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Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) vs. pcAnywhere (Discontinued)

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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

    pcAnywhere (Discontinued)

    Score3 out of 10
    N/APcAnywhere was remote administration software from established security software vendor Symantec. The application reached end of life in 2014.N/A
    Pricing
    RDCManpcAnywhere (Discontinued)
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    RDCManpcAnywhere (Discontinued)
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    RDCManpcAnywhere (Discontinued)
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Discontinued Products
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    6 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    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
    No answers on this topic
    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
    RDCManpcAnywhere (Discontinued)
    Remote Administration
    Comparison of Remote Administration features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) and pcAnywhere (Discontinued)
    Feature
    Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
    6.4
    6 Ratings
    21% below category average
    pcAnywhere (Discontinued)
    9.0
    1 Ratings
    13% above category average
    Screen sharing7.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    File transfer5.36 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Instant message1.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication5.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access to sleeping/powered-off computers9.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Over-the-Internet remote session7.55 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Initiate remote control from mobile5.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Remote management of servers & workstations9.36 Ratings00 Ratings
    Remote Active Directory® management7.34 Ratings00 Ratings
    Centralized management dashboard8.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Session record4.93 Ratings00 Ratings
    Annotations4.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Monitoring and Alerts7.74 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multi-platform remote control8.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    RDCManpcAnywhere (Discontinued)
    Small Businesses
    N-able Take Control
    Score7.2 out of 10
    N-able Take Control
    Score7.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Remote Desktop Manager
    Score9.6 out of 10
    Remote Desktop Manager
    Score9.6 out of 10
    Enterprises
    BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access
    Score9.1 out of 10
    BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access
    Score9.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    RDCManpcAnywhere (Discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (6 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    7.7
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.3
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    RDCManpcAnywhere (Discontinued)
    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
    Discontinued Products
    Synmantec pcAnywhere is excellent when you require a secure remote connection, and you have enough computational power and internet bandwidth.
    Incentivized
    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
    Discontinued Products
    • Multiple connections
    • Cross-platform
    • Decent UX
    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
    Discontinued Products
    • Sometimes it is too slow
    • Consumes too much bandwidth
    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
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    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
    Discontinued Products
    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
    Discontinued Products
    [We chose Synamtec pcAnywhere because] its embedded both-direction encryption exceeds the industry requirements.
    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
    Discontinued Products
    • It allows us to comply with the latest safe browsing requirements.
    Incentivized
    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