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

Apache Guacamole vs Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) comparison

Sponsored
 

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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.2
Microsoft Intune users report cost savings, efficiency boosts, and improved security from enhanced device management and reduced infrastructure needs.
Sentiment score
6.8
Adopting Apache Guacamole boosted enterprise sales and cost efficiency, streamlining onboarding and replacing costly systems with free remote access.
Sentiment score
6.8
Citrix DaaS offers varied ROI, enhances efficiency, flexibility, data protection, and supports continuity, with unquantified access and productivity benefits.
Everything we've gained from it makes my job easier day after day, and I see value in it as an engineer.
IT Systems Engineer at Syracuse University
Microsoft Intune not only saves costs by reducing the number of personnel needed but also offers a comprehensive solution for managing laptops, applications, security, individual access, and enrollment.
Subject Matter Expert at Engage IT Services Pvt Ltd
Importantly, when someone leaves the company, it helps protect document access on their devices.
Channels & Alliances Head at Link Development
In our market, we were the first company to develop and distribute this technology.
Lead Backend Engineer at Singhania QuestPlus
Onboarding a new employee for infrastructure became a 20-minute task rather than a one-week round trip.
Full Stack Engineer at Datawyse
In terms of profit, it is pure profit because the solution itself costs zero.
Cybersecurity Engineer at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.7
Microsoft Intune's support quality varies widely, with premium support praised, but basic support and escalation need improvement.
Sentiment score
6.0
Apache Guacamole relies on community support and documentation, suitable for self-support users but lacks direct customer service.
Sentiment score
6.5
Customer service is praised for responsiveness, but technical support quality varies, especially needing improvement in first-level interactions.
When a support ticket is submitted, it directly reaches someone with Intune support expertise.
Collaborations engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
When I contacted Microsoft, they had the same expertise, if not more, which is phenomenal because I felt heard and my problem was solved.
IT Systems Engineer at Syracuse University
Sometimes, the support provided is excellent, and the representative is knowledgeable, while other times, the service needs improvement.
Engineer at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
If you say a company has customer support, Apache Guacamole has the customer support of highly technical people.
Lead Backend Engineer at Singhania QuestPlus
Overall, if you want to manage it yourself, it has a slight learning curve but is nearly hassle-free.
Full Stack Engineer at Datawyse
Apache Guacamole provides sufficient information on the internet through documentation.
CEO at Exaact Solutions
If support comes from Ireland, it can be good, rated at nine or ten.
Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange
The first level often wastes time because I usually have to escalate to an engineer for proper support.
Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Citrix support is better than Microsoft support.
IT Technical Advisor Specialist at Intact
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft Intune offers scalable management for diverse platforms, excelling in user support but needing better macOS enhancement.
Sentiment score
7.9
Apache Guacamole seamlessly scales for organizations by utilizing a cloud infrastructure supporting multi-node deployments for high availability.
Sentiment score
8.0
Citrix DaaS enables scalable, adaptable deployments for thousands of users, overcoming diagnostic challenges with strategic planning and regular updates.
The scalability of Microsoft Intune is ten out of ten.
Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Ideally, we want to automatically segregate devices based on user properties like primary use, but currently, dynamic groups seem limited to device properties.
Engineer, Systems Admin . at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
It supports organizations with 200 endpoints and those with more than 15,000 endpoints.
Director at Provisioned
If we add load balancing in between, we can scale it as much as we need.
Lead Backend Engineer at Singhania QuestPlus
You can have a multi-node deployment for high availability and to cover multiple sites.
Cybersecurity Engineer at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
In case of failures, the system can autoscale to other virtual machines.
Cloud Engineer at CDAC
It supports over 100 apps and 20,000 users in our organization, demonstrating impressive scalability.
IT Technical Advisor Specialist at Intact
The platform can scale to very large numbers.
Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange
Citrix DaaS offers vast scalability options as workloads can be deployed across multiple data centers like Azure, Google, or AWS.
Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
6.7
Microsoft Intune is praised for stability and reliability, with minor update delays and occasional Azure-related uptime issues.
Sentiment score
8.8
Apache Guacamole is highly stable and reliable, requiring a robust internet connection for optimal performance according to multiple sources.
Sentiment score
7.3
Citrix DaaS is reliable and efficient, with improvements enhancing stability and scalability, despite occasional network-related stability issues.
We have not experienced downtime, bugs, or glitches.
Head of IT at TWM SOLICITORS LLP
It appears Microsoft Intune undergoes changes without informing customers.
Support Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Microsoft Intune has been very stable.
Collaborations engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Apache Guacamole is really stable.
Lead Backend Engineer at Singhania QuestPlus
I evaluate Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) as a very stable solution and very sturdy in how it operates.
Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange
Citrix DaaS allows for satisfactory stability by facilitating workload deployment in various data centers including Azure, Google, or AWS.
Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Intune needs policy, integration, interface, sync, deployment, licensing, support, and device management improvements for better user experience.
Apache Guacamole needs improved usability, better documentation, enhanced security promotion, and streamlined setup to enhance user experience.
Citrix DaaS has configuration complexities, high costs, and integration challenges, with users seeking better performance, usability, and scalability.
Features like unlocking devices sometimes fail, and the support offered for other operating systems is insufficient.
Strategy & Portfolio Advisor at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees
There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now.
Collaborations engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Many third-party companies offer single-pane-of-glass reporting that shows you what your update environment looks like, how your patch is doing, application status, etc., but Intune's reporting is not intuitive.
Engineer at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees
We did have some minor issues, such as there was some gap in mentioning how to install it and how to make and compile the file which they have posted on the repository.
Lead Backend Engineer at Singhania QuestPlus
Apache Guacamole can be improved in two areas: hosting, which requires a deeper understanding of the system to really set things up, and a definitive guide for setting it up neatly and cleanly, which should be updated regularly.
Full Stack Engineer at Datawyse
The highest concern from every customer we have proposed Apache Guacamole to is how we can guarantee that, because it is open source, it is as secure as other enterprise solutions such as Citrix.
Cybersecurity Engineer at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
Citrix should have different pricing based on company size.
Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Creating App-V applications is not an easy task and could take from hours to weeks without success.
IT Technical Advisor Specialist at Intact
This makes it challenging to remain with them, and it becomes necessary to explore alternatives to achieve the same performance with less expense.
Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Intune offers competitive pricing for enterprises, bundled with Microsoft 365, but standalone costs may challenge smaller businesses.
Citrix DaaS is costly, especially with added Microsoft licensing, though offers comprehensive features and negotiable pricing options.
Introductory professional services, like a fast-track service, were included with our E5 membership, and there have been no additional costs.
Senior Systems Architect IV at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
The Intune suite and add-ons, such as batch management and remote help, are costly.
Technical Sales Professional (Microsoft Modern Workplace) at Alnafitha IT
It costs approximately forty euros per user per month.
Cyber Security Officer at Gudu
There is no licensing or setup cost involved.
Cybersecurity Engineer at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
It is completely free of charge as it is an open-source solution.
Cloud Engineer at CDAC
Regarding my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Apache Guacamole, there was no license at all.
Infrastructure Monitoring Specialist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Citrix DaaS is considered expensive, especially for companies that do not require multi-cloud.
Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Intune provides seamless Windows integration, robust security, and cloud-based management, enhancing device control and supporting hybrid work efficiently.
Apache Guacamole is a cost-effective, clientless remote access solution enhancing security and reducing costs for small to medium enterprises.
Citrix DaaS provides scalable, secure remote access with low bandwidth, centralized management, and multi-device compatibility for seamless user experience.
Intune excels in configuration and compliance management for Windows 10, ensuring devices receive timely updates and adhere to organizational standards.
Microsoft Practice Lead at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Dynamic groups allow us to set conditions for automatic membership, eliminating the need for user intervention or manual review and ensuring a seamless workflow.
Engineer, Systems Admin . at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Windows Autopatch is the most valuable because it removes the burden of patch management.
Director at Provisioned
Security concerns are addressed with separate logins for each virtual machine, ensuring complete security.
Cloud Engineer at CDAC
Apache Guacamole helped us cross that boundary. Leveraging that technology, we were able to expand our product surface area and the customers we can access.
Lead Backend Engineer at Singhania QuestPlus
Whatever you would be paying thousands of dollars or millions of dollars to another company for, you can get all of that with Apache Guacamole itself.
Full Stack Engineer at Datawyse
With Citrix, all connections are outgoing, minimizing firewall vulnerability.
Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
The scalability of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is impressive, supporting over 100 apps and a user base of 20,000 within our organization.
IT Technical Advisor Specialist at Intact
Users can use Teams solutions and open a bridge where video and audio are encapsulated within the ICA protocol, which is protected by SSL and certificates for security.
Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Intune
Sponsored
Ranking in Remote Access
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
319
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (2nd), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (1st)
Apache Guacamole
Ranking in Remote Access
8th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...
Ranking in Remote Access
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
128
Ranking in other categories
Application Virtualization (1st), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (2nd), Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.1%, down from 9.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Apache Guacamole is 4.0%, up from 3.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is 4.4%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Access Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Intune9.1%
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)4.4%
Apache Guacamole4.0%
Other82.5%
Remote Access
 

Featured Reviews

AkashKamble - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr MacOS specialist engineer at Cyber24
Enables management of multiple operating systems with a single license
The best feature is that it's a Microsoft product, so if anything goes wrong, we get quick support for anything required. Remote system functionality allows us to sit anywhere and take control of any device via remote management. We can enhance security for clients' laptops with built-in Microsoft Defender, which is available with the Microsoft Intune license. We use it for reporting purposes through endpoint analytics. When pushing scripting, there are two types available: remediation script and reservation script. Through endpoint analytics, you can push defender policies to clients. It helps with reporting, inventory updates, and monitoring tenant status health.
Deepak Shah - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead Backend Engineer at Singhania QuestPlus
Secure web access for guest users has transformed how we protect servers without device agents
Apache Guacamole can be improved as the documentation is really okay. It's written in very good detail. However, there's a problem in that it is written in too much detail and doesn't take you step-by-step. We did have some minor issues, such as there was some gap in mentioning how to install it and how to make and compile the file which they have posted on the repository. We had to figure it out, and once we got that knowledge, we were able to speed up our process. I think that the documentation wasn't that well written. There were gaps in it. It was well written but not written step-by-step. They can improve Apache Guacamole's UI. We didn't use their UI and use our own UI instead, but their UI can be improved. Simple is also good but it can be improved.
SN
Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange
Has delivered consistent desktop experiences across remote locations and has supported multimedia workloads efficiently
I have utilized the HDX protocol for compression and audio-video capabilities. When users need to conduct meetings with customers or colleagues, they can use Teams solutions and open a bridge where video and audio are encapsulated within the ICA protocol, which is protected by SSL and certificates for security. This provides secure communication at good quality through the HDX protocol. HDX protocol has improved application performance as it is specifically designed for multimedia applications. If processing audio or video files, such as in telecom where discussions are recorded and then prepared as video or audio, this does not consume excessive bandwidth during the operation compared to a normal remote desktop connection provided by Microsoft. Everything is compressed and provides sufficient bandwidth for multiple people to perform similar tasks without interruption or session disconnection. All multimedia-related activities, such as playing content on YouTube, deliver a better experience with this protocol overall. I use multi-factor authentication for opening sessions to the data center where users access their machines or software. Multi-factor authentication has helped secure applications because users typically have two-way authentication software on their phones. They use a password first and then authenticate themselves through their mobile application to grant access to resources. This approach is effective because if a hacker attacks a user, they need more than just the password and username. They must also possess the device that provides authentication. The device typically has facial recognition, a password, and provides better security overall.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Remote Access solutions are best for your needs.
882,637 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
Educational Organization
12%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business122
Midsize Enterprise48
Large Enterprise160
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business44
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise69
 

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?
Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...
What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...
How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...
What needs improvement with Apache Guacamole?
Apache Guacamole can be improved as the documentation is really okay. It's written in very good detail. However, ther...
What advice do you have for others considering Apache Guacamole?
The advice I would give to others looking into using Apache Guacamole is to read the document very rigorously. If you...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Guacamole?
There is no licensing or setup cost involved. It is a VM on AWS that we pay for, and Apache Guacamole is a free open ...
What do you like most about Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
My focus has primarily been on publishing virtual applications.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
I have found that Citrix DaaS is still a complex product, especially on the desktop side, which affects scalability. ...
 

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
No data available
XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps), Citrix Workspace
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Information Not Available
Exelon, Aeronamic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Alameda County Medical Center, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Aloysius Stichting, Amarchand Mangaldas, AmBev, Amnet Technology Solutions, Arval
Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Guacamole vs. Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
882,637 professionals have used our research since 2012.