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Microsoft MDS vs Workspace ONE UEM 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

Microsoft MDS
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
Master Data Management (MDM) Software (3rd)
Workspace ONE UEM
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (5th), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (8th), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (2nd), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (10th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

Microsoft MDS and Workspace ONE UEM aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Microsoft MDS is designed for Master Data Management (MDM) Software and holds a mindshare of 13.0%, down 13.8% compared to last year.
Workspace ONE UEM, on the other hand, focuses on Unified Endpoint Management (UEM), holds 14.1% mindshare, down 16.6% since last year.
Master Data Management (MDM) Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft MDS13.0%
SAP Master Data Governance21.6%
TIBCO EBX12.6%
Other52.8%
Master Data Management (MDM) Software
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Workspace ONE UEM14.1%
Microsoft Intune33.0%
ManageEngine Endpoint Central10.7%
Other42.2%
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
 

Featured Reviews

Satyam Saxena - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced data management and cost effective with flexible integration capabilities
If Microsoft MDS were part of Azure, it would be significantly more helpful. Additionally, integrating fuzzy duplication within MDS itself, rather than relying on SSIS, would streamline operations. The current requirement to store data in Azure tables after processing it in MDS, due to its lack of direct Azure integration, is a drawback.
Vishal Bhatia - PeerSpot reviewer
Effective product tracking and monitoring enhances daily operations despite needing documentation improvement
The documentation part of Workspace ONE UEM can be confusing. The documentation is not comprehensive compared to other VMware solutions or Microsoft documentation. Most people struggle to connect the dots when looking at the documentation. Even the training material and PowerPoint slide decks that trainers use are sometimes too confusing or overwhelming, with too much content but not enough clarity. The support side has recently become weaker compared to what it used to be with VMware. This is another area that needs improvement. Since working with Workspace ONE UEM from when it was AirWatch, it has improved significantly over the last five years. However, there are still some gray areas and scope for improvement, especially in documentation and workflow between different aspects of the solution.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The tool is easy to use."
"It has been a long-standing tool in our organization since it was free."
"It has a very good feature called Excel plug-in. You just have to install the plug-in, and then it directly connects to the MDS instance where you can maintain and manage your data and publish it right through Excel. You don't need to go to the front end to make any changes. It has easy integration with SQL Server, and you can use SSIS to do the ETLs. It is a part of the Microsoft stack. It works with most of the Microsoft stuff."
"The ease of use is valuable."
"It's very easy to use."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft MDS is its compatibility with ETL tools like SSIS, which simplifies operations for end-users."
"Compared to other databases, it is easier to manage and administer."
"Enables non-technical people to directly interact with the BI system."
"Personally, VMware Identity Manager is useful for comparison purposes so that I can provide better solutions to my company's customers."
"For me, the integration of AirWatch with various enterprise components is something I like. The way they are partnering with various services, like security services, or some of the big guys like Google, Android, Apple, and including Microsoft; that's really awesome. And the way they look at providing functionality to create self-service and automation, that's really usefully and beneficial. That's where I see they differentiate themselves."
"Workspace ONE UEM's best features are that you can track and monitor all the products, with a wide range of supported devices like Android, Apple, and Windows, and it offers easy application and email management along with effective compliance and health attestation capabilities."
"The most valuable feature is policy-driven control of the devices."
"People who want to adopt this solution may be thinking about it from the end-user's perspective, but this solution is also very friendly for the people who manage it. It's administration-friendly."
"The remote management and location capabilities are good."
"Workspace ONE has something like an orchestrator model that allows me to configure a set of steps to onboard new PCs, laptops, or tablets. So, it makes my work easy."
"One of the features that I enjoyed most was the integration with Azure AD because I could use VMware Identity Manager to standardize the User Principal Name coming from Active Directory. You have Azure AD Connect to do that. In between, if you have vIDM handling it, you can easily get the synchronization of users into your VM and standardize the User Principal Name. If you require quality assurance for handling it, you can actually count on the vIDM to do so. That was one of the main things I enjoyed about the product."
 

Cons

"More generic related things can be included in the services."
"I do not like using Silverlight and Internet Explorer. The new 2019 version gets rid of that, which is one of the reasons why we are looking to switch."
"In the next version, I would like to see integration with Azure."
"From my understanding, MS, as of 2021, will not maintain the product going forward."
"JMD repositories have records that come in thousands and millions, which takes a long time to process."
"If Microsoft MDS were part of Azure, it would be significantly more helpful."
"The program's navigation tools could be improved."
"Most of the Microsoft partners, especially digitally, are separate. Personnel are business people, and they do not have technical expertise, so you end up as a company spending a lot of money training your staff and your engineers."
"The initial setup should be simplified."
"There are a lot of difficulties whenever people have a lot of configurations in it, basically related to security certificate configurations and integration with VMware Horizon."
"We're unhappy with the quality of support we get for it. We're unhappy with how upgrades occur, so we are migrating away from it. We have an on-premise AirWatch solution and for us to do upgrades we have to call AirWatch to be able to perform the upgrades. They're busy, and scheduling it is not timely enough for us."
"There should be better compatibility with Linux devices."
"AirWatch doesn't seem to empower IT admins to try new things or get creative with implementations."
"In terms of the inventory management side, as in the invoice management, the stock management and the entire inventory of an organization is lagging a bit in comparison to Blackberry or other EMM solutions."
"We'd like the customization to be better."
"Feature-wise, it is fine, but its pricing could be better, given that Microsoft is on a bundling spree. AirWatch would benefit from reducing the license pricing per user per month."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"With Microsoft, we buy everything though an agreement, so we purchase volume licensing every year."
"I would like to see better pricing."
"SAP is more expensive than Microsoft."
"Product licensing is very complicated. It would be helpful to have an online calculator to estimate the cost of a license."
"MDS is a part of the SQL Server enterprise license. I am not aware of any additional costs."
"Microsoft MDS is an expensive solution."
"The solution does require a license and we have enterprise licenses."
"The pricing of this solution is good."
"If you purchase it for one year, it is very expensive. If you get it for three years or up to five years, then you can bargain a better price."
"You should take out a dedicated license agreement of your MDM fleet and invest heavily in innovating in this space."
"All licenses from VMware are only yearly. They start with a yearly license and look for a three-year commitment and yearly PO."
"If you have a host of custom requirements (including licensing), make sure to set aside enough time for the initial setup because it can take up to a few weeks depending on how complex your environment is."
"I think the pricing of the product needs advisement. It would be great to bundle the VM products together. I think the actual box itself should be included in the license. At present, it is not paired with the mobile device."
"The price of VMware Workspace ONE is reasonable."
"AirWatch would benefit from reducing the license pricing per user per month. Microsoft bundles everything, and then that bundling makes the product free for the customers."
"VMware Workspace ONE is not cheap; it's quite expensive. However, in the end, they gave us a reasonable price."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Media Company
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise15
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise57
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft MDS?
More generic related things can be included in the services.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft MDS?
Microsoft MDS is free. Currently, there is no pricing concern with the tool.
What needs improvement with Microsoft MDS?
Microsoft MDS is outdated and lacks modern capabilities. It is too slow and does not support automated mapping or AI-based functionalities. Although I created Python scripts for some machine learni...
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 it easy to control security and manage the usage of mobile apps when you have a ...
How does VMware Workspace One compare with VMware Horizon 7?
VMware Workspace One has a powerful set of helpful features. The solution offers very good documentation, the initial setup is easy, and the product is very stable and reliable. I think the fact th...
What do you like most about VMware Workspace ONE?
The platform provides a stable environment for operations and quickly creates new environments. Additionally, it offers efficient flexibility.
 

Also Known As

Microsoft Master Data Services, Microsoft MDM, Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services, MS MDS
VMware Workspace ONE, VMware AirWatch, Workspace ONE Assist, VMware Identity Manager, Workspace ONE Access, VMware Horizon Air
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

ETA a.s., Apeejay Surrendra Group, Blue Star Infotech, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation, The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, New Belgium Brewing
Australian Sports Commission, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Lomond School, Merck, United Bank, Medical College of Wisconsin, Latymer Upper School, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust, Dowling Aaron Inc., Trillium Lakelands District School Board, Harrogate Grammar School, Duke University Football, Delta Air Lines, Adventist Health System, Giochi Preziosi, Cramlington Learning Village, Intermountain Healthcare, Safexpress, TAG Aviation
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, TIBCO, Microsoft and others in Master Data Management (MDM) Software. Updated: August 2025.
867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.