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Apache Guacamole vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Intune
Sponsored
Ranking in Remote Access
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
316
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (2nd), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (1st)
Apache Guacamole
Ranking in Remote Access
8th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...
Ranking in Remote Access
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
83
Ranking in other categories
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.1%, down from 9.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Apache Guacamole is 4.0%, up from 3.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 8.2%, down from 11.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Access Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Intune9.1%
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services8.2%
Apache Guacamole4.0%
Other78.7%
Remote Access
 

Featured Reviews

AkashKamble - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr MacOS specialist engineer at Cyber24
Enables management of multiple operating systems with a single license
The best feature is that it's a Microsoft product, so if anything goes wrong, we get quick support for anything required. Remote system functionality allows us to sit anywhere and take control of any device via remote management. We can enhance security for clients' laptops with built-in Microsoft Defender, which is available with the Microsoft Intune license. We use it for reporting purposes through endpoint analytics. When pushing scripting, there are two types available: remediation script and reservation script. Through endpoint analytics, you can push defender policies to clients. It helps with reporting, inventory updates, and monitoring tenant status health.
DS
Lead Backend Engineer at Singhania QuestPlus
Secure web access for guest users has transformed how we protect servers without device agents
Apache Guacamole can be improved as the documentation is really okay. It's written in very good detail. However, there's a problem in that it is written in too much detail and doesn't take you step-by-step. We did have some minor issues, such as there was some gap in mentioning how to install it and how to make and compile the file which they have posted on the repository. We had to figure it out, and once we got that knowledge, we were able to speed up our process. I think that the documentation wasn't that well written. There were gaps in it. It was well written but not written step-by-step. They can improve Apache Guacamole's UI. We didn't use their UI and use our own UI instead, but their UI can be improved. Simple is also good but it can be improved.
MN
technology consultant at Bank of America
Remote access has simplified certificate checks and daily support tasks across our organization
The best features Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers include providing me administrator access, certain inbuilt client tools, and the ability to remotely access enterprise applications, as well as helping me validate whether certificates exist or are missing, or near to expiry. The product also allows for multiple session virtualizations even if users are based in remote locations and offers support for legacy applications that need to be upgraded. Out of those features, the one I rely on the most is certificate validation and plugin installation or removal in certain IDEs which developers or coders generally use. Being able to do this remotely makes my job significantly easier than going to everyone's desk in the office.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"One of the most valuable features of Microsoft Intune is the detection and remediation script capability."
"Microsoft Intune has broad capabilities, particularly with mobile device management, with excellent management features like the ability to push configuration policies to all devices across the company and manage them effectively, strong configuration and compliance capabilities, and valuable application management that centralizes applications in one place and makes configuring or deploying them much easier."
"The feature of remotely wiping devices in Microsoft Intune is what I prefer the most."
"The performance of Microsoft Intune is good."
"The main advantage is that Intune performs its intended functions effectively."
"Configuration profiles, remediation, scripts, and auto-pilot features are very good."
"The Advanced Endpoint Analytics in Microsoft Intune has improved and helps us proactively detect and remediate anomalies in endpoints."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Intune is that it is more of a one-stop shop, providing an easier experience."
"Apache Guacamole has impacted my organization positively by providing us with a cheap alternative that is very customizable, which we can offer to customers that previously we had to decline because they could not afford Citrix."
"Apache Guacamole is really easy to use."
"I'm using Apache Guacamole as a gateway."
"Apache Guacamole helped us cross that boundary, and leveraging that technology, we were able to expand our product surface area and the customers we can access."
"Apache Guacamole thus far has been both open source, simple to use, easy to set up, quick, and it makes it easy for me to provision systems as well."
"For those considering using Apache Guacamole, I wholeheartedly support its users since it's a free open-source software that is easy to download and use with no significant issues."
"The most valuable features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services are unification, central management, and accessibility."
"We use it to connect to the legacy system."
"Mostly we are quite happy with it."
"What I found most valuable in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is accessibility because the solution lets you take control of your computer remotely."
"The main benefit, is that it's easy for us to get the same desktop and do things in the same way regardless of our location."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable and reliable."
"It allows employees to log on to corporate resources remotely."
"It's simple and easy to use."
 

Cons

"We haven't really gone through all the features of Intune. We are just discovering them. Every day, we see a new feature that we want to apply, but what will be great for Intune is to be able to deploy apps in a simple fashion. We should be able to easily install various apps on the Windows platform, iOS, and Android. Currently, we have to write some scripts. It's not as straightforward as we would like it to be. It should be simplified so that we can do it just with three clicks—next, next, finish—without needing to write a script."
"I would like some integration with the Microsoft reporting platform Power BI."
"Microsoft Intune lacks live location tracking capabilities. Improvements should be made in terms of MDM platforms for other devices."
"The solution can have some compliance problems in general and the end-point user can bypass easily the company policies in Intune."
"The most important thing is reporting. They should improve their reporting. They should give a free hand to users. In SCCM, I can create my own reports. For example, in SCCM, I can create an inventory report for my PC or for all PCs, but in Intune, we don't have an option to create any report. Microsoft claims that Intune is a successor of SCCM, but SCCM is more powerful than Intune. So, they should develop Intune more and make it equivalent to SCCM. Then, their product will be great in the market."
"We face multiple scenarios where IT decision-makers request specific policy implementations, however, due to product limitations, we cannot fulfill these requests."
"We had an APNS certificate set to expire last week. We tried to renew it two days before it expired. We logged in to the APNS portal but could not find that certificate. We didn't know where it went. All the iOS devices stopped working. We contacted the Apple and Microsoft teams, and each blamed the other. This is something that Microsoft should take care of. Last week, we had so many escalations from high-profile users who couldn't access corporate data on their devices."
"There should be more support for macOS. Even though macOS is supported by Intune and Microsoft is working very hard to get more features into Intune to manage macOS, that's one thing they can give a lot more attention to."
"I think that the documentation wasn't that well written."
"I would give Apache Guacamole an eight out of ten because there have been moments where I faced some networking issues with it, where connections were a problem, and sometimes the login and logout processes were issues as well."
"There should be good documentation regarding GUI customization. Even though I can try customizing the GUI, the documentation is not comprehensive."
"There should be good documentation regarding GUI customization."
"The solution's USB redirection could be improved."
"I gave it a nine because some very advanced features such as session recording and clipboard functionality are still not available on Apache Guacamole, though they are available on Citrix."
"The price is too high."
"The product is not very scalable."
"Microsoft should be more compatible with other operating system."
"I rate Microsoft's customer service support a two out of ten. In general, Microsoft has poor support."
"The pricing could be better."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is only available for the professional version of the Windows operating system. This restricts a lot of users. The feature should be available for all versions."
"The training profiles could be better."
"There have been some network issues in the solution. So, when we used to connect it, the solution suddenly got disconnected. So the network part needs to be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Consider the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite rather than choosing specific sub-components, e.g. only Microsoft Intune."
"I am not that aware of the pricing, but as compared to other MDM solutions, Microsoft is providing a lot of things at the organizational level. So, it is quite reasonable as compared to other MDM solutions."
"Its licensing model is not complex, but it is very expensive compared to other solutions. They can bring more models and reduce the pricing. They should allow customers to select the features they want and price it accordingly."
"The E5 license is expensive."
"There is a license required to use the solution. If you're core users in Office 365, for example, you have Outlook email and E3 license, this is only email. You have to buy an EMS license to have Microsoft Intune. It is expensive."
"Microsoft licenses are costly."
"I am satisfied with the pricing."
"It's a bit expensive from a licensing perspective, especially as we look to have organizations with tenants across the globe."
Information not available
"It's not an expensive product."
"I think that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is expensive compared to Login solution."
"The cost is fair."
"I recall that you don't need to pay for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services because that's included in Windows."
"Although not an expensive product, pricing is always something that can be improved."
"We do not have to pay for the product."
"Its licensing is on a yearly basis. We're on the educational or academic license, and our terms are good. We're very happy with the pricing."
"The cost of the solution is low."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business121
Midsize Enterprise47
Large Enterprise158
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business40
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise32
 

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?
Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...
What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...
How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...
What needs improvement with Apache Guacamole?
Apache Guacamole can be improved by making it more secure or advertising its security features and capabilities more ...
What advice do you have for others considering Apache Guacamole?
Apache Guacamole is deployed in my organization on a public cloud. The cloud provider I use is Amazon Web Services (A...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Guacamole?
There is no licensing or setup cost involved. It is a VM on AWS that we pay for, and Apache Guacamole is a free open ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
In limited use cases, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is free as it is defaulted by any Microsoft license. The paid...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be improved because we have keyboard compatibility issues with some platforms...
 

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
No data available
Remote Desktop Services
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Information Not Available
Bank Alfalah Ltd.
Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Guacamole vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.