Methods for providing remote access to an application executing on a remote server. A client computer includes a client remote access program that is used to connect to a server remote access program. At the client computer, a client difference program having encoded data indicative of changes to the application since changes were last received from the server computer is generated and transmitted to the server remote access program. At the server computer, the client difference program is executed to update the application and a server difference program is generated having encoded changes to the application since the changes were last received from the client computer. The server difference program is transmitted to the client computer to update the application.