Remote Desktop Protocol clients allow users to connect to servers runningRemote Desktop Services,Azure Virtual Desktop, or non-Microsoft server software to enableremote desktop functionality. Since the release ofRemote Desktop Connection, there have been several additional Remote Desktop Protocol clients created by both Microsoft and other parties.
| Remote Desktop Connection | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Other names | Microsoft Terminal Services Client | ||||
| Developer(s) | Microsoft | ||||
| Stable release(s)[±] | |||||
| |||||
| Included with | Microsoft Windows | ||||
| Successor | Microsoft Remote Desktop | ||||
Remote Desktop Connection (RDC, also calledRemote Desktop or justRD)[3] is the client application for RDS. The program has the filenamemstsc.exe and in Windows 2000 and prior, it was known asMicrosoft Terminal Services Client (MSTSC ortsclient).[4][5] It allows a user to remotely log into a networked computer running theRemote Desktop Services. RDC presents the desktop interface (or application GUI) of the remote system, as if it were accessed locally.[6] In addition to regular username/password for authorizing for the remote session, RDC also supports using smart cards for authorization.[6] Although replacements have been released, as of the release of theWindows App, Remote Desktop Connection is still recommended for use.[7]
RDC 6.0 was released as part of Windows Vista. With RDC 6.0, the resolution of a remote session can be set independently of the settings at the remote computer. If theDesktop Experience component is plugged into the remote server, remote application user interface elements (e.g., application windows borders, Maximize, Minimize, and Close buttons etc.) will take on the same appearance of local applications. In this scenario, the remote applications will use theAero theme if the user connects to the server from a Windows Vista machine running Aero.[8] Later versions of the protocol also support rendering the UI in full 32-bit color, as well as resource redirection for printers, COM ports, disk drives, mice and keyboards. With resource redirection, remote applications can use the resources of the local computer. Audio is also redirected, so that any sounds generated by a remote application are played back at the client system.[6][8] Moreover, a remote session can also span multiple monitors at the client system, independent of the multi-monitor settings at the server. RDC can also be used to connect to Windows Media Center (WMC) remote sessions; however, since WMC does not stream video using RDP, only the applications can be viewed this way, not any media.
RDC prioritizes UI data as well as keyboard and mouse inputs, as opposed to print jobs or file transfers. so as to make the applications more responsive. It redirects plug and play devices such as cameras, portable music players, and scanners, so that input from these devices can be used by the remote applications as well.[8] RDC can also be used to connect to computers which are exposed via Windows Home Server RDP Gateway over theInternet.[9] Finally, few shortcuts that will be handy
| Microsoft Remote Desktop | |
|---|---|
 The icon used for the Windows version | |
| Other names | Remote Desktop |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
| Initial release | 8 September 2012; 12 years ago (2012-09-08) |
| Stable release | |
| Operating system | |
| Predecessor | Remote Desktop Connection |
| Successor |
|
Microsoft Remote Desktop, also calledRemote Desktop, is a modern client for RDS released in September 2012. Compared to the older Remote Desktop Connection, the program offers a touch-friendly interface.[11] It allows users to connect to remote PCs,RemoteApp programs, session-based desktops, and virtual desktops.[12] The program is available on Windows as anUniversal Windows Platform on theMicrosoft Store, MacOS asMicrosoft Remote Desktop for Mac,Android,iOS,iPadOS, and on all platforms as a web client. The Windows version of the app is no longer being updated with new features or support forAzure Virtual Desktop. Instead, Azure users are recommend to use theRemote Desktop client for Windows.
In April 2025, Microsoft announced that support for the Remote Desktop app will end on May 27, 2025, urging users to transition to its successor, theWindows App.[12]
In late 2018 Microsoft released anHTML5 web client for Microsoft Remote Desktop. The client allows users to connect to their remote apps or to their remote desktops without using an installed remote desktop client.[13][14] It is one of the components ofMicrosoft Windows that allow a user to initiate and control an interactive session.[15] The web client uses the TLS secured port 443 and does not use the RD Gateway to transport traffic, instead relying solely on the remote desktop session host aspect of remote desktop services.[16][17]
As of today there are several companies that offer a browser-based RDP client that allow remote desktop access via any modern web browser, eliminating the need for local client software. Thincast provides an HTML5-based RD WebClient[18] for seamless access to Windows desktops and apps. Apache Guacamole[19] is a popular open-source option supporting RDP, VNC, and SSH. Other notable solutions include Chrome Remote Desktop, Ericom AccessNow or TSPLus.
| Remote Desktop client for Windows | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Other names | Microsoft Remote Desktop Azure Virtual Desktop |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
| Initial release | 6 April 2022; 3 years ago (2022-04-06) |
| Stable release | |
| Operating system | Windows 10,11 |
| Predecessor | Microsoft Remote Desktop |
| Successor | Windows App |
| Website | learn.microsoft.com |
TheRemote Desktop client for Windows (MSRDC),[22] branded asMicrosoft Remote Desktop andAzure Virtual Desktop if installed from the Microsoft Store, is a client that uses theRemote Desktop Protocol to allow users to connect toAzure Virtual Desktops on feeds made available by enterprise administrators.[23] The program can be downloaded as anMSI installer as Remote Desktop or from the Microsoft Store as Azure Virtual Desktop.
In contrast with Microsoft Remote Desktop and like the older Remote Desktop Connection program, MSRDC allows for the redirection of local USB and serial devices.[24] MSRDC is also used byWindows Subsystem for Linux to display programs with agraphical user interface.[25][26]
In May 2025, Microsoft announced that the MSRDC will be phased out and replaced by theWindows App. As of March 27, 2026, MSRDC will no longer be supported.[27]
| Windows App | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Microsoft | ||||||
| Initial release | September 19, 2024 | ||||||
| Stable release(s)[±] | |||||||
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| Operating system | |||||||
| Predecessor | Microsoft Remote Desktop | ||||||
| Website | windows | ||||||
TheWindows App is a Remote Desktop Protocol client that allows users to connect toWindows 365,Azure Virtual Desktop, and Microsoft Dev Box instances. Additionally, on non-Windows platforms excluding the browser, the Windows App allows users to connect to servers runningRemote Desktop Services and remote PCs.[32] On Windows, Microsoft advises users to useRemote Desktop Connection to connect to remote PCs andRemote Desktop client for Windows to connect to Remote Desktop Services.[7] The app is available on Windows,macOS,iOS,iPadOS,Android,ChromeOS, and through web browsers.[7]
The preview version of the app was first released in November 2023 and it was fully launched on September 19, 2024.[33][34] The app was developed as a unified way to access Windows PCs remotely and as replacement forMicrosoft Remote Desktop.[32] The app supports many of the features of Remote Desktop Connection include multi-monitor support, device redirection, and dynamic resolution.[32]
A RDS client also existed forWindows Mobile calledRemote Desktop.[35][36]
There have been numerous non-Microsoft implementations of clients that implement subsets of the Microsoft functionality for a range of platforms.
rdesktop is afree and open-source implementation of a client software for RDP. rdesktop supports most features of RDP 5, with features from RDP 5.1 and 6 not yet implemented. Unlike its Microsoft counterparts, it still supports the older RDP 4 protocol used byWindows NT 4.0.[37]tsclient is a discontinued graphical frontend to rdesktop.
FreeRDP is a RDP client that started as a fork of rdesktop in 2009. It was created with the aim of modularizing the code, addressing various issues, and implementing new features. FreeRDP comes with its own command-line-clientxfreerdp, which supports Seamless Windows in RDP6.[38] Around 2011, the project decided to abandon forking and instead rewrite underApache License, adding more features like RemoteFX, RemoteApp, and NTLMv2.[39] A commercial distribution calledThincast was started in 2019.[40] A multi-platform client based on FreeRDP including Vulkan/H.264 support followed in summer 2020. There's a GTK-based client namedRemmina also based on FreeRDP. Gnome-RDP uses it too, as doesKDE Remote Desktop Connection (KRDC) (in addition toLibVNCServer).
FreeRDP offers server implementations formacOS and Windows. On other systems including Linux, software packages may build upon FreeRDP to implement a complete server. Weston, the compositor inWayland, uses FreeRDP to implement an rdp server it terms "rdp-backend".[41] This server is in turn used byMicrosoft to provide graphics support (WSLg) in itsWindows Subsystem for Linux.[42]
Remmina is a free and open-source remote desktop client forPOSIX-based system that supports RDP along with a verity of other protocols. It usesFreeRDP as a foundation.[43][44] It is the default remote desktop client onUbuntu.[45]
Krdc andVinagre also support RDP.
Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008 all contain the RDC tool,mstsc.exe[...]MSTSC in the filenamemstsc.exestands for Microsoft Terminal Services Client.
FreeRDP is a successor to rdesktop, a longtime-favored application for use on *nix systems to access Windows servers and workstations. The goal of FreeRDP is twofold: ...
weston-rdp(7) – Linux MiscellaneaManual
