mRemoteNG

mRemoteNG is a free, open-source, tabbed remote connections manager for Windows, built for sysadmins and helpdesk staff who juggle dozens or hundreds of RDP, SSH, VNC and web sessions. Instead of separate Remote Desktop, PuTTY and VNC windows, you keep every server in one tree with folders, shared settings and saved credentials, and open each connection in a tab.

It started as a fork of the older mRemote and is developed on GitHub by volunteers. The last release marked stable is from 2019, but development has continued in frequently published nightly builds, so “mRemoteNG download” today usually means choosing between the old stable build and a current nightly (details below).

mRemoteNG at a glance

What it does

• Opens RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, rlogin, raw socket, HTTP/HTTPS and PowerShell remoting connections in tabs or floating panels; current nightly builds also list AnyDesk and Apple Remote Desktop.
• Organises connections in a tree of folders with inheritance, so a folder can pass user name, domain, gateway or screen settings to every server inside it.
• Stores connections in an XML file (confCons.xml in %APPDATA%mRemoteNG) or in a shared SQL Server database for a whole team.
• Imports connections from Remote Desktop Connection Manager (.rdg) files, saved PuTTY sessions and Active Directory.
• Runs external tools against the selected host (ping, WinSCP, traceroute, your own scripts) using variables such as %HOSTNAME% and %USERNAME%.
• Supports RD Gateway, clipboard/drive/printer redirection and console sessions for RDP.
• Encrypts the connection file, optionally with a master password; nightly builds add connectors for password vaults (1Password, Passwordstate, OpenBao), dark mode and colour-coded environments.

How sysadmins use it

Move from RDCMan in five minutes

1. Choose File > Import > Import from File and select your .rdg file. Groups become folders.
2. Select a top-level folder and, in the Config panel, set Username, Domain and gateway settings once.
3. For each child connection, switch the Config panel to Inheritance and enable inheritance for those fields (or Inherit All).

Protect the saved passwords

1. Select the root Connections node and set Password protect to Yes in the Config panel, then enter a master password.
2. Without a master password the file is still encrypted, but with a built-in default key, so anyone who copies confCons.xml can recover the passwords.
3. Keep the connection file out of shared folders and backups that other staff can read, or use a vault connector in newer builds.

Add a one-click external tool

1. Open Tools > External Tools and click New.
2. For a continuous ping, set the filename and arguments:

Filename:  cmd.exe
Arguments: /k ping %HOSTNAME% -t

3. Right-click any connection > External Tools > your tool. The same pattern launches WinSCP with sftp://%USERNAME%@%HOSTNAME%/ for file transfers.

Deploy to admin workstations silently

msiexec /i mRemoteNG-Installer.msi /qn /lv* C:Tempmremoteng-install.log
:: per-user install without admin rights:
msiexec /i mRemoteNG-Installer.msi /qn MSIINSTALLPERUSER=1 ALLUSERS=2

On Windows 11 you can also use winget install -e --id mRemoteNG.mRemoteNG.

Install and first run

There are two package types: an MSI installer and a portable ZIP that runs from any folder and keeps its settings there. Current nightly builds come as framework-dependent packages (need the Microsoft .NET 10 Desktop Runtime) or self-contained portable packages that bundle .NET, for x64 and ARM64. The 1.76.20 stable build is an older .NET Framework application.

Requirements for current builds, as listed in the project README: Windows 11, 10 or 8.1, or Windows Server 2012 R2 to 2022; the .NET 10 Desktop Runtime for framework-dependent builds, the Visual C++ 2015–2026 Redistributable, and the Microsoft Remote Desktop client components for RDP.

Gotchas:

• Nightly builds are what the developers actively fix, including security fixes (SQL injection, XXE and path-traversal fixes appear in the current nightly notes), but they are not labelled stable; test before rolling out to a team.
• Back up %APPDATA%mRemoteNGconfCons.xml before switching versions.
• RDP connections depend on the Microsoft Terminal Services client components (mstscax.dll) being present and registered; they are on standard Windows installs but can be missing on stripped-down images.
• Port-scan, SSH file transfer and AWS features have moved to plugins in the newest builds; copy the plugin DLLs into the Plugins folder if you need them.

Limitations

• Windows only: no macOS, Linux or mobile version.
• No stable release since April 2019; you choose between an old stable build and nightlies.
• No built-in multi-user permissions or audit trail; a shared SQL database or XML file gives everyone the same access.
• SSH relies on the bundled PuTTY component, so terminal features are PuTTY’s, not a modern terminal’s.

mRemoteNG vs alternatives

Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan, part of Sysinternals) is free and simple but RDP-only. Royal TS and Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager are commercial, cross-platform managers with team sharing, permissions and vault integration. MobaXterm focuses on SSH with a built-in X server and SFTP browser. The old open-source Terminals client covered similar ground but has been dormant since its last release, 4.0.1, in June 2017; mRemoteNG is the maintained open-source choice. For the servers you connect to by VNC, see TigerVNC or TightVNC.

FAQ

Is mRemoteNG free for commercial use?

Yes. mRemoteNG is free and open source under GPL-2.0, including in companies; the project accepts donations but has no paid edition.

Is there an mRemoteNG portable version?

Yes. The portable ZIP runs without installation and keeps its configuration in its own folder; current nightlies also offer a self-contained build that needs no .NET install.

Is there mRemoteNG for Mac or Linux?

No. It is Windows-only. On macOS, Royal TSX or Microsoft’s Windows App cover RDP; on Linux, Remmina is a common free choice.

Is mRemoteNG dead or still supported?

It is maintained: nightly builds were published in September 2026 with security and feature fixes. What is old is the last build labelled stable, 1.76.20 from 2019.

mRemoteNG vs RDCMan: which is better?

RDCMan is lighter if you only need RDP. mRemoteNG adds SSH, VNC, HTTP and external tools and can import your RDCMan files.

How do I add a connection in mRemoteNG?

Right-click a folder in the Connections panel, choose New Connection, then set protocol, hostname and credentials in the Config panel. Double-click to connect.

Is mRemoteNG safe?

Set a master password, keep the connection file private and use current builds; without a master password, saved passwords can be recovered by anyone who copies the file.

Last checked against official sources: 30 September 2026 (developer website: mremoteng.org). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in production.