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Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) vs. N-able Take Control

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    RDCMan

    Score7 out of 10
    N/ARDCMan, 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

    N-able Take Control

    Score7.2 out of 10
    N/AN-able™ Take Control is a cloud-based remote control solution for MSPs, to access & troubleshoot end devices. With support for Windows®, Mac®, and Linux® machines, MSPs can work from these or iOS® or Android® devices with the N-able native app.

    $45

    per month

    Pricing
    RDCManN-able Take Control
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Take Control Plus
    $45
    per month
    Take Control Plus
    Contact Vendor
    Take Control
    Contact Vendor
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    RDCManN-able Take Control
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—No credit card required. Login info sent directly to your email. Access technical support during your trial.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    RDCManN-able Take Control
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    N-able
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    6 Answers
    67%
    Would buy again
    4 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    6 Answers
    83%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    RDCManN-able Take Control
    Remote Administration
    Comparison of Remote Administration features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) and N-able Take Control
    Feature
    Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
    6.4
    6 Ratings
    21% below category average
    N-able Take Control
    7.9
    14 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Screen sharing7.04 Ratings8.013 Ratings
    File transfer5.36 Ratings10.014 Ratings
    Instant message1.02 Ratings5.012 Ratings
    Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication5.03 Ratings8.21 Ratings
    Access to sleeping/powered-off computers9.03 Ratings1.05 Ratings
    Over-the-Internet remote session7.55 Ratings10.013 Ratings
    Initiate remote control from mobile5.04 Ratings9.08 Ratings
    Remote management of servers & workstations9.36 Ratings10.013 Ratings
    Remote Active Directory® management7.34 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Centralized management dashboard8.03 Ratings7.011 Ratings
    Session record4.93 Ratings8.07 Ratings
    Annotations4.03 Ratings9.05 Ratings
    Monitoring and Alerts7.74 Ratings8.011 Ratings
    Multi-platform remote control8.04 Ratings7.011 Ratings
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    RDCManN-able Take Control
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    Score9.1 out of 10
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    Remote Desktop Manager
    Score9.6 out of 10
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    Score9.6 out of 10
    Enterprises
    BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access
    Score9.1 out of 10
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    User Ratings
    RDCManN-able Take Control
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (6 ratings)
    6.0
    (14 ratings)
    Usability
    7.7
    (3 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.3
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    RDCManN-able Take Control
    Likelihood to Recommend
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    N-able
    I have used a number of remote access systems over my IT/MSP career, and Take Control stands out as the best I have ever used. If you are using the N-Able RMM I highly recommend, Take Control over the other options that can be integrated into the platform
    Read full review
    Pros
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    N-able
    • Take Control is really good at accessing a device with no end-user involvement. The user doesn't have to click on permissions or visit a particular site. We simply can take control of their device from the RMM dashboard.
    • If Microsoft issues a patch/update, I can schedule a release of a mass install to all client sites at the click of a mouse from within my office.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    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).
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    N-able
    • Performance on low-end machines.
    • Verbosity when changing stream quality.
    • File manager needs improving, dragging files causes graphical issues.
    • Connection time needs to be reduced.
    • Ability to adjust re-connection time.
    • Integration with more password-storage applications.
    • Screen blanking is buggy in some instances and makes the session unusable.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    N-able
    The interface needs a lot of updating. It's just too "busy."
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    N-able
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    N-able
    We were primarily a team-viewer customer before this point but the continued increases on cost, feature issues as well as core functionality and load issues we were beginning to see on the host machines we started looking for other options. As we were already a solar-winds customer utilizing the SAAS and Take Control for our Managed customers it was a no-brainer to look into Take Control. After a short review and the fact that we are already very familiar with the system via our management dashboard, it was an easy yes
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • its less time consuming for IT engineers because they have everything on one please
    • less FTE for the tasks
    • Lack of MFA option
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    N-able
    • We we're able to bundle Take Control into our RMM pricing removing the need to pay for a separate system and maintain its intergration
    • Remote access is only a click away saving our techs time
    • Reliable connection mean issues are resolved without having to 'fix' the remote access first
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    RDCMan Screenshots

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

    N-able Take Control Screenshots

    Screenshot of N-able Take Control DashboardScreenshot of Take Control - home