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Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs VMware Fusion Pro comparison

Citrix and Broadcom are both solutions in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category. Citrix is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.5, while Broadcom is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8. Citrix holds a 13.7% mindshare in VD, compared to Broadcom’s 17.4% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Citrix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.
VMware Fusion Pro
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100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Citrix DaaS and VMware Fusion Pro are direct competitors in virtual desktop infrastructure solutions. Citrix DaaS holds an edge in comprehensive environments due to its extensive feature set, while VMware Fusion Pro offers better simplicity and resource efficiency for Mac users.

Features: Citrix DaaS provides profile management, mobile access, and WAN optimization, ensuring secure remote access for complex VDI environments. VMware Fusion Pro enables seamless Windows VM management on Mac, supports ESXi infrastructure, and offers versatile OS integration.

Room for Improvement: Citrix DaaS needs more user-friendly administration, support for additional Linux versions, and a reduction in complexity and cost. VMware Fusion Pro requires better snapshot management, enhanced stability, and improved compatibility with non-Mac systems.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Citrix DaaS offers flexible deployment across hybrid and cloud environments, though support experiences vary. VMware Fusion Pro is praised for straightforward deployment and reliable technical support, albeit limited to on-premises setups.

Pricing and ROI: Citrix DaaS is a costly enterprise solution, offering ROI through productivity and cost savings for large-scale deployments. VMware Fusion Pro is more affordable, especially for individual users, providing a free version with strong ROI benefits in hardware maintenance.

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To learn more, read our detailed Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs. VMware Fusion Pro Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs. VMware Fusion Pro
September 2025
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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

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
127
Ranking in other categories
Application Virtualization (1st), Remote Access (4th), Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (1st)
VMware Fusion Pro
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
2nd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is 13.7%, up from 10.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Fusion Pro is 17.4%, down from 20.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
VMware Fusion Pro17.4%
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)13.7%
Other68.9%
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
 

Featured Reviews

Mohd Abdul Aziz Shah Sulaiman - PeerSpot reviewer
High security has ensured safe access that's very lightweight
The security layer is very high because I cannot copy-paste outside of the VDI. Screenshots are not possible, as everything will appear black. Within the VDI, users are focused on their specific tasks. It is a lightweight application that incorporates multi-factor authentication. It allows contact centers to work from home, using the VDI for application access while ensuring the person accessing the machine is the one doing the work. The security layer is robust, preventing copy-pasting outside the VDI or screenshotting.
Read full review
Bruce Lundberg - PeerSpot reviewer
Create custom virtual environments quickly with minor macOS integration issues
The primary advantage of VMware Fusion Pro is its simplicity in creating custom virtual machines. It allows quick construction and provides connectivity to full VMware server systems, enabling remote management. It facilitates downloading images from main VMware servers for local testing. The ability to construct a virtual environment on my laptop meets my needs, even ones I wasn't aware of.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is connectivity. The remote connection is the reason we are using this solution."
"The service dash and Workspace Environment Manager service are good features."
"For our company's customers, I feel that the product is stable."
"The product is simple to set up, and its deep integration with Microsoft is also a valuable feature."
"It is user-friendly and easy to use."
"Citrix Workspace allows you to work in a remote environment and gives you data security."
"Ability to connect remotely."
"Citrix DaaS’s most valuable feature is the virtualization of applications and desktops."
More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) pros
"It is a highly stable solution."
"The most important feature of VMware Fusion is that it helps me rapidly launch a new OS."
"VMware Fusion Pro offers simplicity of use and stability."
"The most value that it provides is that it is versatile."
"The primary advantage of VMware Fusion Pro is its simplicity in creating custom virtual machines."
"VMware Fusion Pro offers simplicity of use and stability."
"The product is easy to use and has a simple user interface."
"For me, VMware Fusion Pro has been invaluable, allowing me to meet all my needs with a single system."
More VMware Fusion Pro pros
 

Cons

"Integration with other vendors could be improved."
"Using the app layering feature can be quite difficult and cumbersome."
"Citrix has undergone significant changes, primarily due to its acquisition. This acquisition impacted Citrix's value because of increased licensing costs under the new model. As a result, many customers are now considering alternatives to Citrix."
"There are many latency and slowness issues, which are things looked after by Citrix."
"Citrix has to support all of the hypervisors including KVM and OpenStack KVM."
"We had an issue when we were using the Citrix server. We needed to install the Citrix Runtime in the server where the application was hosted."
"We would like to be able to provide VDI, a full desktop, to each of our users."
"We encounter compatibility issues related to hardware, scanners, and other devices."
More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) cons
"The way they handle snapshotting can be improved. One time, I moved a machine from one to another, and I tried to pull it up on the second machine, but it didn't work. This was because I had not cleaned up the snapshot before I deleted it and moved it across. So, when I tried to pull it up, it wouldn't let me bring it up. The backups for the VMs themselves can also be improved. I pretty much have to rely on Windows backups and not something on VMware. That's where it needs improvement. I am able to upload from my Fusion into the ESXi easily. I'm able to spin something up on Fusion and push it into the big arena, but the reverse is not as easy, that is, trying to pull something down from that. I would love to have a functionality where I could pull something from the VMware infrastructure into Fusion, but I'm not sure if I can take something from ESXi and pull it into Fusion."
"Its installation process could be simpler."
"The only issue I've experienced with VMware Fusion Pro is that it doesn't register correctly with the main macOS system, causing repeated notifications about background installations."
"The only issue I've experienced with VMware Fusion Pro is that it doesn't register correctly with the main macOS system, causing repeated notifications about background installations. This is a minor inconvenience."
"I would like to see newer and updated cloud functions."
"Additionally, enhancing the API interactions could improve the ability to manage VS and deploy various kinds of guests."
"Fusion is not meant to be scalable as it runs on desktops and laptops."
"VMware Fusion's licensing cost needs improvement."
More VMware Fusion Pro cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Citrix is expensive."
"The solution is expensive and I give the cost a four out of ten."
"The purchase price was around $300,000 USD and then the maintenance fees were 20%. There are no other additional fees."
"The product, XenServer, is free to use, and XenApp has a one month free license."
"The Citrix license model has changed. It costs around $240 per user for a single username, but a concurrent license costs double."
"It is an expensive solution. I rate its pricing a nine out of ten."
"Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is an expensive solution."
"My company opts for the yearly subscription model to pay towards the licensing costs attached to the solution."
More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) pricing and cost advice
"I rate the product's pricing a seven or eight. It is highly-priced."
"The cost varies depending on the season and whether it is scaled up or scaled down, but I would guess that it's approximately $1,000 per month."
"Starting with version 12, it is now free on a Mac for personal use. Fusion Pro has a cost."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Comms Service Provider
15%
Computer Software Company
14%
University
10%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise68
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
My focus has primarily been on publishing virtual applications.
See all answers
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.
See all answers
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. Although it works well on the apps side, the desktop aspect still has room for i...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Fusion?
The pricing of VMware Fusion Pro is reasonable. The licensing covers all minor version updates, while major updates require payment every three years. Buying it once can sustain you for years witho...
See all answers
What needs improvement with VMware Fusion?
In future updates of VMware Fusion Pro, I think there should be another community to input features. It is an infrastructure tool that may need embedding some AI to help or catching up with the new...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for VMware Fusion?
My specialty is about IBM AS/400 applications, so I got to be in contact with several packages, including LX, which is why I had this research on your website.I'm mostly interested in ERP packages;...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 4% of the time
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Compared 3% of the time
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Compared 57% of the time
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Compared 35% of the time
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Compared 2% of the time
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Horizon 8 vs VMware Fusion Pro
Compared 2% of the time
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs VMware Fusion Pro Logo
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Compared 1% of the time
More VMware Fusion Pro Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)
October 2025
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) reportDownload Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) product report
Buyer's Guide
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
October 2025
VMware Fusion Pro reportDownload VMware Fusion Pro product report
 

Also Known As

XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps), Citrix Workspace
No data available
 

Interactive Demo

Citrix
Demo not available
Broadcom
 

Overview

Enable secure, flexible work with the leader in virtual apps and desktops

Deliver desktop as a service (DaaS) from any cloud or datacenter

Get started with Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) in minutes to provide a familiar, high-performance digital workspace experience to your users. We’ll manage the infrastructure and security. You focus on your business.

Citrix

VMware Fusion Pro enables Mac users to efficiently run Windows environments, serving tasks like network support and virtual server management, all while maintaining cross-platform flexibility and robust virtualization capabilities.

Offering a seamless virtualization experience, VMware Fusion Pro supports a wide range of computing needs on Mac systems. It efficiently manages virtual machines, integrates well with Windows ESXi infrastructure, and eases OS deployment. The platform’s functionality includes testing on Apple devices, virtualization with Cisco Modeling Labs, and conducting virtual machine maintenance. Users appreciate its ability to facilitate a flexible, reliable virtual environment with consistent updates and support.

What are the key features of VMware Fusion Pro?

  • Windows VM on Mac - Run Windows operating systems seamlessly on Mac devices.
  • ESXi Integration - Provides compatibility and integration with Windows ESXi infrastructure.
  • Snapshot and Cloning - Simplifies backup and recovery with snapshot and cloning options.
  • Efficient OS Launch - Quick and effective operating system deployment capabilities.
  • User-Friendly - Intuitive interface supporting diverse computing tasks.

What benefits and returns can users expect from VMware Fusion Pro?

  • Versatility - Ideal for leveraging cross-platform compatibility.
  • Practicality and Reliability - Consistent performance with stable environment management.
  • Flexible Testing - Simplifies testing processes on Apple laptops.
  • Improved Backup Processes - Enhanced efficiency in backup management.

VMware Fusion Pro finds applications in industries requiring advanced virtualization such as IT, where it aids network server support and testing environments. Educational institutions employ it for virtual labs and environments, while enterprises use it to manage various OS applications and employee computing needs.

Broadcom
 

Sample Customers

Exelon, Aeronamic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Alameda County Medical Center, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Aloysius Stichting, Amarchand Mangaldas, AmBev, Amnet Technology Solutions, Arval
NetApp
Buyer's Guide
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs. VMware Fusion Pro
September 2025
Free Report: Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs. VMware Fusion Pro
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