Conduit

Overview

Conduit brings SSH, RDP, VNC and web sessions into a single tabbed workspace, with a native MCP server for connecting AI agents to remote-work tools. It is best suited to infrastructure professionals who move among several connection types; its strongest distinction is pairing that breadth with a locally encrypted vault and safeguards around agent access.

Agents use your own provider subscription rather than inference paid for or proxied by Conduit. That keeps AI costs separate, but makes the app a less complete fit for anyone expecting a bundled AI service.

Key features

Remote sessions and agent access

SSH terminals, RDP desktops, VNC sessions and web tools sit in one workspace. That range is useful for administrators and developers managing mixed environments, while users who need only one protocol may find less reason to choose a multi-protocol manager.

The native MCP server exposes tools for terminal, RDP, VNC, web, credential and vault operations. Conduit can launch Claude Code, Codex, Grok Build, Cursor Agent, OpenClaw, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode; other MCP-compatible clients can also connect. The integration gives agents access to remote-work tools, but does not replace a subscription with an AI provider.

Vault and MCP safeguards

Connection entries and credentials are kept in a local SQLite vault encrypted with AES-256. Keys are derived locally from the master password and are not sent to Conduit servers, even for cloud backups. MCP calls use local sockets or named pipes, redact secrets, apply per-tool rate limits and log activity; credential reads require one-off approval. These controls make the agent workflow more considered than unrestricted credential access, though the free tier's call cap can constrain frequent use.

Mobile sync and support

The iPhone and iPad companion app can sync through Conduit Cloud Sync, iCloud Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, giving users several ways to keep mobile connections aligned. Email support typically responds within 24 hours on business days; GitHub issues are triaged weekly, so email is the more timely route for support needs.

Pricing

Free costs nothing and includes unlimited connections, the MCP server with 50 tool calls per day, your own agent subscription and one-day cloud backup. It is a sensible way to manage connections without paying, but the daily cap makes it a poor fit for sustained agent use.

Pro costs $10 a month after being billed Free for 30 days. It keeps unlimited connections and your own agent subscription, removes the MCP call limit, adds cloud sync across devices and extends local backup retention to 14 days. It fits individual users who need regular agent access or cross-device sync; it still does not include AI inference.

Team costs $20 a month after being billed Free for 30 days. It includes everything in Pro, plus shared team vaults, six-month backup retention and beta features. Shared vaults make it the relevant tier for teams that need to share connections, though the plan facts do not state a seat allowance.

Platforms

Conduit supports macOS, Windows and Linux on desktop, as well as iOS and the web. The iPhone and iPad companion app supports sync through Conduit Cloud Sync, iCloud Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox. That spread serves teams working across desktop and mobile, rather than people committed to a single operating system.

Who it's for

Conduit is aimed at DevOps and SREs, IT administrators and MSPs, and developers managing remote infrastructure. It is a particularly good match for people combining several remote protocols with agent-assisted workflows and who value local credential encryption. Someone seeking an AI service bundled with the connection manager, or who only needs a focused client for one protocol, has less reason to pay for its broader setup.

Pros and cons

• Pros: SSH, RDP, VNC and web sessions share one workspace, useful when infrastructure work spans different connection types.
• Pros: AES-256 local vault encryption and locally derived keys keep credentials from being transmitted to Conduit servers, including for cloud backups.
• Pros: MCP safeguards include secret redaction, per-tool rate limits, activity logs and approval for credential reads.
• Cons: Free MCP use stops at 50 tool calls per day, which may be restrictive for frequent agent workflows.
• Cons: AI inference runs under your own provider subscription, so Conduit does not bundle that cost.
• Cons: Shared team vaults and six-month backup retention require the Team plan at $20 a month after the 30-day free period.

Alternatives

Browse remote connection manager software to compare options across the category. Consider BURSU Connection Manager if you want a free desktop app with optional cloud sync and team sharing. Nexterm is a free, open-source option under the MIT License. Choose Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager if its free individual edition, which allows commercial use, suits you and you do not need to share connections or credentials. electerm is a free, open-source client, with possible limits on its free AI service. Royal TS offers a free Lite plan limited to 10 connections, 10 credentials and one document. MremoteGO is a free, MIT-licensed open-source option for Linux, macOS and Windows. RustConn is a free GPL-3.0 open-source desktop application for those same three platforms. uniTerm is free and Apache 2.0 licensed, with Android, Linux, macOS and Windows support.

Verdict

Choose Conduit if you manage remote infrastructure across SSH, RDP, VNC and web sessions and want agents to work with those tools under controlled access. Its locally encrypted vault and MCP safeguards are the clearest reasons to prefer it. Look elsewhere if you need AI inference included, or if the free plan's 50-call daily cap is too tight and Pro's $10 a month is not justified by unlimited MCP use and cross-device sync.