The Remote Desktop Tool I Wish I’d Found 15 Years Ago: A Deep Dive into Remote Desktop Manager by Devolutions

Good morning, fellow nerd. If you’re watching a video about remote desktop tools on the internet, then congratulations—you’ve earned your stripes. And like any good nerd-family member, I’m here to share something I wish I had discovered a long time ago.

After more than 15 years in IT, I recently stumbled across a remote desktop solution that’s now my daily driver: Remote Desktop Manager (RDM) by Devolutions. Despite having used just about every major player in the space—TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Splashtop, VNC, you name it—I had never heard of RDM until a tweet from SwiftOnSecurity pointed me in its direction. Since then, I’ve never looked back.

Let me walk you through how I found it, what makes it so great, and how you might benefit—whether you’re solo or managing a whole team.

First, a Quick Disclaimer

Yes, this video is sponsored. But I didn’t go looking for that; Devolutions reached out after I started raving about their tool online. This partnership came about organically, and everything here reflects my genuine experience. Full disclosure info is in the video description.

Discovering Remote Desktop Manager

In late 2024, I saw a tweet mentioning RDM’s Mac version, which includes an Apple Remote Desktop client with full protocol support—reverse-engineered and polished by Devolutions. I was blown away. Despite years of griping about the lack of a great all-in-one remote solution, and despite trying dozens of them, I had never heard of this.

So I gave it a shot—and it stuck. Hard.

What Makes RDM Stand Out

RDM doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, it wraps the tools you already use—RDP, VNC, SSH, FTP, ARD—into a sleek, centralized interface that’s incredibly flexible. It’s not an agent-based RMM (remote monitoring and management), which means no installers, no agents, and no dealing with AV whitelisting just to get started.

Better yet? There’s a robust free version that works without logging in, which feels like a unicorn in 2025. You download it and go.

Getting Started

The app is laid out like a web browser: each session opens in a tab. Your connections are stored locally in an SQLite database by default. You can scan your network to discover devices and create shortcuts for RDP, SSH, and other services all in one go. It even lets you import existing connections from a huge variety of formats.

Once your hosts are added, you can organize them into folders, apply templates, and even set up different credentials per session.

Day-to-Day Usage

I currently have my connections sorted into folders like HomeLab, Workstations, and Other. Each host may have multiple sessions—RDP, SSH, Apple Remote Desktop, etc.—and I keep several open throughout the day.

RDM supports features I rely on daily:

• Clipboard support

• PowerShell/script execution

• Smart window resizing

• Drag-and-drop tab organization

• Fancy Zones-style window management

It’s intuitive, clean, and does exactly what I need without fuss.

Templates & Credentials

RDM’s template system is one of its strongest features. You can pre-define settings for different access levels—general user vs. admin tasks, for instance—and quickly spin up new sessions using those templates. Each template can include display settings, credentials, gateways, and more.

If you’re in an enterprise, this supports privileged access management (PAM) principles like least privilege and zero trust. Devolutions even offers its own PAM solution, but that’s optional.

Secure Password and Vault Management

I’m a fan of 1Password, but RDM also plays well with other vaults—and offers its own solutions: Devolutions Hub Personal (free) and Hub Business. These allow you to generate/store credentials, auto-fill in RDM, and access your data from multiple platforms.

VPN Templates & Automation

One underrated feature is the ability to integrate VPN configurations into session templates. You can assign a VPN profile to an entire folder of remote assets and have it auto-connect when launching sessions. RDM supports popular platforms like OpenVPN, Cisco, Juniper, and more through the add-on manager.

And yes, it supports scripting—great for mass updates, patches, or managing oddball scenarios like broken Windows recovery partitions.

Cross-Platform Polish

As a Mac user, I was thrilled to find the Mac client wasn’t a half-baked afterthought. It’s beautifully polished and feels native, not like a clunky port. RDM is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS—so no matter your platform, you’re covered.

RDM for Teams

If you’re managing a team, RDM for Teams unlocks advanced features like:

• SQL-based data sources

• Active Directory and cloud service integration

• MFA (support for Devolutions Authenticator, Duo, Yubikey)

• End-to-end encrypted messaging

• Secure file sharing via Devolutions Send

These features are especially helpful for MSPs or businesses that want to consolidate tools and workflows without breaking the bank on traditional RMM licensing.

AI Integration? Yes, But Not That Kind

One fun surprise: RDM now allows API integration with your favorite large language models (LLMs). You can interact with a chatbot directly from the RDM interface—handy for quick queries while troubleshooting. It’s a small feature, but very on-brand for Devolutions’ ethos of enhancing—not replacing—what already works.

Wrap-Up

If you’re like me—a long-time IT pro burned out by clunky, overpriced, or overly limited remote tools—RDM is worth a serious look. It’s flexible, well-documented, deeply customizable, and, for many use cases, completely free.

Whether you’re solo in your home lab or managing a sprawling infrastructure with a team, Remote Desktop Manager by Devolutions could be your next favorite discovery.

Ready to check it out? Head to devolutions.net/remote-desktop-manager to get started. There’s a free trial for Teams if you want to explore everything.

And hey—don’t stop being nerdy.