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Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Workspace ONE UEM comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

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 Intune
Sponsored
Ranking in Remote Access
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
236
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (2nd), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (1st), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (1st), Microsoft Security Suite (1st)
Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...
Ranking in Remote Access
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
78
Ranking in other categories
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (5th)
Workspace ONE UEM
Ranking in Remote Access
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
100
Ranking in other categories
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (6th), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (3rd), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (9th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.6%, down from 12.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 11.6%, down from 14.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workspace ONE UEM is 7.3%, down from 13.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Access
 

Featured Reviews

Joseph Merusi - PeerSpot reviewer
Everything has worked better since we started using it
Sometimes the syncing is inconsistent. I'm confident that the devices are checking in every eight hours, but sometimes the devices aren't picking up the settings as quickly as I would expect. Some features haven't been updated in a while, and Microsoft doesn't seem interested in developing them. Unless you talk to an engineer, you don't know whether there will be an update. There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now. Some reporting areas still need development. For example, I noticed that the reporting for driver updates is still confusing.
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.
Joel Amate - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution is stable, scalable, and offers single sign-on
I give the solution a nine out of ten. I suggest if a person wants to start using Workspace ONE, they should make use of the cloud instance instead of the on-premise instance. There is an on-premise instance available, but the cloud instance is a better option now. I advise them to make use of the cloud instance. This is because management-wise, there is no need to manage a server. For example, we don't need to buy a server, and we don't need to buy network switches, which are required for the on-premise. At the same time, I can advise setting up all the functionalities or whatever functionalities are available for the trial version. We need to check if the Workspace ONE integration includes Azure AD or other identity providers. A lot of applications are using these providers for authentication, such as Ping, Okta, and others. If the Workspace ONE integration doesn't include these providers, the company might have to find a different solution. Security projects should also be considered. Specifically, if the solution can integrate with local security solutions to secure mobile devices.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The ability to (somewhat) manage full Windows 10 computers including EXE-based or MSI-based application deployments using Azure Active Directory as Identity."
"Implementing Microsoft Intune has provided a more streamlined and consistent method for device management across our multiple domains, effectively consolidating our administrative efforts."
"The feature I like the most is that we can perform remote tasks. If we want to retire or wipe out personal data or corporate data from a device, we can use Microsoft Intune remotely, and with the click of a button, data is removed automatically. Nothing needs to be done from the end-user side."
"The automatic patch management feature in the Intune Suite is helpful."
"Internet-based access with security is what I have found to be most valuable. It is also a stable and scalable solution."
"In terms of technical support, you will get an immediate response."
"The best feature is that we don't need to worry about downtime. We don't need to worry about the network connections of our office or the virtual private network. Everything is being done through the internet. Using Intune Autopilot, we can configure and deploy everything to the devices."
"The biggest thing for us is enforcing logins only from devices that are managed by Intune."
"I like that it works. In most cases, it's predictable. You know what you get."
"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 most valuable features are it is fast and cost-effective."
"In terms of the valuable features, I like the profile, the new version is really good."
"The product's initial setup phase was easy."
"Installing Microsoft Desktop Services is straightforward."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of use."
"The initial setup is not that difficult. I have gone through the RDS initialization steps, which only seem easy."
"A very easy to use solution."
"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."
"The remote management and location capabilities are good."
"The solution is stable."
"Personally, VMware Identity Manager is useful for comparison purposes so that I can provide better solutions to my company's customers."
"It was easy to use."
"The solution's Self-Service feature is valuable because it gives a single managed application that users can download and use based on their preferences and productivity."
"Sometimes, we face an issue and raise a ticket. The technical support team is fantastic and resolves the issue."
 

Cons

"I want more secure, reliable, and efficient security policies."
"Setting up Intune Autopilot can be a little complicated."
"One area for improvement is app deployment. Another is the Windows update rollout. If you're rolling out an object to a device that's offline, Intune stops trying to reach this device after it sits idle for a bit. We are forced to find a workaround that could help manage that."
"One big problem with Microsoft is that they're changing the names of the products quite often, or they're quite consistently doing so. Intune is now Endpoint administration. Constantly switching the user interface or the administrative interface makes it quite hard to keep pace. If you are on a two-week holiday and you come back and look at the same screen you have looked at for the last couple of months, it looks different, which is annoying. Changing things around all the time doesn't make it easy."
"In future releases, I would like to see better integration with Apple products."
"The policies we had in SCCM and AD offered features that are missing from Microsoft Intune."
"Intune's privilege management feature, while beneficial, is less intuitive than other Intune features, making it challenging to use."
"The most significant challenge is reporting and monitoring. The reporting accuracy for deploying applications and all aspects of Intune needs to be improved."
"Remote Desktop Services doesn't scale well."
"I would say it's expensive as there similar products available for free."
"Microsoft still has some really bad remote desktop appliance for Mac."
"I would like to see a web-based interface, instead of client installation to refresh the UI through HTML."
"In a future release, they could improve by providing more advanced technology and better buffering for if the connection is degraded or lost."
"We face frequent disconnections."
"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."
"Microsoft Desktop Services is stable but it takes up a lot of resources in the CPU. It's a bit heavier than some solutions."
"The length of time it takes to deploy an application could improve."
"Pricing is the only challenge right now. The licensing fee should be simplified a little bit. They have kept too many products as add ons. These need to be bundled with the low-cost, standard version. This will help customers in adopting this technology at a faster pace."
"VMware Workspace ONE sometimes has bugs that prevent it from working as intended or expected. Generally, these bugs can lead to unexpected results and hinder effectiveness."
"The solution is too complicated. A lot of end customers don't know how to start when they go into the console."
"The app installer is something that they should really change. It creates a lot of confusion for the user."
"Its performance is quite good on Apple phones or even mid-range phones. If you install an AirWatch on a phone that is not too powerful, you will have performance issues. That's only because the phone is not too powerful, and there is not enough memory, etc. They could do a lighter version for a less powerful phone. It would also be useful for very small companies that don't want to spend money on expensive phones. Having said that, I don't think that is their target market. If their target market is enterprise, all enterprises perhaps have an agreement with Google or Apple, and they would get a phone that has already been tested, and they know that AirWatch will work on that phone."
"There should be better compatibility with Linux devices."
"We have a lot of problems when it comes to integrating with Active Directory."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Previously the price was $4 per month per user. Now it's $2.25 per user per month."
"The pricing for Microsoft Intune is reasonable. Our clients are satisfied."
"Pricing can be improved."
"Even if they charge a premium, they aim to provide equal value."
"Microsoft Intune's costliness stems from licensing fees and the overhead associated with its management, user experience, and device remediation."
"Pricing depends on the features. Microsoft offers special packages if there are more than 10,000 users, and you may be able to get a reduced rate."
"I have no comment on pricing of the solution."
"I rate Intune an eight out of ten for affordability. It's bundled with the 365 licensing, which is competitive overall."
"I think that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is expensive compared to Login solution."
"The cost is fair."
"The cost of the solution is low."
"The price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is reasonable. The solution can come for free for some clients with certain agreements."
"The solution has a pretty comparable pricing."
"The price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is reasonable."
"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."
"I would say it's expensive as there similar products available for free."
"VMware Workspace ONE licensing price is good with their supportability. The price of VMware Workspace ONE is reasonable. We are using an enterprise license."
"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."
"All licenses from VMware are only yearly. They start with a yearly license and look for a three-year commitment and yearly PO."
"VMware Workspace ONE has a yearly license. You have to buy the license for one year at a time."
"VMware Workspace ONE can fit any organization because if you need more devices there are only additional fees."
"It's a highly affordable solution"
"Pricing is an area that could be improved."
"In some cases, a customer may feel the solution is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
27%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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 ...
What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...
How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?
Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...
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?
The current process I have to go through to get a Windows 11 VM up and running is difficult. Windows 10 worked a whol...
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...
What do you like most about VMware Workspace ONE?
The platform provides a stable environment for operations and quickly creates new environments. Additionally, it offe...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Workspace ONE?
I would rate the pricing a three out of ten. It's a highly affordable solution. If a customer knows the value of the ...
 

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
Remote Desktop Services, MS Remote Desktop Services
VMware Workspace ONE, VMware AirWatch, Workspace ONE Assist, VMware Identity Manager, Workspace ONE Access, VMware Horizon Air
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Bank Alfalah Ltd.
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 Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
832,138 professionals have used our research since 2012.