Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs VMware Fusion Pro comparison

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. VMware Fusion Pro

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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

Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Remote Access (3rd)

VMware Fusion Pro

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

3rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 6.6%, up from 6.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Fusion Pro is 6.5%, down from 21.8% 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	6.6%
VMware Fusion Pro	6.5%
Other	86.9%

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

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.

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Bruce Lundberg

Linux HPC Systems Administrator at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is easy to use."

"Everything is really good and it works well."

"It's built into the operating system and has a command line interface capability to insert credentials, IDs, a password, et cetera."

"The solution works well as a remote desktop."

"The pricing is great as it's free in the larger Microsoft system."

"Using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has helped my team save time and improve productivity because we had Microsoft servers that were impossible to connect from our MacBook Pro laptops, and once we started using RDP, we could connect and move forward to deliver the project."

"The solution is stable."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has positively impacted my organization by giving us the freedom to work from any location remotely and at any time."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pros

"My advice right now would be to download it for free and use that instead of a VirtualBox or some of the other free stuff because it is more flexible than other solutions."

"The most important feature of VMware Fusion is that it helps me rapidly launch a new OS."

"The most value that it provides is that it is versatile."

"The whole point of it is to run Windows VMs on a Mac. This is the most valuable feature. There is snapshotting, but we don't really use that. The Pro version allows me to actually attach to the Windows ESXi infrastructure at the backend, and I'm able to create a session that I can attach to the VMware hooks at the backend, so one is running a VM, and the whole operating system is running on the actual Mac. The other one is literally a frontend to the VMs that are running in the infrastructure at the backend. These are the two main features I use."

"The product is easy to use and has a simple user interface."

"It is a highly stable solution."

"For me, VMware Fusion Pro has been invaluable, allowing me to meet all my needs with a single system."

"Veeam Backup and Replication is the common product for backing up virtual machines."

More VMware Fusion Pro pros

Cons

"The solution is unsuitable for direct external internet connections. You must set up a VPN and password handling to use it."

"The training profiles could be better."

"The user interface needs improvement."

"In a future release, they could improve by providing more advanced technology and better buffering for if the connection is degraded or lost."

"The only issue I experienced was with the initialization of the session, which affected the stability of the solution."

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

"I think Microsoft Remote Desktop Services can be improved regarding licensing, which is a nightmare, and the shadow of Azure Virtual Desktop."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is a good tool that does what it is meant to do, and from a security perspective, it is brilliant. However, there is a lot of overhead with managing it, which modern tools do not have, especially tools that exist in the cloud."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services 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."

"VMware Fusion's licensing cost needs improvement."

"I would like to see newer and updated cloud functions."

"Its installation process could be simpler."

"The backups for the VMs themselves can also be improved. I pretty much have to rely on Windows backups and not something on VMware."

"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."

"Fusion is not meant to be scalable. It runs on desktops and laptops, indicating limitations in scalability."

"One of the problems with VMware Fusion Pro is limited redundancy; it is related to the infrastructure and the nature of the on-premises because on-premises you cannot have enough reliability since you have to fund all the resources on your own."

More VMware Fusion Pro cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution comes free with Microsoft Windows."

"The tool must be cheaper."

"The solution has a pretty comparable pricing."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is less expensive than some other solutions on the market."

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

"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."

"It will probably cost about $500 USD to get the resources set up in the cloud."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pricing and cost advice

"Starting with version 12, it is now free on a Mac for personal use. Fusion Pro has a cost."

"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."

"I rate the product's pricing a seven or eight. It is highly-priced."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Government

Comms Service Provider

17%

University

12%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	45
Midsize Enterprise	16
Large Enterprise	36

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

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

The experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that the pricing is based on licensing costs and the setup is complex.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services can be improved in several areas. Currently, it requires a license cost, it has performance limits on shared resources with bottlenecks, the setup is complex, and ...

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

Our main use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is to allow multiple users to remotely access our Windows machine, desktop, or application over the internet and our network.

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...

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...

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;...

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Product Reports

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Download Microsoft Remote Desktop Services product report

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services report

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Download VMware Fusion Pro product report

Also Known As

Remote Desktop Services

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Overview

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

VMware Fusion Pro allows Mac users to run Windows virtual machines, leveraging its interface with Windows ESXi infrastructure. The platform is user-friendly, enabling efficient OS launches and providing snapshot and cloning capabilities for a stable experience.

VMware Fusion Pro empowers Mac users with robust virtualization capabilities, including the ability to run Windows VMs and interface seamlessly with Windows ESXi infrastructure. The platform is noted for its rapid custom VM construction and remote management through full VMware server systems. Despite its advantages, users indicate areas for improvement, particularly in snapshotting, backup processes, and resource demands. Compatibility with operating systems and integration with macOS are additional concerns, with enhancements in security, cloud functionality, and API interface desired. Installation complexity and command-line interface improvements are also highlighted by users.

What are the key features of VMware Fusion Pro?

Windows VM Support: Runs Windows virtual machines on Mac efficiently.
ESXi Infrastructure: Interfaces with Windows ESXi for seamless operations.
Snapshot & Cloning: Allows creating backups and clones of virtual machines easily.
Custom VM Construction: Enables rapid development of custom VMs tailored to needs.
Network Simulations: Supports network setup simulations for testing and development.
Remote Management: Connects to full VMware server systems for comprehensive management.

What benefits or ROI can users expect from VMware Fusion Pro?

Cost-Efficiency: Reduces infrastructure costs through effective virtualization.
Stability: Offers a stable platform for running various operating systems.
Versatility: Accommodates different networking and testing configurations.
Resource Efficiency: Optimizes existing computing resources for performance improvements.
User Experience: Provides a user-friendly interface for easy navigation and management.

VMware Fusion Pro is widely implemented for running Windows on Mac, managing networking servers, and testing on Apple laptops. It is used by developers and system administrators for creating virtual environments, while users in industries such as networking and software development utilize it for building test machines, evaluating software, and managing ERP packages on IBM AS/400 systems. The solution is preferred for virtualization tasks in sectors requiring robust, reliable tools that support both Mac and Windows environments seamlessly, supporting script writing and general virtual machine management.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Bank Alfalah Ltd.

NetApp

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. VMware Fusion Pro