Apple Remote Desktop vs. TeamViewer

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Apple Remote Desktop
Score 7.1 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.
$79.99
one-time fee
TeamViewer
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
TeamViewer provides software for both remote management and online collaborations. With TeamViewer, users have access to fully integrated online conference solutions for audio and video communication, including interactive screen sharing and remote access features.
$299
per year
Pricing
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Remote Access
$24.90
per month (billed annually) 1 Licensed User
Business
$50.90
per month (billed annually) 1 Licensed User
Premium
$102.90
per month (billed annually) 15 Licensed Users
Corporate
$206.90
per month (billed annually) 30 Licensed Users
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
Considered Both Products
Apple Remote Desktop
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
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.
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
For multi-site remote support we utilize TeamViewer and for enterprise-wide device management we are using Cisco Meraki System Manager. ARD is a great Mac tool, but there are many options out there, that are cloud-based, that don't require you to have network tunnels into your …
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
I think that the one feature that sets ARD apart is the UI when in a remote session. There have been times where I've used Zoom, TeamViewer, etc. and couldn't access a part of the menu bar or accidentally closed a session due to the third-party UI that's been applied on the …
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop still requires more work on its functionality, but the other market giants are way ahead of it when it comes to utilities and services. TeamViewer was the first software that we used and it was so good, we wanted to try something else so we switched to …
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop is far simpler than TeamViewer, especially for MacOSX. With Apple Remote Desktop native within OSX, it is simple and easy to use, and can be used with other Mac users with ease. I selected it because it has a much simpler design and is already integrated …
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop is a good product when you have a need to manage Apple computers on-site and don't want a cloud solution with a recurring cost. We prefer it as an alternative or secondary solution in case your primary software has issues. I wouldn't use it as my only …
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
For apple/mac products - hands down has the upper advantage when it comes to remote administration. It lacks in some areas that Datto and Kasyea have the upper hand on like some system monitoring. Overall, if I had multiple macs I needed to monitor and service, I would use …
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
I would feel much more comfortable having one of these alternative solutions as our Remote Desktop management tools. Each has their drawbacks and expenses associated with them, but we simply have too large of a deployment to not be considering alternatives. If it is the only …
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
No other product does remote desktop management of multiple Macs as good as ARD does, some come close, some have less features.
Chose Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop provides a different level of support than programs listed above. Its a nice support tool built in the OS.
TeamViewer
Chose TeamViewer
I use both. ARD handles many scenarios which TeamViewer does not. But, TeamViewer can be installed 'on the fly' and solves many user issues quickly. I also work withWebEx and Logmein. Webex especially has lots of issues that affect basic usability that are not issues in …
Chose TeamViewer
Having a unified experience across operating systems and versions of operating systems has been helpful.
Chose TeamViewer
AnyDesk is good if you use only Windows machine, but since we use a hybrid OS environment we find TeamViewer works well as it is super easy to setup and deploy the tool on any machines. We also like the way TeamViewer works. Also with Microsoft Teams, it is not that easy to …
Chose TeamViewer
TeamViewer has been widely used in the market since 2005, and it is the most popular remote control software. Its pricing plans are suitable for small to large enterprises. The software can be used for meetings and files transfer. It can also be used freely for non commercial …
Chose TeamViewer
All platforms and products are similar and each have their strengths and weaknesses so it is hard to generalize given that everyone's needs are different, but TeamViewer has proven to us to be not only versatile, easy to deploy and have a small foot print but also very secure …
Chose TeamViewer
The speed connection of TeamViewer is only comparable with Windows Remote Desktop Connection, but we can only use RDC with fixed IPs, also it is the most consistent tool for wake-on-LAN tasks.
Chose TeamViewer
The basic functionality makes it at the top of the list. Without even purchasing an enterprise license this is an out of the box Technology tool!
Chose TeamViewer
Teamviewer does very well against its competition with ease of use, and ability to manage many clients.
Features
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
Apple Remote Desktop
6.1
26 Ratings
27% below category average
TeamViewer
8.5
501 Ratings
4% below category average
Screen sharing9.026 Ratings00 Ratings
File transfer9.025 Ratings8.6471 Ratings
Instant message9.021 Ratings8.3434 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication8.53 Ratings00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers7.020 Ratings7.5331 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session9.020 Ratings00 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile4.17 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations6.222 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management7.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard1.617 Ratings00 Ratings
Session record4.110 Ratings8.4333 Ratings
Annotations1.26 Ratings9.397 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts1.413 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control8.98 Ratings00 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Apple Remote Desktop
-
Ratings
TeamViewer
8.8
13 Ratings
5% below category average
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings8.813 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
Apple Remote Desktop
-
Ratings
TeamViewer
8.5
10 Ratings
0% above category average
Third-party software integrations00 Ratings8.510 Ratings
Remote Access
Comparison of Remote Access features of Product A and Product B
Apple Remote Desktop
-
Ratings
TeamViewer
9.3
20 Ratings
1% below category average
Attended device access00 Ratings9.420 Ratings
Unattended device access00 Ratings9.018 Ratings
Mobile device access00 Ratings8.820 Ratings
Virtual device access00 Ratings9.719 Ratings
Multiple-display support00 Ratings9.418 Ratings
Multiple concurrent sessions00 Ratings9.613 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
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Medium-sized Companies
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Score 9.4 out of 10
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Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
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Score 9.4 out of 10
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Score 9.4 out of 10
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User Ratings
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
Likelihood to Recommend
6.2
(26 ratings)
8.6
(555 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(4 ratings)
10.0
(64 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(5 ratings)
9.4
(57 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(5 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(5 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(4 ratings)
9.8
(50 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(3 ratings)
8.8
(111 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(5 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(5 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(5 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(5 ratings)
User Testimonials
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
Likelihood to Recommend
Apple
I would rate this higher if I was confident that Apple is continuing to develop this utility. It has only received minor updates for quite a long time, and is not featured much in any of Apple's online material. It really is a useful utility, but it is starting to show its age and is fraying a bit around the edges in some respects. It could be very useful when integrated with the various MDM solutions (in our case, Jamf Pro) especially when an engineer needs to force something immediately and can't wait for a check-in, and also can't depend on the end user being able to (for instance) do a sudo jamf policy or sudo jamf recon.
Read full review
TeamViewer
Where "TeamViewer" works well :- We mostly use TeamViewer to help Emplyees quickly access their office computers remotely, specially when they're working from Home or travelling. For Example - If someone forgets an important file or need to run software that's only on their office PC , TeamViewer lets them connect easily and keep working without delay. Its also super helpful for our IT team, - Instead of physically going around fixing issues, they can just connect remotely and fix the problems faster, which saves a lot of time. Where TeamViewer isn't great :- the mobile app can be slow and a bit clunky, making it tough to do anything complicated on the go. Also, for bigger teams, Important features like detailed reports and user management are only in the pricier plan. So, if you need advanced tools, TeamViewer might be a hard choice .
Read full review
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.
Read full review
TeamViewer
  • TeamViewer makes remote access and gives us best remote experience during our scan in their network without any disruptions.
  • TeamViewer makes remote access and control extremely easy and reliable
  • Another strong feature is file transfer, which allows us to securely send patches, documents, or tools during a session
Read full review
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.
Read full review
TeamViewer
  • It does not allow a free package for commercial purposes which can be substantial cost for some businesses
  • Being a remote access tool and not properly configured, it is very susceptible to security breaches
  • Being a heavy resource consumer makes it slow down order version systems and those that are not properly updated.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Apple
It is a fairly unique tool in the level of integration it has with Apple Desktop products. It definitely needs some engineering attention, and it should be expanded to the iOS arena. It is not perfect, but it is very useful and fills an otherwise fairly empty niche in the support toolkit realm. The built-in screen sharing app in macOS handles the direct screen control or viewing function fairly well, but it does not have all of the other mass control features that Apple Remote Desktop supplies.
Read full review
TeamViewer
We need this tool in our day to day business. It is what we do all day remoting into clients devices. In this day and age we can access devices all over the world as long as we have secure internet connection. It certainly saves money in gas, and even if you are away you can help.
Read full review
Usability
Apple
Once it is set up, it is quite straightforward to use. However, currently, it requires both a script to run to set up permissions and controls, AND a command from the MDM to authorize it to be active. The MDM management command is manual. This is not conducive to an automated workflow, and sometimes gets forgotten. Then, the endpoint is not contactable until someone realizes that the MDM command was not sent or was not successful.
Read full review
TeamViewer
TeamViewer is a reliable and really strong tool for accessing remote IT platforms secure and fast. We don't know any product that provide us such strong functionality to make our life as a internationally recognized MES provider with DIAMES with an international clientele so easy. We look forward for any new TeamViewer functionality that supports us even more.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Apple
No answers on this topic
TeamViewer
Always available if setup correctly.
Read full review
Performance
Apple
No answers on this topic
TeamViewer
The application is built on VNC which is a very stable technology.
Read full review
Support Rating
Apple
When i have needed support it was for Hardware not the software itself
Read full review
TeamViewer
the few times i have had to contact teamviewer support, they were very responsive and give me quick answers and seemed to understand my problems quickly and easily. I did not have to sit on the phone for hours on hold or get passed around to multiple phone support techs before finding a solution to my issues, so i would rate their support very highly.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Apple
No answers on this topic
TeamViewer
As expected without any problem! Alternate in-person training is another efficient way to learn how a product works. There are many third party supporters for TeamViewer courses available that can give additional ideas how to use TeamViewer for specific functions and features as we did require in respect of our usage.
Read full review
Online Training
Apple
No answers on this topic
TeamViewer
I have never used the online training either. I have watched a few informational videos that were helpful when learning how to do a specific procedure within TeamViewer and get the most out of the software by utilizing one of the many features that are available with the software. Again, 5 if for neutral.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Apple
Very quick and easy install with no real issues
Read full review
TeamViewer
We used TeamViewer within our scope of a unified endpoint management. Access rights are managed by location and user, both in regard to the state legislation and the company’s regulations. Our IT dashboard has now integrated the remote support KPIs which i derived from TeamViewer usage data.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Apple
I would feel much more comfortable having one of these alternative solutions as our Remote Desktop management tools. Each has their drawbacks and expenses associated with them, but we simply have too large of a deployment to not be considering alternatives. If it is the only solution you can afford, it is OK to start here. I could see where this would have a return on investment, but it is really only suitable for a very small and localized scale. If employees are at all mobile, the duct taping of products necessary (VPN, distribution points, script repositories) would be very cumbersome.
Read full review
TeamViewer
First of all the overall experience of TeamViewer feels and looks user friendly more than AnyDesk. The secure connection of 256-bit AES encryption and RSA 2048-bit key exchange. With TeamViewer, experienced users have numerous advanced options to help employees effectively, while with AnyDesk, you don't get. The mobile version of TeamViewer has almost the same options as the desktop version.
Read full review
Scalability
Apple
No answers on this topic
TeamViewer
Stay up working. Easy to connect and disconnect. easy way to transfer files to another desktop
Read full review
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.
Read full review
TeamViewer
It took about 3 months.
  • Customer Support of our business has become more interactive with customers, leading to faster resolution of their problems.
  • Remotely accessing devices in our office allows employees to stay productive while working from home.
  • TeamViewer helps us to collaborate with other firms for projects we're doing.
Read full review
ScreenShots

TeamViewer Screenshots

Screenshot of where to connect to devices and provide remote support.Screenshot of the interface where all devices are a few clicks away.Screenshot of where to monitor and manage devices proactively.Screenshot of Screenshot of TeamViewer's IT asset tracking.