Manage Windows Server VMs
Connect to Windows Server 2019, 2022 or 2025 on Hyper-V, ESXi or AWS EC2. Domain accounts and local accounts both work, and the NLA that hardened hosts require is handled.
Remote Desktop (RDP)
Embedded RDP client with NLA, CredSSP and Active Directory support. Full keyboard, mouse, and clipboard support. No external window, everything stays in SSHive.
Reaching a Windows desktop or server from a Mac usually means Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop), in a window of its own. SSHive opens the RDP session in a tab next to your SSH sessions, with Network Level Authentication (NLA, over CredSSP and NTLMv2) and Active Directory accounts, the domain given in NetBIOS or FQDN form. It is a Pro feature, on the Mac and in the iPhone and iPad app.
The keyboard handles the differences between Mac and Windows:
Cmd+C and Cmd+V reach the other side as Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V, and characters typed with Option on an international layout arrive as typed. Text copied on one side is available on the other. The remote desktop follows the size of the SSHive window when the server accepts resizing, and a quality setting (high, balanced or low) trades sharpness for bandwidth; SSHive also lowers it on its own when the network slows down, and raises it again when it recovers.
SSHive remembers each server's certificate and asks before accepting a different one. Port 3389 has no business on the internet: put the session behind an SSH tunnel, as the RDP guide for Mac shows.Where it runs and what it costs
- Runs on
- Mac, iPhone and iPad
- Free
- Not included: this feature needs Pro from the first use.
- Pro
- $12.99 once, for Mac, iPhone and iPad. RDP on the Mac, iPhone and iPad.
Key capabilities
Sign in with NLA and Active Directory, CredSSP and NTLMv2 included
Embedded client: the Windows desktop opens in a tab beside your SSH sessions, no external app needed
Full keyboard and mouse support including Cmd+V paste
Multi-resolution support adapting to your display
When RDP from a Mac matters
Test on Windows without a VM on your Mac
Keep a Windows VM on a server or in the cloud and open it from SSHive when you need to check your app on Windows. Your Mac runs no virtual machine, and your development setup stays as it is.
Help desk and support
Reach client machines over RDP through a VPN or an SSH tunnel. A local tunnel to port 3389 on a machine inside the network gets you to a Windows PC without opening that port to the internet.
RDP, frequently asked questions
Is RDP included in the free version?+
No. RDP needs Pro from the first session, on the Mac and on iPhone and iPad; there is no free session to try it. Pro is a single purchase of $12.99 that unlocks the Mac, iPhone and iPad together, with updates included for as long as the app is maintained. The free version stays fully usable for SSH and SFTP.
Can I copy files over RDP?+
No, the RDP clipboard carries text only. For files, SFTP is the route: Windows includes an optional OpenSSH server, and once it is turned on, SSHive's file browser reaches the machine directly.
Does it work with Active Directory?+
Yes. The RDP profile has a Domain field: enter the domain in NetBIOS form (CORP) or as a full name (corp.example.com), with the account's user name, and SSHive signs in with Network Level Authentication, which most Windows servers require.
Related SSHive features
VNC Viewer
Built-in VNC viewer
SSH Tunnels
Local, remote & SOCKS5 proxy
SSH Terminal
GPU-accelerated terminal