Apple Remote Desktop vs. DeskRoll Remote Desktop

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Apple Remote Desktop
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Apple Remote Desktop (ARD), from Apple, is a remote administration tool for managing Apple computers running OS X across a network.N/A
DeskRoll Remote Desktop
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
DeskRoll was built to be easy to use by end-users and IT teams alike. It's browser-based, so users being helped do not need to install any applications on their local device; DeskRoll Remote Desktop Sharing requires only a small app on the remote (controlling) computer. DeskRoll guides users through setup and connection processes for 3 basic scenarios: providing remote assistance to a customer, configuring unattended remote access to a remote computer, or configuring unattended remote…
$8.25
per user/per month
Pricing
Apple Remote DesktopDeskRoll Remote Desktop
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
DeskRoll Lite
$8.25
per user/per month
DeskRoll Pro 1 Month
$29.95
per seat
DeskRoll Starter
$39
per user/per year
DeskRoll Lite
$99
per user/per year
DeskRoll Pro 1 Year
$299.40
per seat
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Apple Remote DesktopDeskRoll Remote Desktop
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup fee$3.25 per seat/per month
Additional DetailsWith each license a user can configure unlimited remote computers to access from any location. Also, users can make unlimited parallel remote connections - each will open in a new browser tab. Users can pause and resume remote sessions.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Apple Remote DesktopDeskRoll Remote Desktop
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Apple Remote DesktopDeskRoll Remote Desktop
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
Apple Remote Desktop
8.0
25 Ratings
3% below category average
DeskRoll Remote Desktop
8.2
2 Ratings
1% below category average
Screen sharing8.925 Ratings8.02 Ratings
File transfer9.024 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Instant message9.320 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication8.53 Ratings00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers7.219 Ratings00 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session9.019 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile7.06 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations8.421 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management7.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard8.516 Ratings00 Ratings
Session record7.39 Ratings00 Ratings
Annotations7.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts8.312 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control6.37 Ratings8.01 Ratings
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Score 9.0 out of 10
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Score 9.0 out of 10
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User Ratings
Apple Remote DesktopDeskRoll Remote Desktop
Likelihood to Recommend
8.4
(25 ratings)
7.0
(2 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Apple Remote DesktopDeskRoll Remote Desktop
Likelihood to Recommend
Apple
For a small deployment of macOS, I can see where Apple Remote Desktop could suffice. I can see where a company that is strapped for cash could benefit from a knowledgeable employee using it to automate some tasks. I am not comfortable giving an estimate number-wise. For a large deployment of macOS or iOS, this would be a very inappropriate tool. There are far too many obstacles for an app like Apple Remote Desktop to successfully manage a large fleet of macOS computers or really any number of iOS devices. You simply need an MDM solution in this day and age. This will become increasingly necessary, even in small numbers, but MDM providers have started to provide solutions for customers in these situations.
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Tomsk Inc.
During the pandemic, our company worked remotely. Various staff in our company had technical difficulties or needed assistance installing software in order to work. DeskRoll Remote Desktop helped us to make this process seamless. Rather than deal with the aggravation of trying to walk someone through something over the phone, we were able to get things established in a simple, easy way.
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Pros
Apple
  • Automator Actions: This is a very cool feature and cost saving as it reduces human effort by automating the workflow of tasks.
  • Curtain Mode: This lets you block your local user's view of the desktop while performing administrative tasks.
  • Spotlight Search: It can perform lightning fast searches on machines using the spotlight search feature of OS X and thus saves a lot of time.
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Tomsk Inc.
  • Ability to remote in at any time
  • Can support unlimited clients with hardware and software issues
  • Multiple remote client logins
  • Cost!
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Cons
Apple
  • I would like to see more included Unix scrips that can be pushed to clients.
  • Inclusion of a way to remote control or screen share with Windows machines would be useful, as I manage a handful of Windows machines. While this would be possible using VNC on the Windows machines, including the ability to connect using Windows terminal connections would be awesome, for me.
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Tomsk Inc.
  • It could be more cost-effective.
  • It could include better "help" or "how-to" sections for people who are not as tech savvy.
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Likelihood to Renew
Apple
We use it on a daily basis and works well in our environment and could see how other Apple owned organizations would benefit.
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Tomsk Inc.
No answers on this topic
Usability
Apple
The user interface is amazing. You don't have to dig in to look for options. It's not overwhelming and yet a powerful utility.
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Tomsk Inc.
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Apple
Apple support is great.
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Tomsk Inc.
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Apple
Very quick and easy install with no real issues
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Tomsk Inc.
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Apple
I use TeamViewer with users who are having trouble connecting to the VPN. I think TeamViewer is a good alternative when ARD isn't working. However supporting the number of users we support, TeamViewer can come with a pretty hefty price tag.
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Tomsk Inc.
Cost, ease of use, file transfer and chat capabilities.
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Return on Investment
Apple
  • Apple Remote Desktop has a positive return on investment because for the expense to the school, the value it brings to teachers is important. The return on improved student performance is very difficult to measure financially, but there is a definite return.
  • The overall objective of education is to increase student learning, ARD does that phenomenally. Parents see the tool used and are impressed at what the capabilities of the tool can do and how it impacts how active their students are as well as how well they can learn.
  • One negative impact is that teachers rely too much on this tool rather than on actually teaching sometimes.
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Tomsk Inc.
  • It saved time, which always saves money!
  • It allowed us to save money on additional software licensing - we now use Quickbooks through the use of DeskRoll Remote Desktop.
  • DeskRoll Remote Desktop allowed us to transition to work-from-home easily, which saved us valuable time during the pandemic.
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ScreenShots

DeskRoll Remote Desktop Screenshots

Screenshot of DeskRoll remote connection view - Windows remote desktop.Screenshot of DeskRoll wizard that quickly guides you through basic remote access scenarios.