Often, modern giant businesses & IT techies find it difficult to choose the right desktop software for their business operations. Whether to manage your complete business infrastructure, or assist your client located at a distant location with troubleshooting, or to access your office PC from home, you should select a product strategically, as the tool you select will directly affect your productivity & system security.
Currently, three major software are dominating the industry: RDP, TeamViewer, & AnyDesk. All these software have almost the same level of applicability, yet you can differentiate between them in terms of price, performance & system architecture.
We will discuss in detail each of these software using real-world explanations to help you choose the best available option for your business.
Introducing the Top Three Remote Access Protocols
- Remote Desktop Protocol: The Built-In Network Software
RDP, or Remote Desktop Protocol, is a network tool built directly into your Windows operating system. You can easily identify this auto-feature if you are running your computer on premium versions of Windows, such as Windows Pro or Enterprise. No need to download any other external software or pay additional charges for the activation.
- TeamViewer: The Comprehensive Support Protocol
TeamViewer is a feature-rich, enterprise support remote desktop protocol widely used by big IT firms. It is designed in a way to provide an all-in-one desktop control & extensive features, such as in-built text chatting, video-calls, shared sessions, & system health checkup.
TeamViewer can automatically manage complex firewall networks efficiently, making it an ideal choice for external client support. But it also requires a local software installation on a larger scale with more resources.
- AnyDesk: High-Speed Performance App
AnyDesk was created with the purpose of optimizing the connection speed & minimize software size. You don’t need to follow any technical installation process to run the application. The app is built on a unique video compression engine known as DeskRT.
The engine manages screen transitions with so much efficiency that even if you are connecting to an unstable mobile network, your computer system will respond smoothly. It eliminates complex enterprise functions to maintain high speed & low latencies.
Features & Pricing Comparison
Features RDP TeamViewer AnyDesk
- Application: Useful for technical users, IT help centres, and independent
& internal windows networks looking for a large-scale remote workers
corporate collaboration & team looking for high speed.
- Hosting: Must run on Windows Pro. Works efficiently across Runs on
or Enterprise multiple platforms such as Windows, as Windows, Mac, & Linux Mobile, & Raspberry Pi
- Network: Manual setup needed(VPN), Automatic configuration Automatic Configuration via secured cloud servers configuration via secured cloud servers
- Basic Pricing Free(in-built feature) $24.90 monthly $28.90 monthly Plan (annual billing, single user, (annual billing, & up to three devices) single user, & three login devices)
- Business Pricing Free( zero scaling $50.90 monthly $49.90 monthly
Plan charges) annual billing, single user, (annual billing, & up to 200 devices) up to 20 users, & one concurrent connection base)
Real-World Practical Differences
- RDP functions natively: When users log in to their system through RDP, the Windows system logs out the local physical monitor & grants control to the virtual session. The desktop application relies on the hardware processing power of the remote computer system. It means that if your personal computer is running slowly, it will start functioning at a faster speed due to the fast processing power of the distant machine. Learn more about this workflow in our analysis of VPS vs Remote Desktop.
- TeamViewer offers collaborative support: You will see the same computer screen visuals as the person sitting at the physical computer sees. It enables users to draw on the main computer screen using the virtual whiteboard tool. You can also solve your software queries either through live chat or using a split file-manager window. Example: We conducted a test last month in which we transferred 50MB of network installation via TeamViewer’s dedicated file transfer interface. The performance and speed were comparatively better than AnyDesk, which got stuck at instances involving handling large & complicated subfolders.
- AnyDesk responds immediately: For direct feedback involving incidents such as navigating a live dashboard or updating design documents, AnyDesk’s dedicated engine, DeskRT, updates visuals on your computer screen at a faster rate. It helps to reduce visual artifacts caused by the blockages in pixels and sudden freezes in the visual display.
Security & Protection
- RDP is the safest software that operates within a secure office network & an encrypted VPN tunnel. The only safety drawback is that when you open your system’s standard communication port to direct access to the public internet, the system is exposed to a higher risk. There are several automated malicious bots that routinely search for such open RDP ports to launch a cyber attack.
- TeamViewer utilizes an account-based security structure in which remote machines monitor the system administrator account directly instead of randomly changing the security passwords. Conditional Access is one of its corporate safety policies that authorizes IT managers to determine the network locations and devices that will be allowed to establish a connection.
- AnyDesk operates on a standard encryption model ( i.e., TLS 1.2 & RSA 2048-bit key exchanges). However, no software can guarantee bulletproof security. In 2024, AnyDesk faced a security breach, due to which they had to change their digital security certificates immediately for safety. This incident serves as a reminder that users must opt for two-factor authentication for their system safety and security.
Steps & Instructions to Set Up a Remote Connection
Here are the steps you can follow to set up a basic connection on these platforms.
Windows RDP:
- On your remote computer, go to Start > Settings > System > Remote Desktop, then turn the switch on.
- Copy the exact computer name that is displayed on the Settings panel.
- Again, go to Start>type Remote Desktop Connection.
- After the window screen opens, type the remote computer name you copied from the Settings panel, then click Connect. For login, provide your standard Windows user account credentials.
TeamViewer:
- Download & install the TeamViewer setup file on both the systems, personal & business.
- Sign in to the TeamViewer account using your credentials.
- Search ID & temporary password displayed on the remote computer’s interface.
- On your local app, type the ID in the Partner ID field, select “Remote Control”, provide the temporary password copied from the remote computer interface & then, and then click “Connect.”
AnyDesk:
- Download the AnyDesk app from their official website on both systems.
- To launch the app, input the 9-digit number displayed under the heading “This Desk” on the remote computer.
- Connect the app to your local computer by typing the 9-digit number under the heading “Remote Desk.”
- To authorize the session, click the “Accept” button on the remote computer.
Final Outcome: Which One to Select
The final choice of selection depends on the user’s technical requirements & specific use cases.
- Go for RDP if
- You are using a Windows-based infrastructure.
- You are operating via a secure internal computer network, such as VPN.
- You are looking for a built-in solution available free of cost.
- Opt for TeamViewer if
- You have an established IT desk team.
- Looking for an integration with corporate ticketing software.
- Looking for a feature-rich, comprehensive tool for live support.
- Choose AnyDesk if
- You are searching for a high-speed performance application.
- You want a light-weight application with low latency.
- You are looking for software that can easily connect when your internet is weak or unstable.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Which is the best software amongst the three for a slow internet connection?
A. Amongst the three, AnyDesk is the best software known for its high speed and low latency. Its DeskRT engine ensures low data usage for responsive mouse control & seamless screen updates even with a slow internet connection.
Q. Can I use TeamViewer & AnyDesk software for free for my personal use?
A. Yes, you can use free versions of TeamViewer & AnyDesk for your personal use. But if the software detects any commercial usage, your session will be locked immediately, as both these software use automated connection-monitoring algorithms to detect any policy breach.
Q. Is it possible to use Microsoft RDP on a computer that has Windows Home Edition?
A. Yes, you can use Microsoft RDP with a Windows Home Edition to connect with an external machine. You cannot host or receive incoming connections unless & until you have a premium version of Windows, such as Windows Pro or Enterprise.
Q. How can I protect my remote desktop connections from hackers?
A. To prevent your remote desktop connections from hackers, you must implement two-factor authentication, use unique passwords, frequently change the standard network port numbers, and configure the IP address to block unauthorized users.