TrustRadius Insights
Apple Remote Desktop has proven to be an invaluable tool for a wide range of users and organizations. IT departments, in particular, rely …
Overview
What is Apple Remote Desktop?
Apple Remote Desktop (ARD), from Apple, is a remote administration tool for managing Apple computers running OS X across a network.
Recent Reviews
Awards
Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards
Popular Features
- Instant message (20)9.393%
- File transfer (24)9.090%
- Screen sharing (25)8.989%
- Remote management of servers & workstations (21)8.484%
Pricing
N/A
Unavailable
What is Apple Remote Desktop?
Apple Remote Desktop (ARD), from Apple, is a remote administration tool for managing Apple computers running OS X across a network.
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Would you like us to let the vendor know that you want pricing?
21 people also want pricing
Alternatives Pricing
What is TeamViewer?
TeamViewer provides software for both remote management and online collaborations. With TeamViewer, users have access to fully integrated online conference solutions for audio and video communication, including interactive screen sharing and remote access features.
What is GoTo Resolve?
GoTo Resolve is an all-in-one IT management and support software built for today's small-to-medium-sized businesses. It helps IT professionals streamline their help desk by bringing together the tools they need to engage, identify problems, and fix issues faster—all in one place. It combines remote…
Product Demos
Apple Remote Desktop 3 Demo -Copy from remote to local-
YouTube
Features
Return to navigation
Product Details
- About
- Tech Details
- FAQs
What is Apple Remote Desktop?
Apple Remote Desktop Video
Installation and the basic how-to of Remote Desktop in macOS 10.5.
Apple Remote Desktop Technical Details
| Operating Systems | Unspecified |
|---|---|
| Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple Remote Desktop (ARD), from Apple, is a remote administration tool for managing Apple computers running OS X across a network.
Reviewers rate Instant message highest, with a score of 9.3.
The most common users of Apple Remote Desktop are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
Comparisons
Compare with
Reviews and Ratings
(104)
Community Insights
TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!
- Business Problems Solved
- Pros
- Cons
Apple Remote Desktop has proven to be an invaluable tool for a wide range of users and organizations. IT departments, in particular, rely on this software for remote access, support, and maintenance tasks. Users appreciate the ability to remotely view and command multiple machines at once, which improves efficiency and saves time. The software is particularly helpful for silently pushing updates or gathering information about computer usage behind the scenes. It also offers encrypted connections and compressed data traffic, ensuring secure and efficient remote support. This makes it a popular choice for organizations that prioritize data security.
Educators have also found value in Apple Remote Desktop, using it to enhance student engagement through screen sharing and remote control. It allows educators to observe multiple devices simultaneously and organize them according to grade levels. In an educational setting, the software supports content and use management, facilitating screen sharing and file sharing among students. Additionally, Apple Remote Desktop streamlines logins for young students by pushing login information for various software programs.
Developers utilize Apple Remote Desktop to remotely work on Mac devices for iOS and macOS application builds. The software enables seamless collaboration by providing remote access to Mac Mini devices, allowing developers to work on their projects without being physically present at the machine. Support teams also find great value in this tool as they can connect to end users' macOS devices for troubleshooting desktop support issues and performing software updates without needing physical access to the machines.
Overall, Apple Remote Desktop offers a wide range of features that cater to diverse user needs. Whether it's IT administrators managing a large number of computers or educators improving student engagement, this software provides the necessary tools to save time, improve efficiency, and enhance productivity in various professional settings.
User-Friendly Interface: Many users have praised the user interface of Apple Remote Desktop, noting that it is simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate. They appreciate the top navigation bar that provides quick access to all necessary tools and elements in the software, making tasks effortless to perform.
Reliable Remote Access: Several reviewers have highlighted the reliability of Apple Remote Desktop's remote access capabilities. They mention that the software can remotely access Apple computers even if they are not logged in or at the login screen. This feature has proven particularly useful for performing updates or managing machines without interrupting the user's workflow.
Comprehensive Feature Set: Users value the wide range of functionality provided by Apple Remote Desktop at a low cost. They mention features such as remote searching on devices, screen capture sharing, file copy transfer, application installation, and automator actions that automate workflow tasks and save time. This comprehensive set of features makes Apple Remote Desktop a valuable tool for various tasks.
Cross-platform limitations: Some users have expressed disappointment that Apple Remote Desktop is only compatible with Mac computers, and they would like to see more support for iOS and mobile devices.
Performance issues: Several users have mentioned that the performance of Apple Remote Desktop can be slow, especially when running operations on multiple machines simultaneously.
Outdated user interface: Many users have found the user interface of Apple Remote Desktop to be outdated and in need of improvement. They feel that the interface can be confusing and requires specific configurations on endpoints.
Attribute Ratings
Reviews
(1-23 of 23)Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
December 09, 2022
Remote Desktop with ease with the Apple Remote Desktop
Apple Remote Desktop is far simpler than TeamViewer, especially for MacOSX. With Apple Remote Desktop native within OSX, it is simple and easy to use, and can be used with other Mac users with ease. I selected it because it has a much simpler design and is already integrated into the MacOSX software.
December 09, 2022
Apple Remote Desktop is a day saver.
- Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) and BeyondTrust Active Directory (AD) Bridge
Apple Remote Desktop is Apple specific. There is no other software suite that controls the Mac like ARD. Apple built it specifically for Apple products and it has abilities that are definitely MacOS ONLY. If you administer Macs it is a must-have over the other solutions offered on the current market.
December 08, 2022
Apple Remote Desktop: All you need to know
- TeamViewer and AnyDesk
Apple Remote Desktop still requires more work on its functionality, but the other market giants are way ahead of it when it comes to utilities and services. TeamViewer was the first software that we used and it was so good, we wanted to try something else so we switched to Apple Remote Desktop for a change. I would want Apple Remote Desktop to get even better.
December 08, 2022
Using Apple Remote Desktop to access headless build machines
Microsoft Remote desktop tends to perform better, especially over the internet and has multiple implementations, including open source.
AnyDesk is multi platform (both server and client) and more suitable for ad-hoc remote sessions.
AnyDesk is multi platform (both server and client) and more suitable for ad-hoc remote sessions.
December 08, 2022
Apple Remote Desktop... Great for onsite Apple remote access!
Apple Remote Desktop is a good product when you have a need to manage Apple computers on-site and don't want a cloud solution with a recurring cost. We prefer it as an alternative or secondary solution in case your primary software has issues. I wouldn't use it as my only solution.
December 08, 2022
Nondisruptive Access
The Apple Remote Desktop application has a much faster connection once the computer has been properly configured.
December 08, 2022
Apple Remote Desktop - Great for Mac Administration
For apple/mac products - hands down has the upper advantage when it comes to remote administration. It lacks in some areas that Datto and Kasyea have the upper hand on like some system monitoring. Overall, if I had multiple macs I needed to monitor and service, I would use Apple Remote Desktop to work with them.
March 12, 2020
It's free, it's Apple-native, and it just works
- Zoom, TeamViewer, BeyondTrust Remote Support (formerly Bomgar) and ConnectWise Control (formerly ScreenConnect)
I think that the one feature that sets ARD apart is the UI when in a remote session. There have been times where I've used Zoom, TeamViewer, etc. and couldn't access a part of the menu bar or accidentally closed a session due to the third-party UI that's been applied on the window.
April 10, 2019
Apple Remote Desktop (ARD)
ARD does not have competition when it comes to working with Apple Devices in a 1:1 scenario.
February 04, 2019
Powerful and Sophisticated Remote Administration for Mac Computers
Chrome Remote Desktop is cross-platform but lacks the cool features especially automation related features like Apple Remote Desktop does. For supporting Mac computers, Apple Remote Desktop was a clear choice.
November 09, 2018
OK for small players, but don't even think about it if you're not.
I would feel much more comfortable having one of these alternative solutions as our Remote Desktop management tools. Each has their drawbacks and expenses associated with them, but we simply have too large of a deployment to not be considering alternatives. If it is the only solution you can afford, it is OK to start here. I could see where this would have a return on investment, but it is really only suitable for a very small and localized scale. If employees are at all mobile, the duct taping of products necessary (VPN, distribution points, script repositories) would be very cumbersome.
June 05, 2018
Apple Remote Desktop - The Time Saver
Apple Remote Desktop is unique in some of the abilities it has. I feel like there is not much in direct competition for much of what it can do.
April 02, 2018
ARD, Essential for Apple Environments
If you are managing Apple systems, ARD is hands down the number one way to manage these systems. It beats every other product out there with its deep macOS integration. No other product has as much focus on Apple as this one. We are primarily a Mac environment so it makes total sense that we would choose this product.
January 19, 2018
Apple Remote Desktop, a must have for your Mac Network toolbox.
- ConnectWise Control (formerly ScreenConnect)
I actually use ConnectWise and ARD, if within my LAN. If I have VPN access I use ARD, if it's a new client and I haven't worked on their network or it's too small to warrant a VPN setup then I'll use ConnectWise
November 21, 2017
Take a bite out of this Apple Remote Desktop
I have used the above two remote desktop services and have found it to be much harder than using the Apple Remote Desktop. They are slow to login with a lot of errors, time outs constantly, and interface its self moves incredibly slow. I felt a sense of relief when I started using Apple Remote Desktop.
November 14, 2017
MR.Power ON ARD
Apple Remote Desktop is the best device we were able to use for education that served the function. Being a school with all Apple products and Mac labs, using Apple Remote Desktop was the most logical choice. The only other alternative was to use the Adobe screen share software which would not be useful since we do not use the Adobe Creative Cloud or have those licenses on every computer in the school.
April 17, 2017
ARD: Apple screenshare.app on steroids
For multi-site remote support we utilize TeamViewer and for enterprise-wide device management we are using Cisco Meraki System Manager. ARD is a great Mac tool, but there are many options out there, that are cloud-based, that don't require you to have network tunnels into your multiple sites. TeamViewer has great session compression and seems well optimized for multisite, global device management, but TeamViewer leans a bit more toward Windows, with regards to management. Both TV and Cisco Meraki System Manager are quite a bit more expensive than ARD, which should be a consideration as well.
April 05, 2017
Got stress?? Apple Remote Desktop does the Tech good...
- Casper
Apple Remote Desktop allows me access and control that Casper doesn't always have. I love the use of the Remote sessions to be able to get on and see what exactly is going on and then to be able to fix it without having to run across campus to that classroom.
I use TeamViewer with users who are having trouble connecting to the VPN. I think TeamViewer is a good alternative when ARD isn't working. However supporting the number of users we support, TeamViewer can come with a pretty hefty price tag.
December 15, 2016
Great tool!
- Cisco Meraki
We use both of these products and both are great in their own way.
May 06, 2016
Apple Remote Desktop will save you time & money
- TeamViewer and RealVNC
No other product does remote desktop management of multiple Macs as good as ARD does, some come close, some have less features.
May 03, 2016
ARD reviewed by a teacher
I have not used other applications--perfectly happy with Apple Remote Desktop.
October 30, 2015
Apple Remote Desktop Used In K-12 World
- Microsoft Remote Desktop, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager and TeamViewer
Apple Remote Desktop provides a different level of support than programs listed above. Its a nice support tool built in the OS.