Horizon Cloud Service Reviews

Name: Horizon Cloud Service
Brand: Omnissa
Rating: 4.1 (11 reviews)

4.1 out of 5

11 reviews
91% willing to recommend

237 followers

What is Horizon Cloud Service?

The VMware Horizon Cloud Service delivers feature-rich virtual desktops and applications using a purpose-built cloud platform that is scalable across multiple deployment options, including fully managed infrastructure from VMware, public cloud infrastructure from Microsoft Azure, or on-premises hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI). The service supports a cloud-scale architecture that makes it easy to deliver virtualized Windows desktops and applications to any device, anytime. And, with a flexible subscription model and turnkey solutions, organizations can easily get up and running and scale quickly.

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Horizon Cloud Service is the #4 ranked solution in top Desktop as a Service vendors and #10 ranked solution in top Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions. PeerSpot users give Horizon Cloud Service an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. Horizon Cloud Service is most commonly compared to VMware Workstation: Horizon Cloud Service vs VMware Workstation. Horizon Cloud Service is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 62% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 12% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service

April 2025

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Featured Horizon Cloud Service reviews

SivaKuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

The cost of Horizon Cloud Service is high, however, it could be optimized. The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help. Improvements in application performance, especially for resource-heavy applications like intensive 3D workloads, are needed. More built-in automation for routine tasks like patching and upgrading could reduce administrative effort.

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Vaisakh Natesh M

Technical Lead at Senior Specialist

VMware Horizon Cloud is easy to use and the full development cloud is very good. The main features of VMware are included. It's a cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure software that allows you to permit the virtual desktops and applications to any device from the single unified management control. These are managed from the dedicated remote session desktop. It is a multiple cloud deployment that provides flexibility. You can choose cloud capacity management by VMware or infrastructure management with Microsoft Azure. Advanced user configuration management through dynamic environment management is available. There are many self-serve options.

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Vaisakh Natesh M

Technical Lead at Senior Specialist

We use the product to automatically create an on-cloud machine for the end-users to work on daily activities The product’s on-premise version has the ability to create an image of any updates or changes in the system. We can upload that particular image in the virtual desktop infrastructure’s…

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Horizon Cloud Service mindshare

Product category:

As of April 2025, the mindshare of Horizon Cloud Service in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category stands at 1.1%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

PeerAnalyst reports based on Horizon Cloud Service reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)	Apr 18, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Apr 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	Horizon Cloud Service vs VMware Workstation	Apr 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	Horizon Cloud Service vs Horizon 8	Apr 18, 2025	Download
Comparison	Horizon Cloud Service vs Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)	Apr 18, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
VMware Workstation	4.4	17.0%	93%	55 interviews Add to research
Workspace ONE UEM	4.1	2.6%	83%	100 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Horizon Cloud Service excels in desktop management and remote access, providing seamless functionality similar to a desktop experience. It offers advanced power management, scalable deployment across multi-clouds, and centralized management. Users appreciate its cost efficiency, user-friendly interface, and flexibility between cloud and on-premise options. Horizon Cloud allows dynamic environment management, self-service features, and integrates robust security measures. It's praised for stable performance post-VMware acquisition by Broadcom, supporting hybrid cloud environments and high availability.

"The main benefit of Horizon Cloud Service is that it is cloud-based, allowing our organization to leverage the service without having to manage all infrastructure directly."
"Horizon Cloud Service provides deployment flexibility across multiple clouds with a scalable architecture that easily scales virtual desktops and applications up or down based on demand."
"Horizon Cloud Service provides deployment flexibility across multiple clouds with a scalable architecture that easily scales virtual desktops and applications up or down based on demand."

Room for Improvement

Horizon Cloud Service needs improvements in cost management, especially pricing and licensing complexity. There are issues with external device connections, highlighting weaknesses in USB and hard drive integration. Workspace One access requires better integration for easier management and identity processes. Improvements in performance, especially for demanding applications, are needed. Bugs and the complexity of VDI stacks are concerns. More automation for tasks like patching and upgrading could ease administrative efforts. Logging and virtual machine performance could be enhanced.

"The licensing model needs to be adjusted, as a cloud license is currently required even for on-premises devices."
"The cost of Horizon Cloud Service is high, however, it could be optimized. The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help."
"The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help."

Pricing

Horizon Cloud Service pricing is seen as expensive by many users, particularly compared to Microsoft Azure and Hyper-V. Its licensing structure is complex and scaling out can drive up costs. Despite its consumption-based model and potential cost of ownership benefits, the initial affordability diminishes with scale. Many features are compelling, making it a viable cloud service alternative, yet the cost factor often deters longer-term use or prompts clients to consider other options.

"Initially, the product is cheap, but it starts to get expensive when users try to scale out."
"I rate VMware Horizon Cloud pricing a ten out of ten."
"VMware Horizon Cloud is an expensive solution. This solution is approximately 30 percent more than Microsoft Azure Cloud. There can be extra costs."

Popular Use Cases

Horizon Cloud Service is primarily used for deploying virtual desktops to public clouds, facilitating remote work, and managing virtual desktop infrastructure. Users implement it for end-user computing, multi-cloud strategies, and deploying desktops in environments with fluctuating demand, such as during tax season. It supports various platforms like Azure and AWS, providing a secure and scalable virtual desktop environment. Additionally, it reduces management complexity by offering centralized deployment and monitoring capabilities.

Service and Support

Horizon Cloud Service offers mixed experiences with support. Some users find VMware's team skilled and responsive, rating them highly, though the response time is occasionally lengthy. Others handle support via third-party vendors, reporting varying degrees of satisfaction. While some value their direct relationships with regional support, others find technical help lacking. The quality of support has seen some improvement, yet concerns persist about access to knowledgeable personnel and the global team's structure.

Deployment

Horizon Cloud Service's initial setup is generally straightforward, though experiences vary. Some find it simple with VMware's assistance, while others find it complex, requiring specific skills. Users appreciate the ease of deploying environments in VMware cloud and the quick restoration via snapshots. Complexity arises when connecting to existing infrastructure. Deployment can take 24 to 48 hours with prerequisites like an Azure subscription and specific permissions. Ratings for setup range from three to eight out of ten.

Scalability

Horizon Cloud Service is praised for its scalability, allowing organizations to manage users efficiently, from task workers to executives. Users appreciate its ability to adjust resources without downtime and its adaptability with cloud and on-prem setups. While some note the expense and complexity of scaling with new infrastructure components, many find it highly scalable, supporting thousands of users. Its architecture enables easy scaling of virtual desktops and applications based on demand.

Stability

Horizon Cloud Service exhibits high stability, rarely experiencing downtime. Initial challenges were noted with an outdated version, but updates resolved these issues. Instances of performance concerns related to VMs were mentioned. Users generally rate its stability between eight and nine out of ten, influenced by deployment model, configuration, maintenance, and integration with other tools.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

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