My company uses Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for our company's accounting software, which doesn't have a cloud solution. In our company, we deployed a server with the help of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
Technical Support Manager at It Outsourced
An easy-to-install and easy-to-use solution with a high a capacity of RAM
Pros and Cons
- "The installation of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was easy."
- "The biggest reason we don't use the solution for our company's clients is the solution's prices."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable feature is that it's a technology that we are familiar with in our company. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has been around since Windows NT 4 domain, making it a very familiar solution. It was easy to find a lot of clients familiar with the idea of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services since it was not a new concept to them. In general, the solution tends to work well. It is an easy-to-use solution.
What needs improvement?
The biggest reason we don't use the solution for our company's clients is the solution's prices. In our company, we do our own hosting through a hosting partner since this method offers a much cheaper price. Finding entry-level servers that are limited in the IOPS is frustrating. In our company, we feel quite restricted on the speed that we can get out of the entry-level type of service that we use, making it difficult to sell the solution, especially when clients compare the cloud solution to an on-premises solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for five to six years. I work at an IT support company that resells, implements, and offers support for Microsoft products.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
My company is happy with the stability of the solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I think it's a very scalable product. The product's scalability depends on how big our company's clients are, so it is not an area we need to worry about since you can use its gateway server for different servers.
My company works with small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support doesn't get covered under Office 365.
My experience with other Microsoft support, apart from Office 365, has not been that fantastic since I remember being quite shocked using the solution.
I haven't used support for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
How was the initial setup?
The installation of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was easy.
The installation of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services takes around four hours.
The solution is deployed on the cloud and on-premises.
A single technician is involved with the deployment part of the product in our company.
What was our ROI?
In our company, we consider Microsoft Remote Desktop Services as more of an added service than something that generates income for us. We do make a little bit of income with the help of the solution, but most of all, it's just a value-added service that the product provides for our company. Our company won't get rich by selling Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive. My company pays toward the monthly licensing costs of the solution, though we also have the option to opt for perpetual licensing offered by Microsoft. Microsoft licensing models are quite complex, so we tend to use a monthly subscription-based model in our company.
The additional cost, apart from the solution's licensing cost, is related to the technical support a user wants.
What other advice do I have?
Though not a lot, some maintenance is required for the solution. One person can do the maintenance of the solution.
I would tell those planning to use the solution not to underspec the server, especially with IOPS, while keeping in mind that the amount of RAM can be more than expected. I would say that the need for a VPN, owing to security reasons, is important.
I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
Head of IT at a engineering company with 10,001+ employees
Scales well but reliability could improve
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is that it scales well."
- "The reliability of the solution could improve."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is a remote desktop service to connect outside our company.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is that it scales well.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for approximately eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The reliability of the solution could improve.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately 60 to 400 people using the solution.
I rate the scalability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used VMware and switched to Microsoft Remote Desktop Services because the price was lower.
What about the implementation team?
The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was done by our company.
What other advice do I have?
We are going to discontinue the use of this solution within a few months.
The newer versions of the solutions work better than the older ones.
I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Microsoft Remote Desktop Services
June 2026
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Web Manager at a healthcare company with 1-10 employees
Useful as a help desk service and comes free with Microsoft services, but has a complex setup
Pros and Cons
- "It's part of the Microsoft Operating system and is free."
- "The pricing is great as it's free in the larger Microsoft system."
- "The administrative functionality is not enough for me."
- "It's so insecure, and it's so limited."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution as a remote desktop. I'm using it over a VPN and SSH too.
What is most valuable?
I like how it shows the user how you can do things as a help desk service.
It's part of the Microsoft Operating system and is free. If comes with the larger Microsoft licensing.
What needs improvement?
It's so insecure, and it's so limited. It became more limited since we cannot use the administration tools. Nothing is really working at this moment. I'm using it over a VPN and SSH too.
I've tried Microsoft's user assistance, and it's limited.
The administrative functionality is not enough for me. I don't want the user to see what I am doing. I don't want to reveal any authorization keys or passwords. I want to be in the background, managing the desktop and using the Remote Desktop Viewer while handling best practices.
I'd like a chat function so we can talk right there in the app. It would be better than picking up the phone and guiding the users.
I'd like stronger security.
I'd like to lock the session and take over a session so the user can just watch what I am doing and not interfere.
While the setup looks simple, in the end, it is pretty complex.
A big upgrade would be if they stepped back from the TCP RDP port they are using and design it after an SSH tunneling and use that port since a tunnel is between two devices, and it is a very secure way to connect. The added benefit is you would also have the possibility to share local and remote resources.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for a long time. I've used the product for more than seven years. I've likely used it since Windows 7.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is okay, depending on the internet connection. I'd rate it seven out of ten for its general level of stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Basic remote services are not very scalable. I'm trying to use InTune instead, which seems to have more of the functionality I need.
Right now, usage is limited, and we only have ten people on the solution. It's used mainly by people who are not always in the same location.
How are customer service and support?
User support is limited. They lack documentation. However, there is a learning center at Microsoft.com, which is pretty good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used Log Meln previously. It's a lot better, yet it is quite expensive. There's also TeamViewer, which is well known, and we've used it before. Once again, with the things I do, it is expensive. As a company, you need to pay a big fee. It's not ideal for small teams.
How was the initial setup?
The solution starts off simple in terms of deployment. However, it gets complex. You have to open locked ports, and that can make your network insecure.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is great as it's free in the larger Microsoft system. It's integrated with the operating system. For me, the licensing is a five out of five in terms of useability and affordability.
What other advice do I have?
I'm an end-user.
The solution is used on-prem with VPN tunneling and SSH. With an Azure AD connection, we can use it on the cloud.
It's not the best, as the users can always see what you are doing, which is not always ideal. I'd rate it six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Endpoint & Digital Workplace Management at Telekom Malaysia
Easy to deploy and there are many features available that you can turn on or off depending on your budget
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to deploy and there are many features available that you can turn on or off depending on your budget."
- "I would like to be able to leverage it on other operating systems."
- "The product can be improved by ensuring that people can access it from anywhere and be leveraged on any kind of device virtually."
What is our primary use case?
My current role is as an Assistant General Manager in Point Application Services. I am a global administrator for Microsoft 365. We chose this solution based on the requirements we had.
What is most valuable?
We are using Azure Virtual Desktop, this is the most valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
The product can be improved by ensuring that people can access it from anywhere and be leveraged on any kind of device virtually. We are leveraging it on some laptops and PCs, but not on mobile devices. I would like to see Virtual Desktop leverage these devices in the future.
Furthermore, I would like to be able to leverage it on other operating systems. Currently, we only leverage it on Microsoft Windows. By being able to access other technologies, companies and users can use multiple technologies.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for less than 3 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. We are not leveraging all the applications on Azure Virtual Desktop yet.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We are able to scale up with Microsoft Remote Desktop.
How are customer service and support?
The support we receive from Microsoft is great.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to using Microsoft Remote Desktop, we were using Citrix VDI. We are still using both solutions with different perspectives because on is leveraging on-premise and the other on the cloud.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is straightforward. By using Microsoft, you have access to the Wizard, which is helpful.
What about the implementation team?
We used the Microsoft team to deploy the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not responsible for licensing and pricing. I am aware that for Azure we do have an extra license because we are leveraging on different tenants. The first tenant is only leveraging on Microsoft 365.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is easy to deploy and there are many features available that you can turn on or off depending on your budget.
I would rate this solution a 10 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
system engineer at Yaşar Holding
Shares computer resources perfectly and provides the necessary security options
Pros and Cons
- "The tool shares computer resources perfectly."
- "Sometimes, the updates break the system."
What is our primary use case?
The users connect to a central server and share the physical or visual server resources. They use the remote desktop environment for office documents, operations, and company-specific programs.
What is most valuable?
The solution works perfectly. The tool shares computer resources perfectly. It provides the necessary security options.
What needs improvement?
When we update the environment, we face problems sometimes, and the users cannot use the system.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for about 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool is stable. Sometimes, the updates break the system.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is very scalable. We can add and delete objects from the environment easily. We have approximately 500 users.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward. It is easy to deploy. Microsoft provides the necessary documentation, including detailed steps to install and configure the servers. The deployment process can be improved. It can be made more easier.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The tool must be cheaper. It should provide an option to pay the license fee once in a year or once in two years.
What other advice do I have?
We don't use any support because we can easily find online documents to solve our issues. I recommend that everybody use the product. If any company wants to share one computer’s resources with many users, they can choose Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Student at Queens University Belfast
Saves time and is convenient to use, but the stability must be improved
Pros and Cons
- "The product saves time."
- "The stability must be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use the tool to switch to my company’s Windows desktop from my personal system.
What is most valuable?
The product saves time. It is convenient to use. It is a smart solution. The security is good.
What needs improvement?
The stability must be improved.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product’s stability a six out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have a bunch of users.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is easy. It took five to seven minutes. The solution is cloud-based.
What about the implementation team?
We can do the deployment ourselves. We install an application and connect to the server. We must provide our credentials to connect to the tool.
What other advice do I have?
People who want to use the product must do a bit of research before making a decision. We faced compatibility issues since some users were using different operating systems. So, our organization asked us to use Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. Windows is a very common operating system used all over the world. Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Professional : Quality at cigniti
Good solution for accessing applications and easy to setup
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is not that difficult. I have gone through the RDS initialization steps, which only seem easy."
- "The only issue I experienced was with the initialization of the session, which affected the stability of the solution."
What is our primary use case?
We have some of our client applications deployed onto the RDS platform, and we need to test those applications through RDS Web Access. We need to test how external users access these applications from different networks, like the cloud gateway or external locations. As a part of the QA team, I need to check if users can access the applications without any issues.
What is most valuable?
Basically, I also work with Citrix, and I think the most important thing is getting access to Citrix. Microsoft developed the RDS solution for this purpose, and we don't see any issues accessing applications from Microsoft RDS. It's a good solution.
What needs improvement?
Users have reported that sometimes when we try to initialize an application, the session disappears one out of ten times. So, maybe it can be one of the areas of improvement. We are still investigating the issue, but we believe it might be due to a network or server issue.
Because this was the only issue I experienced was with the initialization of the session, which affected the stability of the service.
For how long have I used the solution?
It's a project-based thing for me, so I move into different technologies depending on the project. I worked on Microsoft in June, and now I am into RDS. Currently, I am working on a project for RDS, and once that's done, I may move on to another technology. So, I've been using RDS for around three to four months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable, but users have reported that sometimes when we try to initialize an application, the session disappears one out of ten times. So we have to download the session file again and re-initiate the session. This issue occurs occasionally, and we must click on the application to reinitialize the session.
We are actually trying to get some insights on the issue with the initial initialization of sessions from the architect, also.
Overall, I would rate the stability a seven out of ten because we still need clarity from the architect. Is it something in the world of technology, or do we have the same issue? Or is it something that we are getting this issue because we moved to a new enrollment? We are just awaiting that.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. Currently, we have 19 host servers, and each host is serving around 20 sessions or so.
I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten, where ten is very scalable. I haven't compared it with other solutions, but as an end-user, I believe it is quite scalable.
We have around 600 people, but about 300 to 400 users use the solution concurrently. Nowadays, we are using it regularly due to people working from different locations, but previously it was mainly used when people were working remotely from home.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and support team is good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not that difficult. I have gone through the RDS initialization steps, which only seem easy.
I would rate the setup around eight because I haven't compared it with other tools yet. But overall, I'm comfortable with the solution.
What about the implementation team?
For the deployment process, in the current scenario, we have this solution from one vendor, and we are migrating it to a new platform. So it's not a complete configuration but rather a lift-and-ship process from one platform to another. We've been working on it for a long time.
We have around four to five people for the deployment and about four to five people for testing the applications after migration. There are a couple of architects who are looking into all the configuration changes in the lift-and-ship process. And there are also a couple of managers and a few quality assurance people.
For maintenance, the client has a partnership with Microsoft for maintenance as part of this deployment.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend the solution to people, especially for its security aspects and device compatibility.
I would give it a nine, it's good overall.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Technical Consultant at Vincacyber
Easy to implement and offers good remote desktop features but needs more granular policy control
Pros and Cons
- "It's largely stable."
- "We'd like more granular security control of the desktop services."
What is our primary use case?
We use it on the customer side. We use the product as remote desktop services.
What is most valuable?
We've been satisfied with the product overall.
The remote desktop features are great. It allows users to work remotely. We can take a remote session on the server.
It's largely stable.
The solution is easy to implement.
What needs improvement?
We'd like more granular security control of the desktop services. Right now, we have a third-party solution that does this.
We need to control via group policies. We need to be able to implement these policies in a simpler way in order to control users in a more granular way.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution since 2010. I've used it for over ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is mostly stable. I'd rate the stability five out of ten. We are not able to control or protect without group policies. With a better ability to make policies, it will become stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have not attempted to scale the solution. We're using it for on-premises reasons only. All the customers are here.
How are customer service and support?
We do not contact technical support directly. We simply rely on Google and seek out our own answers if needed.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used different solutions in the past. We found it was easier to centralize control and maintain better security with it.
How was the initial setup?
For the most part, it is easy to implement. However, the management is dependent on group policies.
How many people you need to deploy the solution depends on the size of the environment required.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not aware of the exact pricing. I work on the implementation side.
What other advice do I have?
We had been working as a partner for Microsoft.
I'd rate the solution five out of ten.
Microsoft needs one centralized console to manage all of its components. That would make it better.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Head of Infrastructure and Application Support Department at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Straightforward with a good user interface and an easy setup
Pros and Cons
- "The solution works well as a remote desktop."
- "The pricing could be better."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for security purposes. For example, blocking copy-paste.
What is most valuable?
The solution works well as a remote desktop.
The security is good. It can block copy-paste attempts.
It's a straightforward product.
The user interface is good. It's just a plain Windows interface. It's easy to understand.
It is very easy to set up.
What needs improvement?
There isn't any feature missing.
I don't like Windows too much. The whole idea of the remote desktop is nonsense in the Unix world.
The pricing could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for 20 years. I've used it for two decades or so. It's been used by me for a long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
While the solution is stable, it is sometimes slow. I'd rate the stability at eight out of ten. It is mostly reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Windows isn't really scalable. I'd rate it six out of ten in terms of scalability.
We use the solution enterprise-wide. We likely have 100 people using it. We do not have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
I've never used technical support in the past.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Citrix in the past as well. I used it for different use cases. We like Microsoft for its small-scale simplicity. It is not VDI, per se. It's just a remote desktop.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple and straightforward. The product is very simple.
Its deployment only takes a half-day. The software makes everything very easy. you just buy the license and install it. I'm not very technical and therefore don't know all of the steps.
One person who is knowledgeable can handle the initial setup. Typically, it doesn't require anyone with high skill levels.
What about the implementation team?
We can handle the setup ourselves.
What was our ROI?
The ROI isn't the best as it is a pretty expensive product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You do need to pay for a license and it is expensive. We have a perpetual license. The more users you have the more expensive it can be.
What other advice do I have?
We are using the latest version of the solution. We are using the solution that comes with the Windows Server between 2019 and 2022.
I'd recommend the solution to others.
I would rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Service Delivery Manager at Almoayyed Computers
Highly secure, easy to configure, and straightforward installation
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is its security and simple configuration."
What is our primary use case?
We have many customers that are using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for publishing internal applications through the services. The process involves virtualizing applications for internal and external users and making them accessible through Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and reverse proxy services. By doing so, users can indirectly access the applications without logging into the server directly. The solution is used mostly for external company users.
How has it helped my organization?
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has helped the security posture of the organization by not exposing its internal applications. instead of giving internal direct access to their internal apps. They give access to only a secondary server with limited access to internal applications.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is its security and simple configuration.
What needs improvement?
The solution can improve the policies of the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for approximately 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is scalable, we are able to have more licenses or increase the load if needed.
How are customer service and support?
The solution is straightforward and we have not had any problems needing to contact support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not used a similar solution to Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is simple. It only takes a few clicks of the mouse to complete.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is reasonable. The solution can come for free for some clients with certain agreements.
What other advice do I have?
For customers who already have the Microsoft EA framework, the license for enhancing internal security when publishing web and internal applications to both internal and external users is readily available. By using this feature, customers can ensure that their applications remain secure without compromising access to their users. This eliminates the need for direct access, thereby enhancing the overall security of their systems.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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