mRemoteNG vs Remmina (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, mRemoteNG and Remmina share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
mRemoteNG
Free tabbed connection manager for RDP, VNC and SSH on Windows
Which one is for you
Pick mRemoteNG if
- Fits if you juggle many RDP and SSH sessions on one Windows PC
- Works for admins who want a free manager with portable installs
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, Linux or a phone, as it's Windows only
- Not for you if you want a vendor to call, as support is community and GitHub
- Watch out: the Stable release is dated April 12, 2019, and the newer builds are Preview and Nightly
- Too light on its own: the computers you reach need their own RDP, VNC or SSH servers
Pick Remmina if
- Fits if you use Linux and connect to Windows or Linux machines through RDP or SSH
- Works for people who want kiosk mode and several monitors
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or a Mac, as there's no build for either
- Not for you if you want a vendor to call, as support is IRC, Matrix and forums
- Too light on its own, since the machine you connect to needs its own server
- Watch out: no mobile app is listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAmRemoteNGGood | 2.6GPARemminaGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under GPL v2 with no paid plans, against a $2.50 cheaper-quarter start for remote access tools. | AFree and open source with optional donations, against a $2.50 cheaper-quarter start for remote access tools. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free, as an MSI installer or a portable ZIP. | AThe whole program is free, with nothing held back. |
| Features | CTabbed connections, many protocols, plugin projects and PuTTYNG for SSH and Telnet. It's a connection manager, so the machines you reach still need their own servers. | CProtocol plugins, RDP options, SSH tunnels, kiosk mode and multi-monitor. It's a client only, so the other end needs its own RDP, VNC or SSH server. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You install it and add each connection by hand. | CNo rating on record. You install it from your distribution and add each connection profile yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only: the site lists no macOS, Linux or mobile versions. | DLinux only: the install guide covers Linux distributions and offers no Windows or macOS build. |
| Best for | a tabbed manager for many remote connections on Windows | a free remote desktop client for Linux |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: mRemoteNG and Remmina. How we grade
Price against what you get
mRemoteNG has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Remmina has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, none scores higher than mRemoteNG for less, and none scores higher than Remmina for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| mRemoteNG | Remmina | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the GNU GPL v2, with no paid plans. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | mRemoteNG project | Remmina |
| Price read from | mremoteng.org | remmina.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
mRemoteNG
- It is a Windows application; the site lists no macOS, Linux or mobile versions.
- It is a connection manager, so the computers you reach still need their own RDP, VNC, SSH or other servers running.
- The Stable release on the downloads page is dated April 12, 2019, while a Nightly build is dated September 15, 2026.
- It is maintained by volunteers, with support through the community and GitHub rather than a paid plan.
Remmina
- The install guide covers Linux distributions only; no Windows or macOS build is offered.
- It is a client: the machine you connect to needs its own RDP, VNC or SSH server.
- Support comes from the community channels (IRC, Matrix, forums), not a paid vendor.
Key features
mRemoteNG
- Tabbed connections
- View all of your remote connections in one window, each in its own tab.
- Many protocols
- The project's GitHub page lists RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, HTTP/HTTPS, rlogin, raw socket connections, PowerShell remoting and AnyDesk.
- Release channels
- The downloads page offers Stable, Preview and Nightly builds, with installer and portable packages.
- PuTTYNG for SSH and Telnet
- SSH and Telnet connections use a PuTTY build adapted and signed for mRemoteNG, which is released separately.
- Plugin projects
- The repository includes plugin contract and plugin projects, such as AWS and SSH transfer.
- Open source
- Source code is on GitHub under GPL-2.0 and the project accepts contributions.
Remmina
- Protocol plugins
- The home page lists RDP, SSH, SPICE, VNC, X2Go and HTTP/HTTPS plugins, and the features page also covers SFTP, NX and XDMCP.
- RDP options
- The RDP plugin settings include Remote Desktop Gateway servers, folder, printer and smartcard sharing, microphone redirection and color depth.
- SSH tunnels and sessions
- Connections can use an SSH tunnel, and the SSH plugin offers key-based authentication, proxy commands and optional session logging.
- Kiosk mode and multi-monitor
- The site mentions kiosk mode and multi-monitor support, plus tabbed connections, a toolbar and view-only mode in the settings.
- Wide distribution support
- The site says Remmina is available in 67 languages and 50+ distributions, with guides for Flatpak, Snap, Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and others.
Plans
mRemoteNG
mRemoteNG$0
Free open-source download as an MSI installer or portable ZIP. No paid plans.
Remmina
Free$0
Free and open-source under a copyleft license; the project accepts donations.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, mRemoteNG or Remmina?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both mRemoteNG and Remmina are free to use.
Which has a free plan, mRemoteNG or Remmina?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both mRemoteNG and Remmina have a free plan.
Which platforms do mRemoteNG and Remmina run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only mRemoteNG lists a Windows app and only Remmina lists a Linux app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.