Looking for the best remote desktop app for Mac running OS X Mavericks? Look no further because here we are going to explore 3 of my favorite ways to remote into Windows machines from Mac.

With the need for me to be able to quickly remote into a variety of Windows servers, I wanted an RDP client I could use on my Mac that would give me a great experience.

1. Free download Microsoft Remote Desktop Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac OS X. Use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac to connect to a remote PC or virtual apps and desktops made available by your admin. Installing Remote Desktop 8 is a good workaround, as it can run on older versions of macOS.
2. Popular Alternatives to Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac. Explore 25+ Mac apps like Microsoft Remote Desktop, all suggested and ranked by the AlternativeTo user community. List updated: 2:09:00 AM.

At work we typically suggest Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac to our Doctors and staff when they come to us for assistance with setting up VPN and remote access into the hospital.

In the beta client, select Microsoft Remote Desktop Beta at the top, and then select Check for updates.

But Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac isn’t the only application available.

My RDP Requirements

Since I work heavily on Windows machines, there were a few essential requirements I was looking for to help my overall daily workflow:

• Performance.
• Manageability of multiple systems.
• Price

1. Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac

Coming in at # 1 for my favorite remote desktop client for Mac is Microsoft’s Remote Desktop for Mac.

Microsoft had recently made version 8.0.0 available. This version really has stepped it up a notch from their previous version.

Performance

Performance is not an issue for me during my tests.

Manageability of multiple systems

Yes, you can manage multiple systems.

One of the biggest notable changes I found with this version over the previous is the fact that you can save client servers/sessions. This was important to me since I have a wide-range of servers that I need to connect to at any moment.

Price

Free

Cons

None as of this writing.

2. 2X Client for RDP/Remote Desktop

Coming in at # 2 on my list is 2X Client for RDP/Remote Desktop.

I have to be honest and say that I haven’t given this one a full blown test as of yet. However, I have used it many times on IOS devices and has worked well. I did install it for my testing here in this article and overall was a nice experience.

I would have to rank this one a close 2nd to Microsoft’s client.

Performance

Overall performance was not an issue for me during my tests.

Manageability of multiple systems

Yes, you can manage multiple systems.

Price

Free

Cons

A small issue I see (and probabaly not an issue for most) is the Windows Snap feature. It seems to be a ‘hit-and-miss’ when I try to snap a window to the top of the screen.

3. CoRD

Microsoft Remote Desktop For Mac Download

Coming in at # 3 on my lis is CoRD.

CoRD is a Mac OS X remote desktop client for Microsoft Windows computers.

As of this writing, CoRD’s website has an announcement saying: “Cord don’t seem to work on 10.9 Mavericks. Check back next week.” This was announced on 2013-10-23.

As you can see in the video, I have installed CoRD on my Macbook Air running 10.9 OS X Mavericks and it does work. Maybe there are some bugs that I am not aware of but overall it does seem to run OK for me.

Performance

Overall performance for me was not an issue during my tests.

Manageability of multiple systems

One thing I really do like about CoRD is the option to view all remote sessions in one window. This really saves space on your desktop and makes it a breeze to switch between the different sessions.

Price

Free

Cons

CoRD doesn’t appear to work with NLA (Network Level Authentication). This is a problem for me since a lot of the servers at work are now configured to use NLA, I simply get an error saying: “The requested session access is denied” when I try to connect.

As with CoRD, another issue is the Windows Snap feature is a hit-and-miss.

Conclusion

In the end, all three of the applications worked well. The major downside for me with CoRD is the fact I am unable to connect to servers with NLA enabled.

For now, I will continue to use Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac.

I will update this post and/or comments below with any updated experiences (good or bad).

Question for You

What do you use on your Mac to remotely manage Windows machines?

Easily connect to remote Windows PCs

With Remote Desktop Connection Client 2, you can quickly, simply and securely connect to Windows-based PCs to access Windows-based files, applications, devices, and networks from your Mac.

One Mac, unlimited Windows

New Multiple Session Support gives Mac users simultaneous access to multiple Windows-based PCs or to a network server that hosts remote applications and files. Since it works with Vista and is a Universal application, Remote Desktop Connection Client 2 is compatible with the latest technologies on Windows and Mac platforms.

A more Mac-like experience

A redesigned user interface makes this application more customizable. Create your own keyboard shortcuts; and even access and change preferences during active sessions.

Print everything off your Mac

Microsoft Remote Desktop Download Windows 7

Access and print from Windows applications to any printer that can be configured from your Intel- or PowerPC-based Macs.

Get fast updates and easy help

Microsoft Error Reporting Tool and Microsoft AutoUpdate are included so you can anonymously submit data on software related issues and get software updates as soon as they are available. Remote Desktop Connection Client 2 also takes advantage of the new Helpviewer and improved help topics for quick access to fresh online product help from within the application.

Reduce security breaches

Network Level Authentication (NLA) is a new authentication method in Windows Vista that offers security enhancements that can help to protect the remote computer from hackers and malicious software. It completes user authentication before you establish a full Remote Desktop Connection. Please see Windows Help for more details on network level authentication.

What's New:

In this release we've addressed an authentication error that was preventing some users from subscribing to workspaces. We've also updated the client to perform a background refresh of all subscribed workspaces when starting up to ensure that published apps and PC resources are kept current.

Barring any unforeseen developments, this should be the last release that will be compatible with macOS 10.12. If you are interested in trying out the latest pre-release builds of the macOS client, you can install beta updates from https://aka.ms/rdmacbeta.

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