The laptop is a popular device for work, but it can also be used for personal purposes. People who use desktop operating systems for work purposes need to access that machine on the go.

With remote desktop software, you can access your computer from anywhere in the world. This means you can work on your presentation on your phone while waiting for your flight, and then mail it to yourself when you get back home. ..

  1. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)
  2. Remote Desktop Gateway (RDG)
  3. Remote Desktop Client (RDCL)
  4. Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCM)
  5. Terminal Server Manager for Windows 10 and 8.1 (TSMWin10) 6. Terminal Server Manager for Mac OS X Yosemite and Mavericks (TSMMacOSX)
  6. Terminal Server Manager for Linux Mint 18 and 19 (TSLLinux)
  7. Terminal Server Manager for FreeBSD 11 and 12 (TSFBSD11 and TSFBSD12)
  8. Terminal Server Manager for Solaris 10 and 11 (TSSolaris10 and TSSolaris11

Chrome Remote Desktop (Free: iOS & Android)

Chrome Remote Desktop is a great remote desktop application that lets you access your computer from any device. You can use it to access your computer from iOS and Android devices, as well as Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

You can use the Chrome Remote Desktop App to connect to your computer from your mobile device. To set up the app, follow these steps:

  1. Download the Chrome Remote Desktop App for your computer platform of choice.
  2. Run the app and follow the instructions to set it up.
  3. From your mobile device, run the app and follow the instructions to connect to your computer.

Chrome Remote Desktop is a great way to access your computer from a tablet or smartphone screen. It’s reliable and has some smart solutions, like the ability to connect to your computer from anywhere in the world.

Microsoft Remote Desktop App (Free: iOS & Android)

Windows Remote Desktop is a great way to connect to your computer from anywhere in the world. With this app, you can access your files, programs, and settings from any device that has Windows 10 or higher.

Microsoft’s mobile app is available on both Android and iOS, and there’s plenty of documentation to help you get it all running. That’s also its main weakness - getting your computer and remote access app set up can be a bit of a chore compared to the slick setup you get with something like Google’s app. ..

Windows 8+ users can use a direct, native touch mode to turn their iOS or Android tablet into a Windows tablet machine. ..

TeamViewer For Personal Use (Free: Windows Mobile, Blackberry, iOS & Android)

TeamViewer is a well-known remote desktop software provider with enterprise-grade features. People can use the software for personal, noncommercial purposes for free! ..

The software has a commercial use detection feature and if it finds it, it blocks you. However, this is fine given the license terms, but when you’re hit with a false positive detection you need to contact the company to get things unblocked. It’s rare, but annoying.

TeamViewer is a great remote control tool that is backed by premium infrastructure. You can do a lot more than just remotely control desktop computers with TeamViewer. There are many devices you can remotely access with TeamViewer, including Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices. If you own a Windows Mobile or Blackberry device, this may be your only option.

If you’re looking for a killer remote desktop experience, everyone should try TeamViewer at least once. ..

Splashtop Personal (Free: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows Phone)

Splashtop is a software company that is offering their software for free to personal use. However, they will sell you professional features through in-app upgrades.

Business features of TeamViewer can be paid monthly, whereas TeamViewer only sells annual subscriptions. The software supports a lot of mobile devices and you can pick one from the Splashtop Personal download page to suit whatever hardware you’re using.

LogMeIn Pro ($349.99 per year: Android & iOS)

LogMeIn discontinued its free offering all the way back in 2014, but still remains one of the most popular names in the remote desktop market. ..

LogMeIn Pro’s annual plan is steep for individual users, but does include a LastPass Premium subscription. You also get a terabyte of cloud storage thrown in as well. The individual tier only allows for two computers to be registered for access. For most people this will probably include their home and work PC. ..

LogMeIn is a professional remote access and management product that includes features not found in free products. For example, if the remote machine has multiple monitors, you can have them properly adapted on the device you’re using to control it. ..

With a paid product such as LogMeIn, you can get better guarantees of service uptime and support than with a free product. If you need remote access for mission-critical reasons, LogMeIn could be the right choice.

VNC Viewer (Free: iOS & Android)

If you’re looking for a remote desktop solution that’s versatile, easy to use, and has a wide range of supported devices, look no further than VNC Viewer and its companion VNC Server. With just a few simple steps, you can be up and running with this powerful tool. ..

The Server application covers just about every major desktop operating system in use. Windows and MacOS are obviously supported, but you also get Linux and Raspberry Pi support. The Viewer is available on all of the above and adds iOS and Android to the mix. ..

The software uses end-to-end encryption and per-computer password protection. You need to use the credentials of the remote machine to access it. On mobile devices, the touch screen acts as a touchpad, but Bluetooth keyboards are supported if you need to do some serious text entry. ..

VNC is a great way to secure your computer from potential threats and has excellent performance on low bandwidth connections. However, there is a paid version available for those who are more serious about using the technology.

NoMachine (Free: iOS and Android)

NoMachine is a remote desktop software company that offers a free, secure, and easy-to-use product. ..

Their main goal is to make remote desktop software as fast and low-latency as possible. While most remote desktop software let you do basic things on the remote machine, the amount of lag and poor-quality streaming makes it no substitute for actually being there.

NoMachine is a remote desktop software that claims to be good enough to watch HD video or play video games on the remote machine. This is dependent on your bandwidth on both ends of the connection, but if your main grip with other remote desktop software is that it’s too laggy and ugly, NoMachine may be worth a try.

Conclusion

With the rise of mobile devices and the increasing use of tablets and smartphones, we may one day no longer need to use traditional desktop apps to access our files.

Despite the challenges, there are many solutions available for almost every mobile device and desktop operating system. Often completely free! ..

You can now leave home in full confidence that your desktop PC is always just a tap or two away.