (UTC)

Radmin and Remote Utilities

Someone among editors and maybe even admins is clearly interested to wipe these two products from Wikipedia. Not only these products' pages were recently deleted but also there are attempts to remove them even from this table. I demand reconsideration of these actions since someone is clearly abusing the editing permissions they were given by Wikipedia. ConradSallian (talk) 19:37, 9 November 2017 (UTC)

Radmin page has been speedy deleted Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Radmin, after this Radmin has been deleted from this table. The software is on the market and is being developing. I ask for reconcideration of these unfair decisions. Dear editors please help retreive Radmin article Draft:Radmin and Radmin in the table. Happywren 17:01, 14 March 2018 (UTC)

Request edit on 11 April 2019

Please add Ericom Connect to the table. Info follows:

Ericom Connect

Protocols: proprietary, server; proprietary or RDP client

First public release date 2015

Latest stable release 9.1, 2019

License proprietary

No free versions for either personal or commercial use

Supports following operating systems: HTML5, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X,Linux, Android, iOSChrome OS

Feature support:

Access permission request [Yes]

Nat passthrough [Yes]

IPv6 support [Yes]

Maximum simultaneous connections – [Unlimited]

Video [Yes]

3D [Yes]

Drag and Drop file transfer [Yes] ```` — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rabcfi (talk • contribs) 07:36, 11 April 2019 (UTC)

@GermanJoe: Pinging GermanJoe for their input on this. Also, the COI editor is asked to remember to sign all their posts using four tildes (⇧ Shift+~ x 4)  Spintendo  14:31, 11 April 2019 (UTC)

@Spintendo: For an AfC-reviewed article I see no general problem to include it, but @Legacypac: as the AfC reviewer for this article would be more qualified to comment on the article's merits. An AfC-accepted article should be treated just like any other contribution (imo), unless notability is challenged by other volunteers. The technical specifications are probably uncontroversial, but of course questionable, challenged claims should be sourced or omitted. @Rabcfi: - I know most of the table is unsourced, but a source for these technical specifications would be helpful (a review or even just a self-published technical documentation for uncontroversial stuff would do). Could you provide such a source for clarity please? It would also be helpful, if you'd prepare the table rows in proper formatting (just copypaste existing rows and fill them here accordingly with the new information). But unless Legacypac has major concerns about the main article, I'd support inclusion here (with or without source for uncontroversial details). GermanJoe (talk) 15:05, 11 April 2019 (UTC)

@Rabcfi: When ready to proceed with the requested information, kindly change the {{request edit}} template's answer parameter to read from |ans=yes to |ans=no. Thank you!

Regards,  Spintendo  22:59, 12 April 2019 (UTC)

Request edit on 14 April 2019

Extended content

Remote desktop software Software Protocols Creator First public release date Latest stable version year License Free for personal use Free for commercial use Ericom Connect Proprietary, server; Proprietary or RDP client “Ericom_Software” 2015 2019, 9.1 Proprietary No No Operating system support Software Microsoft Windows Mac OS X Linux FreeBSD eComStation Java (client) Android iOS Blackberry (client) Windows Mobile Chrome OS (client) Server Client Server Client Server Client Server Client Server Client Client Server Client Server Server client Ericom Connect Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No No No Yes Yes Features Software Client/server/listening Built-in encryption File transfer Audio support Multiple sessions Seamless window Remote assistance Access permission request NAT passthrough IPv6 support Maximum simultaneous connections Video 3D Drag and drop file transfer Multiple passwords for remote access Session recording Screen blanking USB forwarding Export network services Printing Smartcard authentication Whiteboard Chat tool H.264 support Browser-based access Ericom Connect Client & server SSL, TLS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unlimited Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes

Rabcfi (talk) 11:12, 14 April 2019 (UTC)

@Rabcfi: Thank you for formatting these tables, that's most helpful. Also, GermanJoe had asked if you could provide a source for these technical specifications would be helpful (a review or even just a self-published technical documentation for uncontroversial stuff would do). Was there one you could provide with this? Thanks in advance. When ready to proceed with the requested information, kindly change the {{request edit}} template's answer parameter to read from |ans=yes to |ans=no. Thank you!

Regards,  Spintendo  19:47, 14 April 2019 (UTC)

Some of the information can be found in the Ericom Connect Admin Guide:

But mostly it came from asking Ericom technical staff. The client side is accessed via an HTML5 browser, so any operating system that will support an HTML5 browser works on the client side. That's also indicated in the above referenced Admin Guide.

Rabcfi (talk) 05:49, 15 April 2019 (UTC)

References

.

Reply 14-APR-2019

  Edit request implemented    Spintendo  06:50, 15 April 2019 (UTC)

OmniTech Support listed at Redirects for discussion

An editor has asked for a discussion to address the redirect OmniTech Support. Please participate in the redirect discussion if you wish to do so. _signed, Rosguill ^talk 17:34, 26 June 2019 (UTC)

Jump desktop

I use jump desktop quite a lot, and it would be good to add it to comparisons. --- thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by 107.145.130.225 (talk) 12:17, 7 December 2020 (UTC)

Windows Quick Assist (formerly called Windows Remote Assistant)

Why Quick Assist isn't in the article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Graña 'n' Montero (talk • contribs) 13:14, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

NAT passthrough column

It isn't clear to me if the ‘Yes, ...’ are just ‘Yes’ses or ‘Yes, but actually no’es. In the most typical use case, which nowadays is unfortunately that both parties are sat behind a NAT and haven't got access to any other servers of their own, will they be able to connect? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.61.180.106 (talk) 21:20, 13 May 2022 (UTC)