Horizon Cloud Service vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comparison

Horizon Cloud Service vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

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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

Horizon Cloud Service

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

11th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (3rd)

Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Remote Access (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Horizon Cloud Service is 3.9%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 6.1%, up from 6.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services	6.1%
Horizon Cloud Service	3.9%
Other	90.0%

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

SivaKuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

Centralized management enhances multi-cloud flexibility with cost efficiency improvements

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.

Read full review

reviewer2795433

Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Secure remote access has protected sensitive country data and supports strict compliance needs

I understand from the IT team managing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services that it is complex to set up the multiple roles, certificates, and networks required. Networking is quite complicated. Even though on the data center side it is quite simple, maintaining the farm of other connections that connect to that server is the complex piece. I understand there are more modern systems replicating what this solution does, which are easier to use, such as Azure Virtual Desktop within Microsoft Azure Cloud or Amazon WorkSpaces, which I have used before. Rather than having to manage all the complex networking, you could abstract it away a little further in the cloud for easier use. I also understand that this tool is in an end-of-life state now, with Microsoft actively pushing people towards Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365. I do not believe further features will be rolled out due to its end-of-life state, making it a legacy solution now.

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

"I honestly liked the application itself because it was just like using a desktop; you could copy and paste, inside and outside, use multiple monitors, and access it anytime, anywhere, no matter whether you were in the office or out of the office."

"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."

"Its advanced management features are the most valuable, especially power management. One of the really important things was to be able to have power management in a consumption world. This means that unlike a Microsoft environment, you could actually turn off virtual desktops or have them start up and shut down. If you're consuming resources in the public cloud, you want to be able to do that because when you're not using those, such as at the weekend, you want to be able to turn them off. So, the advanced options for managing the BDIs are very important."

"The most valuable feature of VMware Horizon Cloud is the ability to manage a great number of desktops at once and the remote access for users that are working from outside of the office or from different offices in the country."

"The most valuable feature of VMware Horizon Cloud is all of its capabilities together."

"I honestly liked the application itself because it was just like using a desktop. You could copy and paste, inside and outside, and you could use multiple monitors. You could access it anytime, anywhere, no matter whether you were in the office or out of the office. I could leave the office, go somewhere, go back in, and everything would be there. I could just leave it up and running. I absolutely love this feature in VMware Horizon Cloud."

"The interface is much easier to use compared to Microsoft and other VDI vendors that are well known on the market. I like VMware so much more than the others. With Horizon Cloud, you don't need to spend a lot of money upfront to buy the infrastructure. You can use it the on the cloud, so it lowers the barriers to entry. It's easier to test it and get started. Some clients stay in the cloud, but others prefer to go on-premise. It depends on the nature of the client."

More Horizon Cloud Service pros

"I've had good experiences with Microsoft customer support."

"The solution is now stable."

"Mostly we are quite happy with it."

"The most valuable features are availability and security."

"The most valuable feature of this solution at the moment is the HTML5 web client. You get a browser experience, not just the terminal sort of client, and the integration with Azure multi-factor application."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is managing the remote desktop end user or remote server."

"The most valuable aspect is it is handy."

"It's a good solution, and especially if you already have Microsoft running then it's probably one of the better solutions to choose from."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pros

Cons

"The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help."

"It is too expensive as compared to other solutions because of which we don't use it that much."

"The application remoting features have some room for improvement."

"Logging into VMware Horizon Cloud could be made easier. Additionally, the VMs could be better in their performance."

"The application remoting features have some room for improvement."

"It is very expensive. Its price needs to be improved. They can do a better job with external resources such as a USB or a hard drive. When I tried to connect using these external resources, it failed a lot of times. I had to do a shared connection with a local laptop and then connect from a network standpoint, rather than through VMware Horizon point. They definitely have weaknesses with external connections. A lot of companies probably don't let people use external connections because it defeats the purpose of having a cloud solution and keeping the data in a secure area. You can copy to an external device, and you can lose the data. A lot of companies may not focus on this feature, but if you are providing it, you should make it work."

"In the design phase, sometimes the tools for designing Horizon solutions have issues when they're calculating the number of nodes and platforms needed to support the VDI systems."

"Our technical support of VMware is good, but the main problem is it takes a lot of time."

More Horizon Cloud Service cons

"I suggest some improvements for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, such as introducing redundant gateways or better bandwidth access to reduce the frequency of remote connection breaks, especially during larger sessions with clients where I often need three or four remote sessions."

"We are searching for a product with better remote access and remote sessions."

"The current process I have to go through to get a Windows 11 VM up and running is difficult. Windows 10 worked a whole lot better than Windows 11."

"The initial setup of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is not the easiest. You need to have a certain understanding of how Microsoft is provisioning the solution to be able to set it up and use it."

"The biggest reason we don't use the solution for our company's clients is the solution's prices."

"Users have to re-enter their ID and password every time they log on, which is tedious and repetitive."

"We would like configuration to be automatic and the price to be close to zero, however, that's not realistic."

"In the next release, I would like to see better performance over slower networks, and integration with Linux, but this is something that we're going to get out of Microsoft in terms of a unified solution."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"VMware Horizon Cloud is a low-cost solution. The model that they have is consumption-based. However, some features are expensive."

"It is too expensive as compared to other solutions because of which we don't use it that much. We tend to go more for Hyper-V or Azure just because VMware licensing is quite up there. We sway people away from VMware Horizon Cloud. We have some clients who already have it. They stay on it for a little while, and then most of them end up moving off when we provide them a better solution that isn't as license heavy cost-wise."

"VMware Horizon Cloud is an expensive solution. This solution is approximately 30 percent more than Microsoft Azure Cloud. There can be extra costs."

"Initially, the product is cheap, but it starts to get expensive when users try to scale out."

"There is a license required for the use of this solution and there are different tier levels available."

"For what you get, it is very compelling. You've got to look at the total cost of ownership of this type of piece of software in terms of being able to utilize it as a cloud service. I don't have to run everything on-premises. When you look at the total cost of just being able to use it and then being able to point it to any public or private cloud, it is very compelling. You have one less thing to manage."

"I rate VMware Horizon Cloud pricing a ten out of ten."

"The pricing is moderate."

"It's not an expensive product."

"I recall that you don't need to pay for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services because that's included in Windows."

"Its licensing is on a yearly basis. We're on the educational or academic license, and our terms are good. We're very happy with the pricing."

"I think that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is expensive compared to Login solution."

"The solution is expensive. Since things are made to be a bit easier in the solution, the solution's cost is a bit on the higher side."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comes free as part of Microsoft Windows."

"The solution is overly expensive."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

10%

Performing Arts

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	44
Midsize Enterprise	16
Large Enterprise	35

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Horizon Cloud?

The cost is considered normal, not remarkable but not outrageous. In terms of expense, compared to other virtualization products, I would rate it as a six.

What needs improvement with VMware Horizon Cloud?

The licensing model needs to be adjusted, as a cloud license is currently required even for on-premises devices. Horizon Cloud Service should continue improving their protocol and work with other h...

What is your primary use case for VMware Horizon Cloud?

Our primary use case focuses on virtual desktop and application hosting. This is spread across different industries. We have a large number of employees, and we are one of the largest GSIs globally...

What do you like most about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

The tool shares computer resources perfectly.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has been easy. I don't think there was any cost, as this was built into our experience with Windows and A...

What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be improved by providing a way to make it configurable without using VPN from the actual service itself.

Nerdio vs Horizon Cloud Service

Comparisons

Compared 11% of the time

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 11% of the time

Azure Virtual Desktop vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 9% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 8% of the time

VMware Workstation vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 6% of the time

More Horizon Cloud Service Competitors

Horizon 8 vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 7% of the time

TeamViewer vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 6% of the time

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 5% of the time

VMware Workstation vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 5% of the time

VMware Fusion Pro vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Competitors

Product Reports

Horizon Cloud Service

Download Horizon Cloud Service product report

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Download Microsoft Remote Desktop Services product report

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services report

Also Known As

VMware Horizon Cloud, VMware Horizon DaaS

Remote Desktop Services

Overview

Horizon Cloud Service offers stable, flexible access to virtual desktops anytime, anywhere. Its centralized cloud management and scalable architecture support hybrid environments.

Horizon Cloud Service provides a cloud-based desktop solution ideal for businesses seeking remote access and power management. With features like centralized management and dynamic environment handling, it supports a seamless desktop experience. While offering remote accessibility and advanced management, it aids in reducing infrastructure costs through cloud-based scalability. However, improvements are needed in VM performance and external connection support, with current licensing complexities posing a challenge. Designed for VDI and application hosting across platforms such as Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS, it enables secure remote working with efficient workload management.

What are the main features of Horizon Cloud Service?

Centralized Cloud Management: Efficiently manage desktops from a unified platform.
Dynamic Environment Management: Customize environments to suit user needs dynamically.
Remote Access: Access desktops from anywhere with high reliability.
Multiple Monitor Support: Enhanced user experience with multi-screen compatibility.
VPN Connectivity: Secure connections for remote access users.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Infrastructure Cost Reduction: Lower costs with cloud-based scaling.
Seamless Desktop Experience: Consistent user interface across devices.
Hybrid Environment Support: Foster versatile deployment methods across clouds.
Flexible Deployment: Accommodate diverse business needs with adjustable solutions.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and education, Horizon Cloud Service facilitates secure remote operations and automates cloud-based machine generation, supporting hybrid workspaces for resource-efficient deployment.

Omnissa

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services provides secure, seamless access to remote applications with cross-platform compatibility and centralized management, enhancing productivity and resource sharing in Windows environments.

The robust security features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services enable efficient data handling and user support across devices. With a focus on remote application access, scalability, and ease of use, this solution integrates effortlessly with Windows environments. It offers centralized management, facilitating smooth IT operations. However, there is potential for improving interface intuitiveness and setup simplicity. Addressing keyboard compatibility with macOS, network connectivity challenges, and security vulnerabilities could enhance the user experience. Optimization for performance on slower networks and clearer license management would further benefit users.

What are the key features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

Robust Security: Ensures data remains secure on servers.
Seamless Remote Application Access: Provides smooth access to applications remotely.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Supports multiple devices and operating systems.
Centralized Management: Simplifies IT resource management.
Ease of Use: Facilitates setup and offers excellent accessibility.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Increased Productivity: Enables efficient resource sharing and task management.
Enhanced Flexibility: Improves performance through remote access.
Scalability: Allows for easy management of growing resources.
Secure Access: Protects sensitive data and client applications.

In numerous industries, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services supports remote server management, virtual desktops, and application virtualization. Organizations use it for collaboration, secure data handling, and accessing critical resources across different locations. It aids in troubleshooting, ensuring secure connections to client applications and facilitating testing and support for multiple users in diverse environments.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Marriott, Sprint

Bank Alfalah Ltd.

Horizon Cloud Service vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services