Remote access is possible via both local networks and the internet, which means that, with the right software, anyone can access any device, anywhere in the world. Also take a look at our in-depth feature on everything else you need to set up your home office.Ĭhoosing the best remote desktop software in 2021 will equip you with the tools needed to access and manage one or more computers from another device. If you're looking for more tools, be sure to check out our guides to the best video conferencing software and the best online collaboration tools around today. Splashtop Remote does a serviceable job at providing remote PC access, but with other VNC clients available on the iPad for similar prices, and the limitations that the app provides, this is not the best option for remote PC usage, and it needs a lot of tweaks to its interface to make it more productive for the average user.We feature the best remote desktop software to make it easy to control and access PCs and deploy software remotely. As well, it is very easy to mix up some of the gestures like wanting to adjust video quality and accidentally scrolling, since both use a similar 2 finger gesture that can be easily activated.

You also cannot call up the help screen to see which gestures do what unless you back out and start up again. You cannot back out to the menu to change settings on a connection or to switch computers unless you quit the app entirely. A lot of keyboard commands are not available, as you only have a few special commands offered by the in-app keyboard. More powerful computers may be able to run the server at a level of performance closer to real computer usage. The problem with Splashtop is that while it offers better realtime video performance than VNC clients, it still isn't suitable for watching videos or playing real-time games, at least on the computers I tested the server software on. As well, the way that your resolution is changed to 1024x768 to make your whole screen fit on the iPad at once (with reversion to your original resolution upon exit) makes the experience feel closer to the iPad experience than other VNC apps. Splashtop Remote Desktop is much faster than most VNC clients, providing relatively smoother refresh rates than most VNC clients I've used. You can use a variety of gestures to simulate mouse control, and can call up the keyboard as well. Where Splashtop Remote attempts to differentiate itself by offering you a more native iPad experience of contorlling your computer, by running at the native iPad 1024x768 resolution, and allowing you to view your entire desktop on the iPad screen at once. Splashtop Remote Desktop allows you remote access to your Windows PC through a proprietary protocol, much like a VNC or RDP client does.

Splashtop desktop app