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

Azure Virtual Desktop vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services 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

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
Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
5th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
78
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (2nd)
 

Featured Reviews

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…
Terje Romen - PeerSpot reviewer
Accessing the same desktop experience from anywhere but user template creation needs improvement
Mostly we are quite happy with it. However, some of us want a more powerful desktop. When not present, we use a remote tool called Splashtop, which is a good solution for some users. We have about ten licenses for those who need a powerful workstation at the office. We have not used many different tools. We are never in contact with Microsoft. These are quite basic configurations, to be honest. It's not complicated. AI is coming to or is already in some applications we are using. Not system-wise, however, it might be good. I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. It's quite good, yet certainly not perfect.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Azure pricing is quite cheap due to licensing benefits with Microsoft."
"The ability to spin up virtual machines quickly and speedily in Azure has been really valuable."
"The cost-effectiveness of Azure Virtual Machines is one of the most valuable features."
"I rate the overall solution nine out of ten."
"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."
"Scalability is very straightforward with Azure Virtual Desktop."
"I've always found Azure Virtual Desktop to work for me without issues."
"The biggest advantages are the price and flexibility."
"The most valuable features are the desktop session and desktop virtualization."
"The most valuable feature is ease of use."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is managing the remote desktop end user or remote server."
"The installation is straightforward."
"I've had good experiences with Microsoft customer support."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is highly stable."
"It's simple to set up."
"The tool shares computer resources perfectly."
 

Cons

"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."
"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."
"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."
"The costs are a bit difficult to predict upfront."
"I would like to see built-in proxy and internet filtering."
"Azure is vast, and perhaps an architect-level experience could provide more insights into potential improvements."
"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."
"Sometimes, the updates break the system."
"We would like configuration to be automatic and the price to be close to zero, however, that's not realistic."
"We find the services are not as transparent as we would like for our integration with Citrix."
"Microsoft still has some really bad remote desktop appliance for Mac."
"We had some instability during the implementation process. This has since been resolved."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services needs to improve its security."
"The pricing could be better."
"In the past, my company had faced some issues related to the stability of the product. The product's stability can be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The solution is expensive. My company pays toward the monthly licensing costs of the solution...The additional cost, apart from the solution's licensing cost, is related to the technical support a user wants."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is less expensive than some other solutions on the market."
"The price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is reasonable."
"It's not an expensive solution."
"The solution has a pretty comparable pricing."
"The solution comes free with Microsoft Windows."
"The solution has a perpetual license and it is purchased upfront."
"The cost of the solution is low."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions are best for your needs.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
55%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
I've never had an issue with it. I've always thought the pricing for RDS was reasonable.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
We would like configuration to be automatic and the price to be close to zero, however, that's not realistic. Everyone wants to join some kind of cloud service today. We have decided to keep our ER...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Remote Desktop Services
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Bank Alfalah Ltd.
Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Virtual Desktop vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and other solutions. Updated: February 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.