Open Source Remote Desktop Connection AlternativesTop Remote Desktop Tools and other similar apps like Remote Desktop Connection

The best open source alternative to Remote Desktop Connection is RustDesk. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Remote Desktop Connection and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Remote Desktop Connection are Remmina, mRemoteNG, TightVNC and UltraVNC.

filter to find the best alternatives

Remote Desktop Connection alternatives are mainly Remote Desktop Tools, but if you're looking for SSH Clients or Video Calling Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Mac, Linux, Self-Hosted, Free, Open Source and Windows. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Remote Desktop Connection.
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Alternatives list

  1. RustDesk icon
     279 likes

    Provides secure, cross-platform remote access and file sharing with no registration needed. Offers end-to-end encryption, self-hosting, multi-monitor support, screen sharing, and portable use, all with a lightweight, ad-free interface.

    130 RustDesk alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Flatpak
     
  2. Remmina icon
     227 likes

    Open source remote desktop client for Linux and BSD supporting RDP, VNC, SPICE, and more, aimed at sysadmins and travelers needing remote access with features like scrollable high-res desktops and organized connection management.

    144 Remmina alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
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    4
    Remmina vs Remote Desktop Connection Comments
    Harvey Williams
    Positive
    0

    I've been using Remote Desktop Connection (Manager) for years as a Windows user. Remmina seems like the most popular alternative for Linux, and honestly, it works. The interface isn't quite as simple as it seems to support a lot more, but I had it up and running in a couple of minutes.

    pavanvo
    Positive
    0

    I like Remmina as an alternative to Remote Desktop Connection because it's free software and have all the features what I need

    Guest
    Positive
    -1

    #1 FREE! I use it in Linux to connect to Windows servers for a couple reasons. I also have the commercial version of TeamViewer. (But TV only see one person/user/login) Remmina I can login as another remote user, SET MY SCREEN RES!!! That is the most important thing when logging in on a small high res screen. Windows removed scaling. :(

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    • Remmina is Free and Open SourceRemote Desktop Connection is Free and Proprietary
  3. mRemoteNG icon
     228 likes

    Manage remote connections efficiently with this open-source tool, featuring a tabbed interface supporting RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, HTTP, and more protocols, without any ads.

    87 mRemoteNG alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  4. TightVNC icon
     261 likes

    TightVNC is a free remote desktop application. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sitting in the front of that computer.

    112 TightVNC alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  5. UltraVNC icon
     276 likes

    Secure, free remote desktop access for Windows lets users control computers via LAN or internet, share screens, sync clipboards, transfer files, support IT helpdesks, provide remote demonstrations, and assist users without pre-installation using add-ons.

    107 UltraVNC alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  6. DWService icon
     98 likes

    DWService is a half (only the client/agent) open source project which offers a service that allows access to remote systems (Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry...) using a standard web browser - without any component required on the client side.

    117 DWService alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Raspberry Pi
     
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    2
    DWService vs Remote Desktop Connection Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    quick simple interface and relatively easy to set up best of all it's open source and free.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Very convenient on th ego remote access to any desktop

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • DWService is Freemium and Open SourceRemote Desktop Connection is Free and Proprietary
  7. TigerVNC icon
     81 likes

    TigerVNC is an advanced VNC implementation. It is based on the fourth generation of VNC. TigerVNC also includes features from the TightVNC and TurboVNC projects. This includes accelerated JPEG compression. TigerVNC supports the latest X.Org X server.

    77 TigerVNC alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
  8. MeshCentral icon
     44 likes

    This is a full computer management web site. With MeshCentral, you can run your own web server to remotely manage and control computers on a local network or anywhere on the internet.

    50 MeshCentral alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Node.JS
    • npm
     
  9. Remotely icon
     28 likes

    Remotely is a free and open-source remote desktop, remote scripting, and rich auto-complete to maximize your IT support efficiency.

    127 Remotely alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
     
  10. X2Go icon
     72 likes

    X2Go is an open source remote desktop software for Linux that uses the NX technology protocol.

    47 X2Go alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
  11. FreeRDP icon
     17 likes

    FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), released under the Apache license. Enjoy the freedom of using your software wherever you want, the way you want it, in a world where interoperability can finally liberate your computing experience.

    78 FreeRDP alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • openSUSE
    • Fedora
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    • Flathub
     
  12. Xrdp icon
     18 likes

    xrdp provides a graphical login to remote machines using Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). xrdp accepts connections from a variety of RDP clients:

    95 Xrdp alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
     
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