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Updated on Published on December 6, 2021 in Remote access

VNC vs RDP – Features, Benefits, Solutions

Author: Helga York
Helga York Article author

When comparing Remote Desktop vs VNC, both protocols have significant differences and advantages over the other. Your protocol of choice mainly depends on the operating system or the hardware you use, and performance requirements. Keep reading to learn more.

Note:  VNC can have noticeable lag and does not include encryption by default. RDP needs the right security settings for internet connections. Meanwhile, HelpWire needs no server setup or open ports. The table below shows how they differ. ↓

VNC vs RDP vs HelpWire: What You Actually Get

FeatureVNCRDPHelpWire
Encryption by default❌ None (depends on implementation)⚠️ TLS (requires correct setup)✅ AES-256
Server setup required⚠️ VNC server required⚠️ RDP server or xrdp on Linux✅ None – cloud-managed
Latency❌ High (full framebuffer)✅ Low✅ Low
Internet access⚠️ Requires configuration⚠️ VPN or RD Gateway recommended✅ Works out of the box
Cross-platform✅ Open standard⚠️ Win native; xrdp on Linux✅ Win, macOS, Linux

Virtual Network Computing (VNC)

The logo of the VNC protocol

VNC started out as an open standard, and remains this way. Sessions created through VNC are pixel-based, meaning that it’s simply an interactive video stream of the remote computer’s screen. Due to the age of the protocol, the latency of sessions is high. However, it was designed to be system-neutral, meaning that a VNC session can be started almost anywhere, including Raspberry Pi and Android, provided that they have a client or server application made for the platform. Some commercial VNC-based solutions include TeamViewer and AnyDesk.

Pros

  • Sessions precisely represent what’s happening on the other system
  • Open standard

Cons

  • High latency
  • Fewer apps support it due to age and lack of corporate support

VNC Solutions

RealVNC Connect

RealVNC produces commercial VNC solutions

RealVNC Connect is a paid service that includes some original VNC creators as its maintainers. It does not require a static IP and provides customer support. However, the performance is still restricted by the limitations of the VNC protocol.

KRDC

KRDC is an open-source VNC solution

KRDC is a remote desktop client for KDE that supports VNC. The app is still being actively updated, and with additional packages, can also be installed on other Linux distributions.

RealVNC Viewer and Server for Raspberry Pi

In addition to commercial solutions, RealVNC supports open-source apps for some Linux systems, including the Raspberry Pi OS.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

The Remote Desktop Protocol logo

Remote Desktop Protocol is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft, and is often used for remote and cloud workplaces. A single PC can host multiple RDP sessions. Rather than sending the entire screen, RDP provides contextual data, such as opened windows, their location, etc. As a result, when comparing VNC vs RDP performance, it performs well, even on low-bandwidth connections. While RDP clients are available on Linux and macOS, and work with the current versions of Windows, the proprietary nature of the protocol can lead to compatibility loss in the future.

Pros

  • High performance
  • Multiple simultaneous sessions possible

Cons

  • Proprietary, future development depends on Microsoft
  • Not screen-accurate

RDP Solutions

Remote Desktop Connection and Azure

Remote Desktop Connection, the default Windows RDP client

Multi-user systems are likely the most common use case for RDP, and the most popular platform for this kind of system is currently Azure. Multi-user RDP is used in conjunction with thin clients to save costs on PC hardware.

xrdp

xrdp allows Linux systems to host RDP sessions

xrdp is an open-source RDP server implementation that can be found in many Linux distributions. Due to the tendency of Linux desktops to rely on text-based interfaces, and their limited GUIs, it’s less popular than SSH. Windows can produce security warnings when connecting to xrdp servers, due to it not being a certified Microsoft product.

Remmina

Remmina is commonly used to connect to Windows over RDP

Remmina is a popular RDP client for Linux, and can easily connect both to xrdp and Windows-based sessions. However, it lacks some convenience features, such as file transfers, which need to be done through a shared folder instead of simple drag-and-drop.

VNC or RDP?

Generally, when choosing RDP vs VNC, neither is good for any graphics-intense tasks, but RDP tends to have a more bearable delay. There are also other concerns, such as RDP security. RDP is much easier to set up on Windows, and both RDP and VNC servers are comparably difficult to get running on Linux. Finally, when it comes to open-source remote access, you should also consider SSH as an option.

If you need graphical remote support but don’t want to set up a server or manage open ports, HelpWire offers a simple option. It runs through the cloud and uses built-in encryption. On top of that, you can get started at no cost. The client only needs to open a shareable link, so there’s no installation.

HelpWire: No Server Setup, Encrypted by Default

VNC works across different systems, but it may respond slowly, and encryption is not always included—making it less practical. As for RDP, it offers better performance, but it mainly works with Windows. Linux users need xrdp, while internet connections often require a VPN or RD Gateway.

HelpWire avoids these requirements. You don’t need to configure a server or open ports, and you can start a session through a shareable link.

Key Features

✅ Encrypted by default – Every session uses AES-256 encryption. You don’t need to change extra settings like you might with VNC.

✅ No server to set up – A cloud-managed relay takes care of the connection. You can skip the VNC server, xrdp, or open ports.

✅ Low latency – HelpWire connects directly when it can and uses an encrypted relay as a backup. This helps avoid the delay you can get with VNC’s framebuffer approach.

✅ Works natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux – You can use HelpWire on all three systems without setting up a separate server.

Tags:
Comparison, RDP, VNC