Alternatives to FreeRDP
A free implementation of Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol, and the engine inside most Linux RDP clients. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
FreeRDP
A free implementation of Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol, and the engine inside most Linux RDP clients.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as FreeRDP.
Remmina
The standard Linux remote desktop client, with plugins for RDP, VNC, SSH, SPICE and X2Go behind one connection list.
Remmina is a Linux-only graphical front end that uses FreeRDP as its engine and adds VNC, SSH, SPICE and X2Go behind one saved connection list.
Windows App
Microsoft's remote desktop client for connecting to Windows PCs, Remote Desktop Services and cloud desktops.
Windows App is Microsoft's free but closed-source RDP client for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and the web, with no Linux version and support for Microsoft cloud desktops.
mRemoteNG
A tabbed connection manager for Windows that keeps all your RDP, VNC, SSH and HTTP sessions in one organised tree.
mRemoteNG is a Windows-only tabbed connection manager covering RDP, VNC and SSH, using the Windows ActiveX control for RDP, and its last stable release dates from 2019.
Royal TS
Connection manager for RDP, SSH, VNC and web sessions in one window.
Royal TS is a closed-source connection manager for Windows and macOS combining RDP, SSH, VNC and web sessions, and its free tier caps connections per document.
KRDC
KDE's remote desktop client for viewing and controlling other computers over VNC and RDP.
KRDC is KDE's graphical client for RDP and VNC with regular releases through KDE Gear, but it runs on Linux only.
Connections
GNOME's remote desktop client for connecting to other computers and virtual machines over VNC and RDP.
Connections is GNOME's simple graphical RDP and VNC client for Linux, with fewer options than FreeRDP's command line.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
RustDesk
An open-source remote desktop tool you can point at your own relay server instead of somebody else’s cloud.
TigerVNC
A fast, cross-platform VNC client and server built for real work, including 3D and video over the wire.
Moonlight
Streams games from a gaming PC to another device on your network, with hardware decoding and a gamepad.
Apache Guacamole
A self-hosted remote desktop gateway that gives browser access to machines over VNC, RDP and SSH.
XPipe
Manage server connections through a desktop connection hub.
xrdp
Open-source RDP server that gives standard Remote Desktop clients a graphical login to Linux machines.
