BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access enables security professionals to control, monitor, and manage access to critical systems by privileged users and third-party vendors (e.g. authorized employees, contractors, etc). BeyondTrust's approach is designed to allow companies to quickly gain control of system access and protect themselves against cyberattacks without requiring time-consuming process changes. Features for secure access, vault credentials, and audit…N/A
RDCMan
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
RDCMan, 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.N/A
Pricing
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote AccessMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote AccessRDCMan
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote AccessMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Considered Both Products
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access
Chose BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access
The main factor is the ease of implementation and also its use in everyday life.
Chose BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access
We did not research any other PRA Applications.
Chose BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access
  • More secure
  • Firewall compatible
  • Privacy screen
RDCMan
Chose RDCMan
The Avanti Software needed alot of attention if you are new to such tools. So for that reason we chose Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager because of the more user friendly use of it. Also because it integrades great with windows and the remote servers we have. Thats …
Chose RDCMan
While these tools are completely different I think the ease of use and reliability is really reflected well in this case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager. I find Adobe to be very unintuitive and difficult to use and there can be a lot of confusion. While …
Chose RDCMan
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 …
Chose RDCMan
Like with everything IT, we have many tools in the tool box. Sometimes you can use different tools to do the same job. It can often depend on the user and experience of the situation. Many things have it's pro's and cons. But the main thing is that you fix the issue and the …
Chose RDCMan
We haven't needed to test or compare any other Remote Desktop Management solution, as Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) works so well, and does most everything we need it to do. There is also the benefit that it is both a Microsoft product (which has good …
Features
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote AccessMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access
9.7
Ratings
18% above category average
Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
8.1
Ratings
0% below category average
Screen sharing9.00 Ratings6.70 Ratings
Instant message9.00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session10.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile9.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations10.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management10.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard10.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Session record10.00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control10.00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
File transfer00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication00 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Annotations00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
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User Ratings
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote AccessMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.3
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote AccessMicrosoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)
Likelihood to Recommend
BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access is well suited to grand monitored privileged access to resources. It works in a proxy mode so end-users don't have direct access to servers. This can help prevent attacks on servers from users' machines since all the traffic to the servers goes through the Privileged Remote Access server which performs auth according to the policies. In cases where direct access to the servers/service from the end-user's machine is required, it is a little bit complicated to set up that kind of connection using protocol tunneling.
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It is a useful tool and definitely beats other alternatives and options. There is always room for improvement however which is why I gave a rating of 8. From a core function perspective Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager is definitely what you want but down the line I think certainly some bells and whistles would be nice.
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Pros
  • It's comprehensive, intelligent and easy to use.
  • It has lots of features i.e. it allows special commands to be used whereas the other programs don't allow them.
  • This tool is effective in allowing you to access all your applications through a single sign-on page.
  • Actively manage the ongoing operational use of network devices, hardware, and application access via Secure App.
  • Bomgar Privileged Access deploys on-premises via a hardened physical or virtual appliance, or through the Bomgar Secure Cloud.
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  • One thing it does well is being able to deploy it quickly and easily. It takes very little space to install the actual program and also installs quickly. Once installed, it is relatively to start creating groups and adding servers/machines, without users needing to be trained in how to do this, or consulting the documentation.
  • Another thing it does well is having an easy to use layout within the Microsoft Remote Connection Manager (RDCMan) window. There is a tree directory structure, showing groups, and corresponding servers/machines. There are also thumbnails of servers/machines that are displayed. This helps IT, Administrators, to see what is connected and what is not, along with understanding what is on the actual screen of the live server/machine in realtime.
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Cons
  • questionnaire from technician for installation was difficult to follow
  • after purchase of a product, an initial audio discussion with an Engineer would be great for better understanding the installation phase
  • provide plans for on-premise and cloud strategies in different documents
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  • You can't drag and drop files between local and remote sessions—something many modern RDP tools allow, and it saves a ton of clicks.
  • You can export settings, but not as CSV or something readable/editable outside RDCMan. Makes documentation or sharing config info harder.
  • Hovering over minimized or background sessions shows nothing—no live thumbnail or last screen capture like some tools do.
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Likelihood to Renew
This review was originally written partially in Portuguese and those parts have been translated into English using a third-party translation tool. While we strive for accuracy, some nuances or meanings may not be perfectly captured.
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No answers on this topic
Usability
It accomplishes all of our remote access needs, our users require little to no training when being setup for remote access for the first time.
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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.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
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.
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Alternatives Considered
The main factor is the ease of implementation and also its use in everyday life.
Read full review
The Avanti Software needed alot of attention if you are new to such tools. So for that reason we chose Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager because of the more user friendly use of it. Also because it integrades great with windows and the remote servers we have. Thats also why we dont use TeamViewer either.
Read full review
Return on Investment
  • Allows our users to work remotely or from home
  • Increase productivity by enabling users to work from anywhere
  • Satisfies IT Security requirements for a secure remote access solution
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  • I can troubleshoot application errors faster for clients.
  • While troubleshooting, I spend less time fumbling to find credentials and other machine-specific settings.
  • Being able to connect to the same machines from multiple devices helps me when I'm not in the office.
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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