I’ve spent the last few weeks testing the new Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2025, and I have to say, Microsoft has made some genuinely useful improvements. But is it enough to compete with the newer solutions flooding the market? I’ve taken a deep dive into the key components and compared them with popular alternatives – here’s what I found.
Top Alternatives to Windows Server 2025 Remote Desktop Services
1. TSplus – Best Overall Contender
TSplus surprised me with its approach to balancing cost and functionality. What really caught my attention was how it works on virtually every device I tested – from older Windows machines to the latest Android tablets.
Their Universal Printer solved that age-old remote printing headache that’s always been the bane of IT teams (and honestly, who hasn’t received those “printer not working” tickets during remote work?). The load balancing also performs surprisingly smoothly even with a larger number of concurrent users.
During my testing, I found their security features to be robust without being overly complicated to configure. For smaller businesses without dedicated security personnel, this is a huge advantage.
2. AnyDesk – Best for High Performance
If speed is your priority, AnyDesk really stands out. During testing, I noticed that even with a weaker internet connection (I tried it on a train with spotty coverage), the application remained responsive. The interface is intuitive even for less technical users, which is a massive plus when deploying a solution across an entire organization.
End-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication are standard features, though I noticed that setting up 2FA requires a bit more work than it should.
3. Workspot – Best for Cloud-Native Environments
Workspot takes a completely different approach – it’s a fully cloud-native solution. In a recent project, we needed to quickly deploy desktops for a project team, and Workspot allowed us to do this in just three days, instead of the weeks that traditional VDI deployments typically take.
It works well on both Azure and Google Cloud, though I found the Azure integration to be a bit more polished. Costs can escalate quickly with larger deployments, so you need to monitor usage carefully.
4. Parallels RAS – Best for Affordability
Parallels RAS is a solution I often recommend to smaller businesses with limited IT budgets. It’s not as comprehensive as a full RDS deployment, but offers a surprisingly good feature set at a much lower price point.
Their licensing model is straightforward to understand (which is rare in the IT world), and their support team was genuinely helpful when I ran into an issue with configuration in a mixed OS environment.
5. Nerdio Manager – Best for Simplicity
If your company is already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, Nerdio Manager could be the perfect fit. This tool significantly simplifies the management of virtual desktops in Azure.
I tested it in an environment with about 200 users and was impressed by how easily we could automate many tasks that would normally take hours of administrator time. Their Azure cost optimization system also saved quite a bit compared to manually managing resources.
Key Components of Windows Server 2025 RDS
1. Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway)
The RD Gateway in the 2025 version works much better than previous iterations. I noticed particular improvement in handling connections from mobile devices – something that always felt like an afterthought in earlier versions.
During a stress test with multiple concurrent connections, the gateway handled the load without the lag I’ve experienced with older RDS deployments. The security protocols have been updated too, which should give security teams some peace of mind.
That said, I still found the initial setup to be more complex than necessary. If you’re not already familiar with Microsoft’s networking stack, expect to spend some time in the documentation.
2. Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host)
Microsoft has finally addressed some of the performance bottlenecks in the Session Host component. Applications launch notably faster, and the resource allocation between users seems more intelligent.
I ran a test with 40 simultaneous users on a moderately-specced server, and the experience remained smooth for all users – even when some were running resource-intensive applications. This is a significant improvement over the 2022 version, where performance would degrade noticeably as more users logged in.
The session reconnection is also more reliable now. I deliberately disconnected several sessions and tried to reconnect from different devices, and the experience was seamless each time.
3. Remote Desktop Connection Broker (RD Connection Broker)
The Connection Broker has seen some of the most substantial improvements. The load balancing algorithms are noticeably smarter – instead of just counting connections, it seems to actually consider what users are doing.
During testing, I simulated various user workloads and watched how the Connection Broker distributed them across servers. It consistently made good decisions, keeping resource-hungry applications separated across the available hardware.
The failover capabilities have improved too. When I simulated a server failure, users were redirected to alternative servers within seconds, with minimal disruption to their workflow.
4. Remote Desktop Licensing (RD Licensing)
Microsoft’s licensing has always been a bit of a maze, but the 2025 version introduces some welcome flexibility. The new subscription options align better with how most businesses actually consume IT resources today.
I particularly appreciated the ability to mix User CALs and Device CALs in the same environment – this makes a huge difference for organizations with both full-time employees and shift workers sharing devices.
The license management interface is cleaner too, making it easier to see your current usage and compliance status at a glance.
5. Remote Desktop Web Access (RD Web Access)
The Web Access interface has received a much-needed overhaul. It’s finally responsive on mobile devices without requiring awkward pinching and zooming.
I tested it across Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge – it worked consistently well on all of them. The customization options have been expanded too, letting you match your company branding more closely.
One minor frustration: the access experience still isn’t quite as smooth as some competitors. Users still occasionally encounter browser compatibility notices or plugin requirements that can confuse less technical staff.
From RDS to TSplus: The Transition
After comparing these options extensively, I decided to pilot TSplus alongside our existing RDS environment. The transition was surprisingly straightforward – much easier than I expected for a solution with such different architecture.
What stood out most was how TSplus handled our legacy applications. We have several custom apps that always caused headaches in RDS updates, but TSplus published them without any issues. The end users didn’t even notice the switch, which is probably the highest praise possible.
The licensing savings were substantial too. For our organization of about 150 users with varying access patterns, TSplus cut our remote access licensing costs by nearly 40% compared to renewing our Microsoft licenses.
The web interface required less training for new users – it’s more intuitive and felt more like using a modern web application than traditional remote access solutions.
The only real challenge we encountered was with very specialized peripherals. We have some unusual hardware in our engineering department that required some additional configuration, but the TSplus support team was responsive and helped us solve these edge cases.
Final Thoughts
Choosing between Windows Server 2025 RDS and alternatives like TSplus ultimately comes down to your specific needs. If you’re deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem and have the IT resources to manage the complexity, RDS 2025 is certainly the most improved version in years.
However, for organizations looking for a more cost-effective solution with less administrative overhead, TSplus offers compelling advantages. The ease of deployment, broader device support, and straightforward licensing model make it particularly attractive for small to mid-sized businesses.
AnyDesk remains the performance king for high-speed requirements, while Workspot makes the most sense for organizations fully committed to cloud-first strategies.
In our case, the transition to TSplus has been a success story – reducing costs while actually improving the end-user experience. That’s a rare combination in the world of IT solutions, and worth serious consideration if you’re evaluating your remote access strategy in 2025.