ScreenConnect vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ScreenConnect
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
ConnectWise ScreenConnect is a remote support, access, and meeting solution. With it, users can utilize remote support and access to repair computers, provide updates, and manage machines. Users can also conduct online seminars and presentations using remote meetings.
$39
per month
RDCMan
Score 7.1 out of 10
N/A
RDCMan, or Remote Desktop Connection Manager from Microsoft, is a utility for managing multiple remote desktop connections. Once shut down due to a vulnerability in version 2.7, RDCMan is now updated and part of the Sysinternals family of tools. The 2.8 release fixes CVE-2020-0765, the XML parsing vulnerability. As of May, 2025, RDCMan is in version 3.1.
$0
Pricing
ScreenConnectMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Editions & Modules
One
$39
per month
Standard
$59
per month
Premium
$69
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ScreenConnectRDCMan
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ScreenConnectMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Considered Both Products
ScreenConnect
Chose ScreenConnect
In terms of overall ease of use ConnectWise Control (formerly ScreenConnect), is so much easier to setup and use. Create and download the installer, and then run it once. I've never had any issues with remote machines being behind a firewall or having to be on the AD. There are …
RDCMan

No answer on this topic

Features
ScreenConnectMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
ScreenConnect
8.2
624 Ratings
3% above category average
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
6.4
6 Ratings
22% below category average
Screen sharing10.0594 Ratings7.04 Ratings
File transfer8.6567 Ratings5.36 Ratings
Instant message8.2499 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication7.074 Ratings5.03 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers5.8309 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session10.0600 Ratings7.55 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile7.4388 Ratings5.04 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations9.7516 Ratings9.36 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management8.6172 Ratings7.34 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard8.5478 Ratings8.03 Ratings
Session record7.8314 Ratings5.03 Ratings
Annotations8.0265 Ratings4.03 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts8.4188 Ratings7.74 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control7.0397 Ratings8.04 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ScreenConnectMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Small Businesses
Getscreen.me
Getscreen.me
Score 9.7 out of 10
Getscreen.me
Getscreen.me
Score 9.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Remote Desktop Manager
Remote Desktop Manager
Score 9.3 out of 10
Remote Desktop Manager
Remote Desktop Manager
Score 9.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Remote Desktop Manager
Remote Desktop Manager
Score 9.3 out of 10
Remote Desktop Manager
Remote Desktop Manager
Score 9.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ScreenConnectMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Likelihood to Recommend
9.2
(624 ratings)
8.0
(6 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(40 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.9
(53 ratings)
7.7
(3 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(63 ratings)
8.3
(2 ratings)
Online Training
7.5
(24 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(20 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(16 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
10.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
5.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ScreenConnectMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Likelihood to Recommend
ConnectWise
We often need to create an ad-hoc session with a device that is not under our management. We find ourselves doing this more than ever in the COVID world. Many people are working from home on personal machines with their employer, our client's permission and we are facilitating more support for these personal machines. Connectwise Control [(formerly ScreenConnect)] gives us a robust resource to control the device, navigate anywhere we need, execute various commands, and engage in an on-screen chat with the client. The session is very simple to create and very user-friendly to initiate. We do not recommend it for Android, Apple, or Chromebook applications. There is little to no support for these platforms.
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Microsoft
As a IT specialist we have some servers we need acces to. I like to use Remote Desktop Connection Manager because it feel like you are on the computer. Is feel very trusted. Some colleagues use the Azure remote desktop version but I always recommend the windows integrated option. We also have our primary business application running on a server so they use a remote desktop connection too to log on to the server.
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Pros
ConnectWise
  • The interface is easy to use and makes sense. It's easy to understand how to organize a large number of machines involving multiple clients. But, it's also applicable for smaller set of machines too.
  • The connection speed is very quick. I've used solutions in the past that take a variable amount of time to connect, or they just take a long time every time. Control is quick every time. It doesn't get in the way of being able to support the machines on the other end.
  • The connections are reliable. I haven't experienced random disconnects throughout hundreds of instances. It was a breath of fresh air coming from the previous solution we used. I consider Control a gold standard for what a great remote connection solution can be.
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Microsoft
  • I can see previews of all the machines working at the same time.
  • Having all password in one place.
  • Organization of devices based on purpose, configuration, etc.
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Cons
ConnectWise
  • I'd like to see the ability to selectively log off the remote machine via a button on the toolbar. Currently it's a setting to always lock on disconnect, or never lock on disconnect, requiring the tech to manually lock the machine if called for at the end of a session. Its a small time save that would add up!
  • The chat feature could be expanded to be a lot more useful. Allowing clients to start conversations, and have conversations ping an email address if no one is monitoring the dashboard would be extremely valuable.
  • Some clarity on licensing when providing host-passes to guest technicians would be a boon, especially for one-off support sessions with vendors.
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Microsoft
  • When trying to connect to a server/machine, and it doesn't connect, there is a "Disconnected" message that is displayed in the thumbnail. There is no information beyond this that explains why the server/machine did/could not connect. It would be helpful to the IT Administrator to know this information, even if Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) kept a log somewhere where this information can be analyzed.
  • There doesn't seem to be an option for connecting to a server that is usually only able to be accessed from a jump server. This will not connect if the server is set up as a server/machine within RDCman. This would be a beneficial feature to have within RDCman. Maybe one of the missing options is to be able to set this in the prospects for the jump server (within the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) window).
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Likelihood to Renew
ConnectWise
I would recommend this product for both internal remote control of end user workstations and remote access to other clients over the internet. It provides a secure and feature rich product that allows me to complete any necessary tasks without ever leaving the office. I will continue to renew as I'm eager to see what they do next. I would however wish the cloud service had a better API to work in conjunction with team collaboration or chat services to make it easier to connect with end users who use multiple workstations. (Slack or Stride provide this functionality)
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Usability
ConnectWise
On the whole SC is a very powerful tool that is a vital part of the IT service arsenal. On-site visits are an "emergency" only type of scenario. Just "showing your face" is not winning any browny points for me. If my client sees my face, it's usually just to upgrade hardware or to deal other aspects of business. SC provides me and my client the bulk of the info I need to get projects done.
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Microsoft
As alluded to in previous responses it is a very functional tool. It allows me to do my job quickly and efficiently every single day. There are little to no issues using the connection on a day to day basis. It handles everything you need from a remote connection perspective.
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Reliability and Availability
ConnectWise
In my 5 years of using the product, I am only aware of one time when the service was down and is was due to a backbone outage upstream.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Performance
ConnectWise
It performs well. It also has full control over windows security and does not get hung up like GoToMeeting when trying to install remote software at the prompt to install as admin / override. I have used TeamViewer, WebEx, LogMeIn and GoToMeeting. This is by far the best at spontaneous, remote control. It is also very easy to get a novice user connected to the session.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
ConnectWise
There have been two times when something has went wrong and I needed immediate assistance in order to be able to use Screenconnect to be able to help clients and response has not been immediate. The response time has been within 24 hours. Both times if there had been easier to navigate self help I would have been able to help myself. With better self help and a speedier response it would definitely be a 10 as they always respond and help. Just a little more difficult or slow than it should be at times
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Microsoft
Plenty of information and support online, and with many things it's pretty straight forward for the average tech to navigate and work with. But with most things online you're not the only person that's had the issue before, and using a search engine you should be able to figure it out.
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Online Training
ConnectWise
I find ScreenConnect to be very simple and effective overall, with the main problem being that a number of my clients can't download the app due to existing firewalls and so on. Otherwise it does its job well, and I'm happy with it.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
ConnectWise
ConnectWise has done everything they could to help us in any situation. Great support team and their new updates are always providing features that we need. Its a simple solution that works the way we need it to. Their legacy pricing model is still much better than their subscription based model however it is still fair pricing
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
ConnectWise
I have worked with Citrix, AnyDesk, LogMeIn, VNC Connect, and many others. I ultimately installed ConnectWise as a self-hosted solution, based on the incredible list of features and capabilities, and the pricing at the time. I continue to use the product as it is still one of the best solutions out there and is certainly capable of growing and expanding to meet the needs of my business.
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Microsoft
RDCMan outshines TeamViewer in every possible way. It’s fast, more reliable, and easier to use. I have had frequent crashes and issues when using TeamViewer, while none with RDCMan. Screen responsiveness also seems much better with RDCMan versus TeamViewer. I would often experience lag issues when using TeamViewer.
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Scalability
ConnectWise
I have used multiple remote desktop support software in the past (Bomgar, Team Viewer, Logmein and Join.me) and this is far the easiest of the bunch to use. It is very easy to create a session and easy to maintain remote desktops from their access view (where you install the software and can get in at any time) I highly recommend this product from ConnectWise!
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
ConnectWise
  • Instead of waiting 30+ seconds to initiate sessions, they initiate and display a desktop in two or three seconds. The amount of frustration this avoids is immeasurable.
  • Once installed it doesn't need more handholding, i.e., having the remote enter a username/password. It is always just there.
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Microsoft
  • its less time consuming for IT engineers because they have everything on one please
  • less FTE for the tasks
  • Lack of MFA option
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ScreenShots

ScreenConnect Screenshots

Screenshot of the guest page, where end-users enter a code to join a session with a technicianScreenshot of connecting from a Windows machine to a macOS machineScreenshot of the Extension Marketplace, where administrators can install and configure new features and integrationsScreenshot of the Access view of the Host page, where a technician can connect to unattended machinesScreenshot of the toolbox menu, which allows technicians to store and run executables, scripts, and other frequently-used filesScreenshot of the Host page, where a command can be run directly without connecting to the machine

RDCMan Screenshots

Screenshot of a view of RDCMan 2.22Screenshot of a view of RDCMan 2.22Screenshot of a view of RDCMan 2.81