RealVNC Connect vs. XenServer

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
RealVNC Connect
Score 7.3 out of 10
N/A
RealVNC® Connect is the secure remote access solution from RealVNC, the inventors of VNC technology. RealVNC Connect can be used to connect to a remote device anywhere in the world to view its desktop in real-time and take control as though sitting in front of it. From enabling remote working, to managing vital systems remotely, to providing IT support for organizations, RealVNC® Connect offers features to stay connected for IT teams around the world.
$44.28
per year per device (up to 3 devices to start)
XenServer
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
XenServer (formerly Citrix Hypervisor) is a virtualization management platform optimized for application, desktop and server virtualization infrastructures.N/A
Pricing
RealVNC ConnectXenServer
Editions & Modules
Essentials
$3.69
per month (billed annually) per device (up to 3 devices)
Plus
$4.19
per month (billed annually) per device (up to 25 devices)
Premium
$5.49
per month (billed annually) per device (up to 150 devices)
Enterprise
Custom
per year
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
RealVNC ConnectXenServer
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPlans can also be purchased on a Per User basis. From Plus upwards, when paying Per User, access to On-Demand Assist, a tool for providing just-in-time remote support to end-users without them needing RealVNC Connect installed on their device, is included.
More Pricing Information
Features
RealVNC ConnectXenServer
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
RealVNC Connect
7.4
32 Ratings
10% below category average
XenServer
-
Ratings
Screen sharing9.428 Ratings00 Ratings
File transfer8.015 Ratings00 Ratings
Instant message6.919 Ratings00 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication7.05 Ratings00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers6.09 Ratings00 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session9.030 Ratings00 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile8.619 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations4.76 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard7.916 Ratings00 Ratings
Session record8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Annotations5.36 Ratings00 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts7.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control9.011 Ratings00 Ratings
Server Virtualization
Comparison of Server Virtualization features of Product A and Product B
RealVNC Connect
-
Ratings
XenServer
7.4
12 Ratings
11% below category average
Virtual machine automated provisioning00 Ratings5.911 Ratings
Management console00 Ratings6.512 Ratings
Live virtual machine backup00 Ratings8.010 Ratings
Live virtual machine migration00 Ratings8.212 Ratings
Hypervisor-level security00 Ratings8.211 Ratings
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RealVNC ConnectXenServer
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User Ratings
RealVNC ConnectXenServer
Likelihood to Recommend
8.4
(38 ratings)
7.2
(12 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(8 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(4 ratings)
7.0
(3 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
5.5
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.0
(2 ratings)
6.4
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
2.7
(1 ratings)
Online Training
7.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(2 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
5.5
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
5.5
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
RealVNC ConnectXenServer
Likelihood to Recommend
RealVNC
It is very easy to use if the remote device is already set up to receive connections, so if you are setting up devices before deploying them, it is a great tool to have. It is well-suited to use when shadowing users or using it as a teaching tool. There are other products that are better if you are trying to help someone on a one-use basis.
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Citrix
It can be really helpful & useful if we are using Citrix Hypervisor with other provisioning tools. Here are some specific scenarios where Citrix Hypervisor (formerly Citrix XenServer) is well-suited: Server Consolidation, Virtual Desktops, Disaster Recovery, Development & Testing Environments. On the other hand, there are some scenarios where Citrix Hypervisor may be less appropriate: Small-scale Deployments, Highly Heterogeneous Environments, and Limited Virtualization Requirements.
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Pros
RealVNC
  • VNC Connect does an excellent job in remotely connecting to a computer through either your local area network or even another computer on the internet. As long as the VNC Connect services is installed and the client is running in the background.
  • VNC Connect provides password protection to prevent unauthorized users from attempting to remotely access your computer. There's an option to have a separate password to remotely view vs view & access a computer. You can even add an additional level of security by turning on the feature to require Windows login credentials.
  • VNC Connect provides an additional set of controls after a remote connection has been established with another computer. You can have special keystrokes like Ctrl+Alt+Del sent as a command sequence to the other computer as well as access more than a single screen when in use at the remote computer location.
Read full review
Citrix
  • Citrix hypervisor does price very well for small organizations. It is free.
  • Since this product is open source it does not have any type of vendor lockdown issues.
  • Allows live migration of VM's so you can keep systems up and running when changes are needed to the hardware in the background.
  • The GUI management tools are quite easy to learn.
  • Has Snapshot capability which is a great way to protect against malware as well as do risk-free upgrades.
Read full review
Cons
RealVNC
  • Its a pretty straight forward product - I would like to see more tools with a "wow" factor.
  • Panel colors are blah - I would like more eye-catching colors.
  • A more consistent look with all platforms - like Mac & PC.
Read full review
Citrix
  • Adding or presenting additional storage to the host can often be a task that is far more involved than competitive products.
  • The product can require reboots more frequently than competitors due to the DOM kernel getting "hung up".
  • Sometimes when a virtual machine is deleted it still leaves behind orphaned vdisks.
  • Recovering from the loss of a host can sometimes cause virtual machines to require lengthy command prompt scripting to fix so they can be powered back on from another host.
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Likelihood to Renew
RealVNC
VNC is a solid product for the price. It simply works and its reliable across different platforms. Some products state they work well in the Mac environment but don't deliver. This one does what it says. Connections are reliable, but of course, this depends on internet connections. The product works well over wireless connections as well. It delivers on what a remote tool should deliver on. My technicians are happy with the product and customers appreciate the ease of use when letting us connect to their systems. Some also appreciate the remote support while they are multi-task.
Read full review
Citrix
With the knowledge and usage of solutions from VMware and Microsoft offering more compelling cloud integrated options it makes it more compelling in many environments which I consult. XenServer is a good product and fits the bill in many smaller environments but as clients look to the cloud or a hybrid cloud it can in some cases make it a bit more difficult.
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Usability
RealVNC
It's a niche product and in that niche they try to cater to as many use cases as they can. Other as a TCO aspect i don't see many use cases where you can't use this product as the one tool for all remote session use cases in your company
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Citrix
XenServer is a good product in its use and probably free if you have the right Citrix licenses already. However, it does require specific knowledge to manage, which makes it harder to manage if you don't have that knowledge in house.
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Reliability and Availability
RealVNC
No answers on this topic
Citrix
It's been a little problematic in the past at larger VDI deployments requiring a bit more care and feeding than other vendors. But the latest releases (6.5.x) have brought about huge improvements in the stability and availability.
Read full review
Performance
RealVNC
No answers on this topic
Citrix
When running like a top XenServer is a fantastic hypervisor. There is relatively low overhead on the Dom0 so workloads get the most of the resources.
Read full review
Support Rating
RealVNC
VNC Connect is a reliable product that has been around for a long time. It is reasonably priced and works well in the Mac & PC environment. When you have a small team that supports many users we need tools that we can rely upon and that will get the job done on the first try. Many customers appreciate the quick assistance and can multi-task while our team works on their computer issues remotely. From a customer service point of view, this tool gives us transparency and efficient effectiveness.
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Citrix
The staff I've worked with are very knowledgeable or able to get a very well articulated and capable support team member on the phone or helping them if necessary and they always want to ensure the best experience possible for you on the platform. The ability for the support team to reach out to hardware vendors for assistance is a nice plus too.
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In-Person Training
RealVNC
No answers on this topic
Citrix
Part of a training for certification to become a trainer for Citrix included an in-person training with a Master CCI. The XenServer training at this time was pretty simplified due to the product primarily being installed however you did have to work with it and mildly configure the system.
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Online Training
RealVNC
The training is very informative, quick and to the point. All of the details one would need are present so the user doesn't have to go searching for additional information just to use the application. The layout of the training was also neat and concise, some of the other training sessions for other companies I've done in the past were confusing and not well thought out, this one is much more superior
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Citrix
Haven't given it a real go with any online training however there are some options out there. I have taught a course following Citrix material for XenDesktop which leverages XenServer and it is pre-built so not the best for XenServer specifically for installation but configuration is mildly touched on
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Implementation Rating
RealVNC
No problem at all, love the product.
Read full review
Citrix
Ensure you review the HCL (hardware compatibility list) and reach out to the hardware vendors to ensure they support the platform and in case they have documentation that can be followed for the implementation. Also ensure the prerequisites are completed prior to implementation so that as few unexpected delays occur as you can control.
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Alternatives Considered
RealVNC
VNC is light and sleek with the quick setup, was impressed with the quick setup despite poor Internet connection outdoor. TeamViewer is good, but the pricing is not as good as VNC. Both do the basic job, but VNC still outperform TeamViewer in terms of performance and ease of use.
Read full review
Citrix
Feature for feature they are neck and neck. I have used Hyper-V 2012 and 2016, VMware ESXi and XenServer evenly. XenServer is a fast install, good documentation, with enterprise features out the box that compare or exceed what VMWare offered with a higher cost of entry.
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Scalability
RealVNC
No answers on this topic
Citrix
The servers latest versions have made massive improvements to scalability. But from past experience there have been issues when running workloads for extended periods of time without reboot on the hosts. I would need to run similar workloads on the 6.5 release which has changed much of the bottlenecks or issues so I'd imagine its far more capable now, Perhaps able to stand near the best in the market.
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Return on Investment
RealVNC
  • I have just used the software for about 1 month and so far so god. I am saving time whenever I can access my client's computers from my desk as opposed to having to leave my office to go to their offices. Saves me time and the client money.
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Citrix
  • Xenserver is easy to learn. We paid for support only for installation and deployment in the first three years, and now our team has the knowledge to solve most problems.
  • Low CAPEX if you have a team that uses open source software day by day.
  • But paid support is necessary to solve critical problems. The open source community is not enough. Actually, we have difficulty solving some bugs without paying for support.
  • Medium OPEX if you have a team that uses open source software day by day.
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