Remote Desktop Manager Free

Remote Desktop Manager Free is the no-cost edition of Devolutions’ connection manager. One IT professional can use it to keep RDP, SSH, VNC, web and dozens of other connection types in one window, together with the credentials they need. If you are looking for a Remote Desktop Manager Free download, it is free for individual use, including commercial work, and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Devolutions sells Team and Enterprise editions for shared vaults and auditing. The Free edition (marketed as “Free (Solo)”) is for a single person: entries live in a local data source on your machine, and you register it once with a free Devolutions account.

Remote Desktop Manager Free at a glance

What it does

• Opens RDP, SSH, VNC, Apple Remote Desktop, PowerShell, Telnet, web and many other session types from one tree, in tabs or undocked windows.
• Stores credentials in its own vault and injects them into sessions, so passwords are not retyped or kept in .rdp files.
• Imports existing connections from tools such as RDCMan, Dameware and KeePass, from CSV files or directly from Active Directory.
• Folders, templates and inherited settings, so a change to a folder (gateway, resolution, credentials) applies to every server in it.
• Built-in macros, scripting and automation, plus network tools from the same console.
• Multi-factor authentication on the local vault and a local activity log you can export to CSV.

How IT teams use it

Replace a pile of .rdp files and RDCMan

1. Install RDM and register the Free edition with your Devolutions account.
2. Open the import wizard and choose the source: an RDCMan file, a CSV export or an Active Directory OU.
3. Check the imported tree, then group servers into folders by site or customer.
4. Set common RDP options (resolution, gateway, drive redirection) on the folder and let entries inherit them.

Link credentials instead of saving passwords per server

1. Create a Credential entry (for example “CORP admin”) holding the domain account.
2. In each RDP or SSH entry, set the credentials to use that linked entry rather than embedded values.
3. When the password rotates, update the one credential entry; every linked session picks it up.

SSH and PowerShell next to RDP

1. Add an SSH Shell entry with the host, port 22 and a private key or linked credential.
2. Add a PowerShell remote entry for Windows servers that you manage without a desktop session.
3. Keep both in the same folder as the server’s RDP entry so everything for one system is in one place.

Install and first run

• Windows: Windows 11 22H2, Windows 10 (20H2, 21H1, 21H2 listed), Windows Server 2016-2025; 64-bit OS, 4 GB RAM, 500 MB disk. The installer brings Microsoft .NET Desktop Runtime 10.0 and Edge WebView2 Runtime. With the ZIP package, or with no internet access, install both yourself first.
• macOS: macOS Sequoia (15) is listed, with 4 GB RAM and 1.5 GB disk.
• Linux: native client available; check the official documentation for supported distributions.
• Registration: the Free edition asks you to register with a free Devolutions account; do it before you create many entries.
• Gotchas: RDM follows a fast release cycle, and the 2026.3 line brought a reworked interface, so menu paths in older guides may not match. Keep a backup of the local data source before major upgrades.

Limitations

• Single user: no shared vaults, role-based access control, team sync or central audit trail. Those need Team or Enterprise with Devolutions Server or Devolutions Hub.
• Integrations with external password managers (1Password, LastPass, KeePass as a live source and others) are listed as Team features.
• It is a connection manager, not a remote support tool: it does not get you through NAT to a user’s PC by ID. Pair it with a VPN or gateway.
• Heavier than lightweight managers; it needs .NET 10 and WebView2 on Windows.
• Exact feature lists change between releases; check the edition comparison before relying on a specific feature.

Remote Desktop Manager Free vs alternatives

mRemoteNG is another free option on Windows. It is lighter, but has no built-in vault comparable to RDM’s.

FAQ

Is Remote Desktop Manager Free really free for commercial use?

Yes. Devolutions states the Free edition can be used commercially by an individual. What it lacks are team features such as shared vaults, permissions and auditing.

Remote Desktop Manager Free vs paid: what is the difference?

Free is a single-user, local vault. Team and Enterprise add shared data sources (SQL Server, Devolutions Server, Devolutions Hub), role-based access, audit trails and password manager integrations.

Can I download Remote Desktop Manager Free for Windows 11?

Yes. Windows 11 22H2 and later is a supported platform, along with Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016-2025.

Is there a portable version?

Devolutions offers a ZIP package for Windows that you can run without the installer. You must install .NET Desktop Runtime 10.0 and WebView2 yourself.

Does Remote Desktop Manager run on Mac and Linux?

Yes. There are native macOS and Linux versions, plus mobile companion apps for iOS and Android.

Remote Desktop Manager vs mRemoteNG?

mRemoteNG is open source, Windows-only and lightweight. RDM is cross-platform, supports far more entry types and has a proper credential vault, at the cost of a heavier install.

Remote Desktop Manager vs Royal TS?

Both are mature multi-protocol managers. Royal TS keeps connections in portable document files and has a limited free mode. RDM Free has a richer credential vault and more entry types, but the free edition is single-user.

Last checked against official sources: 1 October 2026 (developer website: devolutions.net). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in production.