Remote Desktop Services vs. Zscaler Private Access

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Remote Desktop Services
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Remote Desktop Services from Microsoft is virtual desktop and remote user session technology.N/A
Zscaler Private Access
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Zscaler Private Access™ (ZPA) gives users secure access to private apps and OT devices while enabling zero trust connectivity for workloads.N/A
Pricing
Remote Desktop ServicesZscaler Private Access
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Remote Desktop ServicesZscaler Private Access
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Remote Desktop ServicesZscaler Private Access
Features
Remote Desktop ServicesZscaler Private Access
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
Remote Desktop Services
4.4
4 Ratings
57% below category average
Zscaler Private Access
-
Ratings
Screen sharing6.64 Ratings00 Ratings
File transfer4.74 Ratings00 Ratings
Instant message1.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication6.32 Ratings00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers2.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session3.84 Ratings00 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile3.53 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations6.13 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management6.83 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard3.93 Ratings00 Ratings
Session record4.13 Ratings00 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts4.43 Ratings00 Ratings
Identity Management
Comparison of Identity Management features of Product A and Product B
Remote Desktop Services
-
Ratings
Zscaler Private Access
9.1
10 Ratings
2% above category average
Multi-Factor Authentication00 Ratings9.110 Ratings
Endpoint Security
Comparison of Endpoint Security features of Product A and Product B
Remote Desktop Services
-
Ratings
Zscaler Private Access
9.0
6 Ratings
1% below category average
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)00 Ratings9.06 Ratings
Threat Intelligence
Comparison of Threat Intelligence features of Product A and Product B
Remote Desktop Services
-
Ratings
Zscaler Private Access
8.6
11 Ratings
10% above category average
Network Analytics00 Ratings8.811 Ratings
Threat Recognition00 Ratings8.99 Ratings
Vulnerability Classification00 Ratings8.97 Ratings
Automated Alerts and Reporting00 Ratings8.210 Ratings
Threat Analysis00 Ratings8.67 Ratings
Threat Intelligence Reporting00 Ratings8.17 Ratings
Automated Threat Identification00 Ratings8.59 Ratings
Zero Trust Security
Comparison of Zero Trust Security features of Product A and Product B
Remote Desktop Services
-
Ratings
Zscaler Private Access
9.1
11 Ratings
4% above category average
Continuous Verification00 Ratings8.911 Ratings
Secure Web Gateways00 Ratings9.211 Ratings
Network Flow Control00 Ratings9.110 Ratings
Network Traffic Analysis00 Ratings9.09 Ratings
Segmentation Leveraging00 Ratings9.010 Ratings
Admin Access Control00 Ratings9.19 Ratings
Network Data Encryption00 Ratings9.211 Ratings
Network Topology Mapping00 Ratings9.011 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Remote Desktop ServicesZscaler Private Access
Small Businesses
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Score 9.6 out of 10
ThreatLocker
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Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Remote Desktop Manager
Remote Desktop Manager
Score 9.4 out of 10
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Score 8.4 out of 10
Enterprises
Remote Desktop Manager
Remote Desktop Manager
Score 9.4 out of 10
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
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Score 8.4 out of 10
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User Ratings
Remote Desktop ServicesZscaler Private Access
Likelihood to Recommend
7.9
(19 ratings)
9.1
(15 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
6.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.0
(4 ratings)
9.1
(10 ratings)
Performance
5.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
3.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
5.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Remote Desktop ServicesZscaler Private Access
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
Remote Desktop Services provides access to work environments from any device. This allows us to ensure business continuity in case of disaster. It provides admins more control over access and security. Remote Desktop Services simplifies software updates and compliance management by reducing the need to act on end users devices.
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Zscaler
Zscaler Private Access works really well in environments setup for FQDNs and where you know what users should/shouldn't be accessing on what ports. You can use Zscaler Private Access to figure out these kinds of features but that doesn't always mean you'll be correct. It also provides a consistent experience for users as they can access their materials anywhere. It also makes the user the last line of defense. If a user's account is compromised then the attacker has access to everything they already did. It doesn't work great in OT environments or Server based environments. Flows have to be initiated from the client and not the server for stuff to behave properly.
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Pros
Microsoft
  • When you connect with RDS, everything looks and feels (and is) exactly like you're sitting at that desktop. This is great for us and for users.
  • You can sign in with RDS and the desktop will be the same as when you left it (if you choose to set it up that way).
  • Although they take some setup, RemoteApps are a very handy way to let users access a program without requiring them to actually connect to a remote desktop on the server.
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Zscaler
  • Allows strong cyber security corporate policies
  • Very reliable VPN application that operates at 100% efficiency
  • Very easy to be configured with friendly user interface
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Cons
Microsoft
  • Remote Desktop Services currently does not support multiple monitors on the terminal server. Unlike other applications such as Teamviewer, there's no feature to toggle between multiple screens even if they were connected to the terminal server.
  • Remote Desktop Services should provide an option to scale up or down the screen size after a connection is established. Currently you can only adjust the screen size prior to a connection is established. So you'll have to take a best guess at what display screen resolution will fit best on your screen.
  • Remote Desktop Services should offer some kind of menu to send special key strokes like Ctrl+Alt+Del to the terminal server. Currently the substitute for that particular combination is Ctrl+Alt+End. But I have yet to discover a replacement for other combination keystrokes such as Alt+PrintScrn.
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Zscaler
  • Granularity and Complexity of Policy Enforcement
  • Application Segmentation and Listener Configuration - The way applications are defined and listened for is fundamental to ZPA, but can be a source of frustration, especially when dealing with legacy or non-HTTP protocols
  • The ZCC is the user's primary gateway, but its control over local system network behavior can sometimes clash with enterprise requirements.
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Usability
Microsoft
The initial setup for Remote Desktop Services is complex, and licensing is costly. Each user connects to their virtual desktop hosted by a single server or group of servers, so a change or issue with servers quickly impacts every single user at the same time. Aside from that, users appreciate seeing their same personal desktop from any device or geographical location.
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Zscaler
The environment feels more secure, and we are seeing that users are adapting to it fast. The fact that we have tools to assist the users with their day-to-day access helps, as we can hand it off to the helpdesk without any escalations to the Network team. It is a work in progress for our agency, but we are seeing the benefits from the solution.
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Performance
Microsoft
There are some third party tools available that allow you to manage multiple connections.
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Zscaler
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Microsoft
As with any Microsoft Server product, support for Remote Desktop Services requires a paid support package. These are license-based and very costly, on top of the already costly product licensing. Microsoft's licensing is complicated to begin with, so setting up licensing alone essentially requires a licensing expert's counsel. There is community documentation and support available on Microsoft websites, as well as community websites.
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Zscaler
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
We selected Remote Desktop Services based upon price alone. Other solutions on the market are significantly more expensive, but if your company can foot the bill you should seriously consider products that have been on the market for longer. The lack of an ability to easily upgrade farm servers has been a challenge for us - although it is still faster than updating an application on 2000+ machines. The lack of a centralized management console in 2008 R2 is also challenging, but you get by with the tools available to you. If you don't have the money to spend on Citrix or VMWare Horizon, Remote Desktop Services is a decent replacement.
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Zscaler
Well ZPA is a good solution, however everyone has their own advantage and disadvantages, with ZPA you can deploy ZTNA model, which will help you better control on access, however Palo Alto, Fortinet they are also market leading firewall solution, and you can not deny if they are not providing the same features.
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Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • Allowed remote users access from home
  • Shared file access for multipolar users from a centralized location
  • Cost to add additional users when maxed out
  • Purchase multiple licenses for programs to run in virtual machines. Or unable to run on a virtual machine
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Zscaler
  • Positive: We have now charged users internally for the service
  • Negative: Dealing with users who also have the Zscaler Client Connector for their company, can cause confusions
  • Negative: Enabling the Zscaler Internet Access entitlement has been a major headache for us because Zscaler Private Access users can't autheniticate through ZIA on a non corporate device.
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ScreenShots

Zscaler Private Access Screenshots

Screenshot of how ZPA provides access for all users while minimizing the attack surface, eliminating lateral movement, and stopping zero day threats. A cloud native service, ZPA can be deployed in just hours to replace legacy remote access tools like VPNs and VDIs.