Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Amazon WorkSpaces vs Azure Virtual Desktop comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Amazon WorkSpaces
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (2nd)
Azure Virtual Desktop
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
11th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

Bhaskar Rao - PeerSpot reviewer
Management console is very easy to use, readily available infrastructure and easy to scale
It's very stable. There is a big difference between traditional physical servers and cloud servers. With physical servers, we need to plan for purchasing, procurement, capacity, storage, get quotations, and then procure them. That took some time. Maybe it would take more than one month or maybe two months to procure and then install. With AWS, it is readily available. Just pay and immediately create the VPC, network, and everything. It is very easy. Within two or three hours, we can implement any server or launch any application. Within five minutes, we can just spin up and publish our servers on the Internet.
Makarand-Shrikhande - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables flexible remote application access with auto-scaling and hybrid work support
The use cases include providing application access to users through Azure Virtual Desktop using MSIX App Attach or remote app, enabling remote users like BPO or contact center resources to connect and work on applications, and allowing vendors to access specific applications securely without a…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The tool has low latency and multimedia support. For instance, running Zoom calls on Amazon WorkSpaces seamlessly supports local microphones, speakers, and web cameras. This feature is transparent for applications, allowing me to use the Zoom application without requiring exceptional support for remote web cameras or microphones. Amazon WorkSpaces provides this functionality at the operating system level, enabling effortless video conferencing. To my knowledge, Microsoft Remote Desktop does not offer the same support."
"The experience is seamless and there is no delay. The performance is very good. Initial startup times is a little bit of wait time, but it is bearable."
"The best feature is that it operates very quickly. It depends on the regional location. If we choose a nearby location, nearby servers, it will be best for users to use."
"Amazon WorkSpaces is very fast."
"The initial setup is simple."
"The most valuable feature is the mobility. I can use it anywhere."
"They maintain it and manage it very well."
"The infrastructure is readily available, with minimal latency, which each user can benefit from."
"The auto-scaling option allows provisioning additional virtual desktops based on user demand, making it scalable and flexible."
"The scalability is probably the most valuable feature since I can quickly add or remove machines or increase or decrease the size depending on resources to manage the cost better."
"The cost-effectiveness of Azure Virtual Machines is one of the most valuable features."
"Absolutely, this solution is probably the leader in its field."
"The biggest advantages are the price and flexibility."
"The ability to spin up virtual machines quickly and speedily in Azure has been really valuable."
"Azure pricing is quite cheap due to licensing benefits with Microsoft."
"I rate the overall solution nine out of ten."
 

Cons

"You cannot install external applications without doing some additional configurations inside the solution as opposed to your normal desktop or laptop."
"The agent sometimes has connectivity issues, but otherwise, it's good."
"The product needs to improve its pricing. It should also improve corporate identity management and single sign-on."
"The initial setup was somewhat difficult."
"Amazon WorkSpaces needs to improve on releasing the most number of patches immediately as quickly as possible. And they need to enable more USB options to connect a mobile phone to that particular workspace."
"Making it more self-service friendly would be the implement I'd be looking for. When we have to add new applications, we have to go through the IT to do that, and they need to do some configuration changes. I believe they have to reevaluate the computation and storage and the memory. So this is this is something that as an unrequired and should be changed. Also, the initial start time takes couple of minutes and it is easy for get distracted during the time. So if it can reduce the start time to a reasonable start of time to a reasonable time of five to ten seconds. That will be great."
"There is always scope of improvement in the stability."
"I would say that it is a little complex to configure."
"Azure is vast, and perhaps an architect-level experience could provide more insights into potential improvements."
"Access from Entra ID should be implemented to provide only tenant access to users connecting to the Azure Virtual Desktop environment, eliminating the need for on-premises requirements."
"I would like to see built-in proxy and internet filtering."
"The primary area for improvement is around the scalability of Azure, specifically on the desktop side."
"Azure could improve its uptime and the scaling aspect, as it lacks intelligent scaling."
"My overall rating of Azure Virtual Desktop is five out of ten. While the stability and cost-effectiveness are commendable, there is room for improvement in technical support."
"The costs are a bit difficult to predict upfront. When I am trying to sell it to a customer as a consultant, it is hard to give them a fixed price."
"One of the issues I had was the ability to add an internet proxy. I would like to see built-in proxy and internet filtering."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I think that the price can be lower. We have cases where the customer needs to have lower costs. So since we don't have options, like, shadow mode, they need to decrease pricing or have other models for reduced pricing."
"The solution is not very cheap and it is not too pricey."
"The bundle works out to be approximately $20.00 per month."
"Price-wise Amazon Workspaces is cheaper than most services available."
"The tool's pricing depends on company turnover and the organization's relationship with Amazon. I rate it a six out of ten."
"We need to spend some amount for the support. Without money, they won't respond."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is low and ten is a high price, I rate the pricing a two."
"It is very expensive."
Information not available
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions are best for your needs.
846,617 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Government
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
5%
Computer Software Company
56%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Amazon WorkSpaces?
Performance and scalability are valuable features.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Amazon WorkSpaces?
The pricing is based on consumption. You pay for each process based on the transactions you make. The investment is almost the same as having your own on-premises solution, with the added costs of ...
What needs improvement with Amazon WorkSpaces?
There is always scope of improvement in the stability.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Virtual Desktop?
Purchasing high-configured virtual machines can be costly, but Azure Virtual Desktop offers cost-effective opportunities by allowing us to utilize resources as needed and shut them down when not in...
What needs improvement with Azure Virtual Desktop?
Currently, based on my understanding and knowledge, everything is good and meets customer requirements. However, Azure is vast, and perhaps an architect-level experience could provide more insights...
What is your primary use case for Azure Virtual Desktop?
We are dealing with Azure Virtual Desktops as well as physical desktops and laptops. We manage the endpoints and customers, so we use this solution in collaboration with a distributor partner for A...
 

Also Known As

WorkSpaces
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

GrubHub, Endemol Shine Nederland, CMC Property Services
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon WorkSpaces vs. Azure Virtual Desktop and other solutions. Updated: February 2025.
846,617 professionals have used our research since 2012.