Remote Desktop Manager vs Automox

ManageEngine Endpoint Central

PDQ Deploy & Inventory

Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) from ManageEngine is an integrated desktop & mobile device management application that enables the centralized management of desktops, servers, laptops, tablets & smartphones.

AI-powered platform that unifies identity, endpoints, and compliance—giving IT teams time and control back.

Self-hosted, agentless Windows endpoint management for on-prem  environments. Combines real-time device inventory (Active Directory sync, dynamic collections, custom scanners) with automated patching, 500+ pre-built packages, scripting, and compliance reporting.  Per-admin license, unlimited devices

Remote Desktop Manager (RDM) centralizes remote connection and credential management in one secure, cross-platform platform. Manage 50+ protocols, enforce role-based access and 2FA, track sessions, and access offline — great for teams or solo users alike.

Patch Management

For MSPs

Reviewers appreciate the free version’s extensive features, which they say benefit individuals and small businesses. Some users report that pricing feels steep for smaller teams, and they mention concerns about license and maintenance costs.

Value for money

By industry, Remote Desktop Manager reviewers are most commonly professionals in information technology and services (24%). The most frequent use case cited is IT management (76% of reviewers).

Remote Desktop Manager

Windows

Linux

iPhone

Android

iPad

Web-based

TeamViewer ONE

ManageEngine Remote Access Plus

Free solo access

Starter Pack

Remote connection management

Privileged access management

Enterprise

Slow performance and heavy resource use

Azure Cloud Consultant

I found it clunky and quite resource heavy.

66% of reviewers feel negative about Remote Desktop Manager’s performance and speed. Users think the software often has slow startup times, especially with large databases or many connections, and some say it is resource-intensive, causing their computers to lag. Reviewers report that the application can become sluggish when multiple users are logged in or when handling extensive connection vaults. They also mention that installation and updates are lengthy, and that lag or latency during use disrupts their workflow, making daily operations less efficient.

Efficient team collaboration tools

95% of reviewers feel positive about Remote Desktop Manager’s team collaboration features. Some users report that sharing connections and resources among team members reduces redundant information and improves onboarding for new staff. Reviewers appreciate the ability to provide different teams with secure, organized access to hundreds of servers and PCs, which enhances productivity and operational efficiency. They find that centralized databases and customizable permissions support large IT teams in working together safely, keeping workflows streamlined and ensuring everyone has the access they need.

Centralized remote connectivity

Systems Analyst Sr.

I love the ability to remotely access so many assets at once and save those connections.

93% of reviewers feel positive about Remote Desktop Manager’s remote access capabilities. Reviewers indicate the platform allows them to manage multiple remote connections, protocols, and devices from a single interface, streamlining daily IT tasks. They appreciate being able to securely access and control computers, servers, and cloud resources from anywhere, which saves time and increases efficiency. Users say having all remote connections and credentials organized in one place is essential for troubleshooting, supporting teams, and maintaining business continuity, especially for IT administrators managing diverse environments.

Senior Consultant

It has multiple entries and connection types, making it esay to keep all my connections and password in one place and simplify my daily connections.

Director

Additionaly, pairing the tool with their other products such as Hub or Server or Gateway can provide enterprise grade security and functionality whether it be for a single user or a large IT team.

Director of IT

I use a laptop with 3 external screens 2 x 24" and 1 x 34" and when moving it needs to be resized and you either are left with unused space or scroll bars.

a very simple way to connect to multiple servers one by one or at the same time and a simply way to switch between servers without the need to sign-in and sign-out all the time.

Applications and Packaging Specialist

I have used other RDP tools but for me Remote Desktop Manager stands out due to it's great user friendly interface and the ability to remember credentials on my secured laptop.

PhD Student

You can keep all your remote connections (RDP, SSH, VNC, etc.) in one place.

System Integrator

Strong Security: RDM provides robust security features, including secure storage of passwords and other sensitive information.

Overall my experience with Remote Desktop Manager was mostly positive, with minor errors interrupting my usage, I used it during covid when only basic software packages were on client's machines and it served me very well.

integration with web browser, powershell, multiple VPN clients and loads of other useful options.

IT Lead Tech

It has so many features that have saved me so much time having to use multiple different apps for different services and put them all in 1.

DevOps Engineer

Pushing it now to use in our company with additional team features and integrations with other products (like CyberArk Password Vault)

System Administrator

The ability to maintain a list of remote devices between multiple IT employees.

It's really handy to use all the features that it offers and I use it on daily basis to remote to several servers simultaneously without any hiccups.

Integration with password managers to further increase security by avoiding having to store your credentials locally.

Global IT Manager

I like that I as an IT manager can centrally manage all remote connections for our users.

Administrator

All the different options for remote connections and the embedded web browser to name a few.

Network Engineer

When I started managing my company servers and network Appliances, I was using the local remote desktop and I had to type the ip or each server everytime.

I wish there was a way to set credentials as a variable or template instead of being stuck with standardized naming.

when changing the size of the window the remote server screen does not adjust.

Member

Low resolution, and no ability to upscale, session video recordings.  

Técnico Docente

It allows you to centralize all your connections,passwords and remote credentials in a single platform that makes your work easier.

Senior IT Consultant

Suggest a new feature and you might see it show up not a long time later. And long release notes with lots of details.

RDM has significantly reduce the operational overhead of session and password management.  

Manager

I love how i can remote with basically all the different protrols

IT Manager

We have had only a couple of support tickets over several years (mainly for new features, and one software bug) and they were always handled very well.

Some users feel that RDM lacks certain features that might be beneficial for smaller companies.

Team lead

One of the best tools in my career I've ever found! And the best integration tools that really saves time for me every day (I'm a dev).

Homelab Owner

The RDP on iOS devices could use some work with touch devices

IT Project Manager

Some times it's a little bulky when making the same change on many connections at once.

Easily store security inforamation, servers and documents

Also the ability to setup security on those connections.

The remote desktop functionality is perfect if that's all you need it to do.

Have been using RDM extensively for 10+ years, yet almost every day I learn something new about what it or its companion products can do.

Business unit manager

sometimes setup connections to OS's rather than windows is confusing

I can access all my lab systems from one location.  

IT Architect

It is of great support in managing the internal infrastructure and that of our customers

System Admin

Swiss Army Knife of Tools for SysAdmin, a great tool, which includes all the management tools in a single application for System Administration

Owner of ShadowPlayersDev

The team edition provides authentication system for extra security, database, audit logs and more.

Engineer

The program may take some time to load and may seems to hang

As a lone IT admin for my company, being able to access so many resources from a single interface saves time every single day.

It has great features for a IT management solution.

System Engineer

performance, in some VM's is it slow to use it.

Delivery Manager

Software license cost is high, particularly paying per user

None! Except deciding to edprecate the cloud backup functionality.

Connection Management

Remote Access

Password Management

Integrations

Screen and Window Management

Bugs and Issues

Team Collaboration

User Interface

Time Management

Credential Management

Small Business

Freelancers

Mid-size Business

Large Enterprises

Reviewers appreciate that Remote Desktop Manager offers a free version with extensive features, making it suitable for individuals and small businesses to test and use without upfront costs. They say the paid versions add valuable team functionalities and justify the price for those needing advanced features. Some users report that the pricing can feel steep, especially for personal or small business use, and mention concerns about license costs, maintenance fees, and the jump between free and paid tiers. Some reviewers find more affordable alternatives but feel Remote Desktop Manager’s feature set justifies its cost.

Devolutions

Action1

Action1 reinvents patch management with an infinitely scalable and highly secure platform configurable in 5 minutes that just works.

Automox is the endpoint management platform built for the era of autonomous operations

Patch Prioritization

Scheduling

Dashboard

Vulnerability Scanning

Server Monitoring

Customization

Compliance Management

Remote Access/Control

Automox

NinjaOne

ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus

Syxsense

Patch My PC

Atera

PatchOS

 Automate Essentials

 Automate Enterprise

IT Systems Administrator

Worklets make it incredibly easy to automate complex configurations and remediations across platforms, while Patch Schedules allow precise control over when and how updates are applied—critical for minimizing business disruption.

Solutions Architect

The ability to create custom tools and the strong reporting features are very useful, supporting daily IT management and compliance during audits.

Automox allows you to patch various operating systems using one application, making updates easier across different environments.

Sr IT Systems Engineer

Our IT team at Nevro used Automox to manage endpoints both on-premises and remote, across different departments and geographic regions.

In Automox dashboard you can get a high level and quick reference view of the count for the pending patches and devices

It is a very reliable tool that saves our team a lot of time by keeping all our remote computers safe and updated automatically.

IT Security Analyst

Automated patching solution where you can setup set and forget polies on the Automox console to roll out first party (Windows, MacOS) patches, 3rd party patches.

IT Apprentice

Doing the patching and having a clear dashboard on what I need to see, what devices I need to patch on what is critical and needs doing.

Engineer - Network and Security

Enabling patch management for most of the 3rd party applications and helping the customer to cater their compliances in their organization.

It’s particularly useful for organizations looking to automate OS and third-party application updates across Windows, macOS, and Linux devices without needing on-premise infrastructure.

Software Engineer

The device gets stuck in pending update state after we push multiple policies on a device to change the state of the device we either need to re-start the device or contact support to clear the state.

Lead Engineer - Systems and Security

Automox is a innovative solution which enables System administrators/Security Administrators to manage patches and devices very easily.

I was impressed with the cross platform support (Windows, Mac, Linux), and the flexibility in setting up policies.

The search and reporting pages are sometimes slow to load.

Head of IT and Security

You setup your scheduled tasks and you can trust Automox to deliver results with minimal interference.

I am a apprentice learning this as I go but having even the remote option in case someone needs help working from home is so helpful.

Compared to other products was great value for money and allowed us to configure to our needs.

Systems Administrator

Sometimes the install script on MAC doesn't properly take so you have to restart the process.

Associate Engineer

I like the feature of worklet catalog which helps in creating policies to configure devices.

We use Automox to standardise patching on all our Windows and MacOS endpoints.

I’d also like to see more clarity or filters in vulnerability timelines.

This platform does give you easy updates on multiple platforms with options to run custom scripts etc.

Systems Engineer

The thing that bothers me most about automox is how long it can take for device info to sync in the portal.

It has made our lives easier as a whole, and has sped up the deployment time of MACs.

Automox has several strong points, especially when it comes to automated patch management and endpoint security.

Patch Engineer

Sometimes the information on the dashboard page doesn't match with the information we extract through API scripts.

IT Systems Engineer

I love being able to be away from the office and know that anyone on my team can spend just a few minutes to figure out all the data and info needed to complete tasks.

IT Analyst

Also there are many options on how we create policy in automox based upon our requirements.

Senior Field Engineer

the UI can be a bit confusing, also the client swapper being hidden away at the top is a bit of an inconvenience.

Network Administrator

The ability to patch all PCs and servers in your fleet with ease of mind that it is all handled.

Junior IT Support

I like how it enables for quick patching to all IT devices within a user eco-system.

Security Engineer

I think it could use some more work on the items that user's use on a daily basis and perfecting the driver updates

Once you get your policies and groups configured, Automox runs like a well oiled machine and your administrators can be very hands off.

Senior Systems Administrator

Only hard part with Automox is writing worklets and understanding how it works and what permissions the agent has to the machine to make registry changes or deploying non standard software to the machine.

Senior Network and Security Administrator

Super easy to get initial set up completed. If you need additional ways to update or install software, or to make changes to a system, there are a ton of prewritten worklets to get you going.

It does not have an option to minimise bandwidth utilisation in Local networks.

Ops enginner

The ability to have policies for each group and the CVE reports.

Remote Desktop Manager vs Automox Comparison (2026)

Remote Desktop Manager

Automox

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives