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Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs VMware Workstation comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

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)
5th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
78
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (2nd)
VMware Workstation
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
1st
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 6.5%, down from 14.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Workstation is 17.0%, up from 13.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
 

Featured Reviews

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.
Shambhu Narayan  Singh - PeerSpot reviewer
An easy-to-manage solution that has really good customer support compared to other market players
VMware Workstation makes it easy to manage all the resources that we are handling. VMware Workstation has reduced our infrastructure cost. If someone wants machines, I can create them easily using the solution. VMware Workstation is easier to manage than other workstations like Oracle Workstation. VMware Workstation is an easy-to-manage solution, and its support is really good compared to other market players. Overall, I rate VMware Workstation an eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is highly stable."
"The most valuable features of the solution are ease of use and the simple environment."
"The solution offers good value for money."
"The main benefit, is that it's easy for us to get the same desktop and do things in the same way regardless of our location."
"The installation is straightforward."
"The product's initial setup phase was easy."
"The most valuable part of RDS is that it allows you to work from any location and check the server through a VPN connection."
"The performance is one of the main features of this solution."
"VMware is incredible and is designed for simple use. They help with efficiency."
"Technical support is very good."
"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is an easy-to-use product."
"VMware Workstation allows you to run a virtual machine."
"The product's initial setup phase was simple."
"It's stable."
"I have found this product excellent for test/dev environments. This is 90% of what I use this product for."
"The features are good."
 

Cons

"There could be some improvement in the integration of the solution."
"There have been some network issues in the solution. So, when we used to connect it, the solution suddenly got disconnected. So the network part needs to be improved."
"The pricing could be better."
"We encounter challenges with portability, especially for users of iOS devices."
"I would like to be able to access the remote desktop using a web-based interface, rather than having to use the client."
"In the past, my company had faced some issues related to the stability of the product. The product's stability can be improved."
"We'd like more granular security control of the desktop services."
"The performance depends on connectivity."
"It would be better if software updates occur automatically."
"It could have more platforms and CPUs."
"The support can be improved."
"Its networking features need improvement."
"The big issue that we've always had with VMware, was the disparity between what was presented for a Windows-based client and a Linux-based client. The Windows client was always two or three releases ahead of the Linux client. We always wanted VMware to change and improve the feature sets between the client connector on Linux and on Windows."
"I have had issues with the virtual network adapters in the past that has taken some time to troubleshoot."
"The solution should provide a guide on its installation."
"The network configuration was not as easy as it could be and could take less time."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's not an expensive solution."
"I would say it's expensive as there similar products available for free."
"We do not have to pay for the product."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comes free as part of Microsoft Windows."
"The cost of the solution is low."
"The price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is reasonable."
"The pricing could always be improved."
"I think that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is expensive compared to Login solution."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The solution’s pricing is moderate."
"The price of the solution per workstation is approximately 200 Francs annually. We pay a total of 800 francs. Everything is included in the price such as the support."
"VMware Workstation's costs are lifetime."
"Licensing fees are paid on an annual basis."
"Licensing costs are paid on a yearly basis."
"It has the best licensing modules."
"It is an expensive solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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...
Which VMware solution would you go with - Workstation or vSphere?
VM Workstation’s setup is so easy, you can use it almost instantly, it works well with Windows and Linux. We like VM Workstation primarily to test environments to determine how well a solution will...
What do you like most about VMware Workstation?
The product is stable, very easy to deploy, easy to use, easy to configure, and easy to set up.
What needs improvement with VMware Workstation?
The product's integration capabilities are an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required.
 

Also Known As

Remote Desktop Services
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bank Alfalah Ltd.
Akademiska Hus
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. VMware Workstation and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.