Apple Remote Desktop vs. TeamViewer

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
TeamViewer
Score 8.2 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.
$24.90
per month (billed annually)
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.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
Apple Remote Desktop
8.0
25 Ratings
3% below category average
TeamViewer
8.2
433 Ratings
1% below category average
Screen sharing8.925 Ratings9.2420 Ratings
File transfer9.024 Ratings8.5403 Ratings
Instant message9.320 Ratings8.0370 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication8.53 Ratings7.9136 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers7.219 Ratings7.1273 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session9.019 Ratings8.9414 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile7.06 Ratings8.0331 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations8.421 Ratings8.7361 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management7.08 Ratings9.879 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard8.516 Ratings7.9280 Ratings
Session record7.39 Ratings8.2275 Ratings
Annotations7.05 Ratings6.888 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts8.312 Ratings7.7205 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control6.37 Ratings8.4330 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
Small Businesses
Getscreen.me
Getscreen.me
Score 9.8 out of 10
Getscreen.me
Getscreen.me
Score 9.8 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
mRemoteNG
mRemoteNG
Score 9.7 out of 10
mRemoteNG
mRemoteNG
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Remote Desktop Services
Remote Desktop Services
Score 9.0 out of 10
Remote Desktop Services
Remote Desktop Services
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
Likelihood to Recommend
8.4
(25 ratings)
8.4
(484 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(3 ratings)
9.6
(62 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(4 ratings)
9.2
(56 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(4 ratings)
9.0
(50 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(3 ratings)
8.4
(43 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(4 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
7.7
(4 ratings)
User Testimonials
Apple Remote DesktopTeamViewer
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.
Read full review
TeamViewer
It is well suited if the team members work remotely and need constant collaboration and communication throughout the development cycle. It is so helpful for Systems Engineers in the Software industry to resolve laptop and computer issues. It is also helpful for troubleshooting hardware issues like printers, scanners, server racks, and more. It is less suited if the teams are small and no remote access or group calls are needed, they could very well use telephones and mobile phones.
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
  • Allows remote login on to systems where the user doesn’t have to have their email established to open a link.
  • It uses the full monitor instead of a browser
  • File transfers are a breeze
  • Chat functionality works well too
  • Multiple sessions at once and viewing multiple monitors easily
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
  • We are very happy about the TeamViewer functionality and recognize a lot of advanced functionality in comparison with Anydesk for example.
  • It's fast and very reliable.
  • We think that TeamViewer is a very secure platform.
  • We like to use new feature and functions when they get available.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
TeamViewer
We will definitely renew our TeamViewer software license when the time comes. This service works and does not matter on what device you are trying to control (it depends on the license), and it is very responsive and does not seem to use up a lot of data.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
TeamViewer
Compared to other products I've used (ConnectWise Control), TeamViewer is harder to set up and get connected. It is especially difficult to set up "permanent" unattended remote access, where you want to be able to connect to and control a remote computer without having to exchange codes and passwords every time you connect.
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
Apple support is great.
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
No nothing that really sticks out. For the most part I have only had to uninstall and reinstall application a couple of times when I hit a glitch. I will say that on a MAC it is a little harder to implement due to Apple's Permissions that need to be set. Sometimes it needs the client to intervene to get those permissions set.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
TeamViewer
Horses for courses they say but all around, TeamViewer is the best software for remote management, period. Pulseway's remote desktop can work well on the phone app but on a desktop, it is often unreliable and drops connections. AnyDesk is not appropriate for our business and is only good on a case-by-case basis.
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
About 2 - 3 months
  • Average Effective/workable time of a team member has increased because the team member does not to wait for the IT team do the installment of any software and hand the laptop over again.
  • Cost for the alternate laptops have been reduced, since there is less requirement now to handover a backup PC for the employees until the current PC's issue is resolved, if it's software issue.
  • Cost of the transport, electricity and building maintenance, has reduced, since the remote working option for the employees is available with the TeamViewer.
Read full review
ScreenShots

TeamViewer Screenshots

Screenshot of Connect to devices and provide remote support.Screenshot of All devices are a few clicks away.Screenshot of Monitor and manage devices proactively.Screenshot of Screenshot of Gain visibility into IT by tracking assets.