Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Workspace ONE UEM comparison

Microsoft and Omnissa are both solutions in the Remote Access category. Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.3, while Omnissa is ranked #3 with an average rating of 7.9. Microsoft holds a 11.4% mindshare in VUS, compared to Omnissa’s 6.9% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Omnissa users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and VMware Workspace ONE both compete in the virtual desktop and applications management category. Based on user reviews, VMware Workspace ONE seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced features and comprehensive management tools.

Features: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is praised for its integration with other Microsoft products, ease of access to resources, and straightforward deployment. VMware Workspace ONE is valued for its seamless user experience, extensive integration capabilities, and continuous updates.

Room for Improvement: Users of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services highlight issues with session stability, limited customization options, and fundamental features enhancement. VMware Workspace ONE users suggest improvements in reporting capabilities, a more intuitive setup process, and refining existing features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is noted for its straightforward deployment and reliable customer service. VMware Workspace ONE stands out with its flexible deployment models and proactive support team.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is often cited as a cost-effective solution with a favorable ROI for organizations invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. VMware Workspace ONE, while more expensive, provides significant ROI through its comprehensive feature set and the efficiency gains in IT management.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM

January 2025

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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 Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.6%, down from 12.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 11.4%, down from 14.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workspace ONE UEM is 6.9%, down from 13.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Remote Access

Featured Reviews

Joseph Merusi

Collaborations engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

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.

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Terje Romen

CEO & Owner at Mono AS

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.

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Joel Amate

Project Engineer at CTC

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.

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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 most valuable includes managing everything from a single console."

"It has a useful device management feature."

"It supports end-users who tend to lock their devices quite frequently. Its conditional access policy helps us keep the users logged into their devices."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Intune is patching-related capabilities."

"Microsoft's cloud comes with a lot of extra features that are free of charge."

"The ability to send configurations to our systems is valuable, particularly as we don't have a regular Windows AD server. Our current environment doesn't have a Windows AD, which limits our ability to push GPOs. However, this is where the solution can step in and help us push policies."

"We can implement a MAM policy in this Intune and protect the device through mobile application development without touching it. The interface is easy to use and understand."

"What I like most about the tool is that it's now very easy to set up a device for someone to use. It also helps us tremendously in managing security. Before, we used on-premise management with a domain controller. It was difficult to manage security comprehensively. For example, it was hard to know which computers were updated. We weren't able to do that easily with our previous solution."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"Installing Microsoft Desktop Services is straightforward."

"The product's initial setup phase was easy."

"The product saves time."

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

"The solution is easy to deploy and there are many features available that you can turn on or off depending on your budget."

"The most valuable features are availability and security."

"The most valuable feature is that it gives me full accessibility to my servers."

"The most valuable part of RDS is that it allows you to work from any location and check the server through a VPN connection."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pros

"VMware Workspace ONE has been stable so far."

"The solution can scale."

"The most valuable feature of VMware Workspace ONE is it provides the ability to find out the location of devices and manage end-point solutions when they are deployed, and keep them secure."

"The most valuable feature is the security policies."

"It has good stability."

"It is like any other mobile solution. It gives us the ability to control remotely, and that is what we like. We can wipe out and deploy remotely."

"It was easy to use."

"If an outside person tries to track or hack information, it is not possible without us being notified."

More Workspace ONE UEM pros

Cons

"For an existing customer who has an SCCM, it would need to be upgraded to an MECM first before I can introduce Microsoft Intune."

"Intune should support platforms other than Windows. We have encountered several limitations, especially when handling iOS devices."

"The most significant challenge is reporting and monitoring. The reporting accuracy for deploying applications and all aspects of Intune needs to be improved."

"The synchronization could be improved."

"It would be interesting to integrate the server side of Intune. Some group policy updates we have on the Windows Server side and possibly some on the client side could also be included."

"It needs incorporation of Knox, ZeroTouch, etc."

"The security aspect could be more effective."

"Onboarding of endpoint devices is not straightforward. The onboarding process was a little heavier than I thought it would be. That's the key improvement area. Obviously, the more control you have over the devices, the better it is."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"We'd like, in the future, if it would work with Linux or Unix-based operating systems or even Mac."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is only available for the professional version of the Windows operating system. This restricts a lot of users. The feature should be available for all versions."

"I would like to be able to leverage it on other operating systems."

"My customers are worried that the RDP protocol can be easily compromised and would like the option to use an alternative like Blast."

"It could be more user-friendly."

"Lacks a notification feature when internet is down."

"We find the services are not as transparent as we would like for our integration with Citrix."

"The price is too high."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services cons

"The technical support could be improved."

"The Content Locker cannot inherit permissions for the Windows Public Folder. If they could integrate with Microsoft on this point, it would be the perfect functionality."

"I would like to see more service notifications."

"I would like better integration for deploying programs with binary files."

"The database gets corrupted when used in the cluster. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."

"The solution needs to adapt to the cloud based reality of the current world model. Some customers may have reluctance to this, but it is the next level for all of the big providers. Azure, AWS and Google are all on the forefront of cloud-based solutions."

"They could provide DLP integration for applications and specific user account security."

"Cost of licensing is quite high."

More Workspace ONE UEM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"No one can compete with Microsoft when it comes to price, and the features it is offering."

"There is a license needed for this solution and it is either included in one of the enterprise license agreements. Microsoft licensing is a mathematical institute, it could be quite complex. We tend to ask specialized organizations to research what the most profitable way it would be for us to use licenses in the organizations."

"The pricing for Intune and the competitor products are all within the same range, there is no true advantage when it comes to cost."

"I recently got to know that the AD P1 license is compulsory to use Intune Autopilot, which was surprising for me. Earlier, this was not the case. It is the wrong thing to do. We now need to purchase AD P1 licenses for us and for our customers. I would rate it a seven out of ten for pricing."

"Microsoft Intune is expensive."

"Its price is fair. It's a normal price. It isn't too expensive or too cheap."

"There is a cost benefit of using Microsoft Intune because of the packaging with other Microsoft products."

"We don't get Intune as a separate module. Most of the time, we use it within an enterprise agreement like E3 or E5. Those licenses are at a good price, but what is annoying is that every single year they go higher."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

"It's not an expensive product."

"The solution has a perpetual license and it is purchased upfront."

"I would say it's expensive as there similar products available for free."

"The price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is reasonable. The solution can come for free for some clients with certain agreements."

"The solution is expensive. My company pays toward the monthly licensing costs of the solution...The additional cost, apart from the solution's licensing cost, is related to the technical support a user wants."

"We do not have to pay for the product."

"The cost is fair."

"The tool's pricing is high in the Slovenian market. I rate it a nine out of ten."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pricing and cost advice

"My guess is that its licensing was yearly. There was probably no fee in addition to the standard licensing fee."

"VMware Workspace ONE has a yearly license. You have to buy the license for one year at a time."

"The pricing currently is higher than the competition."

"Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis."

"For big users, it's around $500."

"Workspace ONE is on the higher end of the pricing band when compared to other players in the market."

"I have no opinion about the pricing of the product."

"While the platform offers comprehensive solutions, it can be expensive, especially if you only need it for occasional testing and deployment."

More Workspace ONE UEM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

26%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

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 ...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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 ...

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What do you like most about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

The tool shares computer resources perfectly.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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. Everyon...

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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...

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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...

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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 ...

See all answers

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Compared 11% of the time

TeamViewer vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 11% of the time

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

Compared 8% of the time

Parallels Access vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 7% of the time

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Horizon 8 vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

Jamf Pro vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 6% of the time

ManageEngine Endpoint Central vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 5% of the time

VMware Fusion Pro vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 1% of the time

More Workspace ONE UEM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Intune

February 2025

Download Microsoft Intune product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

February 2025

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services report

Download Microsoft Remote Desktop Services product report

Buyer's Guide

Workspace ONE UEM

February 2025

Download Workspace ONE UEM product report

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

Remote Desktop Services

VMware Workspace ONE, VMware AirWatch, Workspace ONE Assist, VMware Identity Manager, Workspace ONE Access, VMware Horizon Air

Overview

Microsoft Intune provides centralized management of mobile devices and applications, ensuring security, compliance, and productivity through integration with Microsoft services like Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory.

Organizations use Intune for managing mobile devices and applications, enhancing security and compliance across platforms. With features like single sign-on, conditional access, and zero-touch deployment via Autopilot, it facilitates efficient operations. Intune's scalability, easy enrollment, and capabilities such as remote wipe support diverse device management, offering robust data protection and efficient operation. Despite its features, improvement areas include reporting, compatibility with non-Microsoft devices, and better support for macOS and Linux devices.

What are the key features of Microsoft Intune?

Seamless Integration: Works with Microsoft 365, Azure Active Directory, and System Center for streamlined management.
Conditional Access: Enhances security with policies that restrict access based on conditions.
Autopilot: Provides zero-touch deployment for setting up new devices efficiently.
Mobile Device Management: Enables control over both personal and corporate devices.
Application Deployment: Facilitates app delivery across a range of devices.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Centralized Management: Reduces complexity by managing devices and applications in one place.
Security Enhancement: Protects data with features like remote wipe and compliance monitoring.
Improved Productivity: Enhances efficiency with seamless integration and automation features.
Device Scalability: Supports diverse device management for growing business needs.

In industries such as finance, healthcare, and education, Microsoft Intune is implemented to ensure secure and compliant device management. Companies leverage its capabilities to deploy security policies and manage both corporate-owned and BYOD environments, facilitating a unified approach to data protection and compliance.

Microsoft

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is a highly regarded remote access tool in addition to being a top-ranked Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution in the marketplace today.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is a suite of valuable elements of the Windows operating system (OS) that serve specific desired objectives. Microsoft RDS integrates various features that allow approved users to gain access to graphical desktops and Windows applications remotely. Approved users are able to deploy applications or even a complete desktop without having to install anything on their devices. Everything remains in the cloud. This ensures that there are never any compatibility issues and keeps the organization's original network secure at all times. Administrators are also able to ensure that data cannot be stored in any unapproved location, such as the local device, unapproved drives, or any other location.

Microsoft RDS makes it easy for business organizations to access Windows Desktops and other Windows applications remotely to ensure today’s busy enterprise organizations are able to maintain the highest levels of productivity at all times. There are two basic ways organizations can effectively utilize RDS.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Component: This allows users to connect with various alternate desktops from their current device. Once the user has gained a secure connection based on the approved administrative permissions, the user can seamlessly access and interact with the remote desktop. Users have the feeling of having this new virtual desktop installed directly on their machine.

RemoteApp: Users are able to easily access cloud-based applications via their own personal desktop computers or other approved mobile devices. This application ensures overall application management is centralized and consistent throughout the entire business enterprise.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Benefits

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has many benefits. Some of its most valuable benefits include:

Access Windows applications remotely from any device
Enhanced consistent application performance
Increased computing resources
Secure cloud-based data storage.
Streamlined management processes
Reduction in technical administrative resources
Reduction in hardware and device costs.
Improved employee productivity
Cost-effective
Improved Profitability
Reduce carbon footprint

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services makes it easy for busy enterprise organizations to stay productive and remain competitive in today’s aggressive marketplace. An organization's end-users can be given access to their own specific desktops from any location, anytime, using any approved device. Additionally, users can access Microsoft applications without having an effect on their device's resource capacity or performance.

Reviews from Real Users

“What I found most valuable in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is accessibility because the solution lets you take control of your computer remotely, and that's a good feature.” Pascal B., IT consultant at Secoptrial

“The most valuable features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services are unification, central management, and accessibility.” Jan S. Solution Architect at a tech services company

“The most valuable features are that it is fast and cost-effective. I am not aware of a replacement currently on the market.” Ramon H. Director at Empaco

Microsoft

VMware Workspace ONE is an intelligence-driven digital workspace platform that delivers any app on any device. It integrates access control, multi-platform endpoint management, and application management. With the VMware Workspace ONE platform, IT teams can deliver a digital workspace that includes the devices and apps of the company’s choice, but with security and control.

VMware Workspace ONE is available:

As a cloud service
On-premises
Hybrid

VMware Workspace ONE Key Features

Simple app authentication: VMware Workspace ONE allows end-users to have password-less single sign-on, giving them access to virtually any app (mobile apps, web apps, cloud apps, and Windows apps).
Unified Endpoint Management options: VMware Workspace ONE aims to support all devices, offering convenience, access, security, and management that will work for any business.
Conditional access: VMware Workspace ONE provides a powerful policy engine to help you make dynamic decisions regarding end-user access rights and to protect sensitive information.
Automated app management: With VMware Workspace ONE the application delivery process can be automated, which improves security and compliance. Software packages can be automatically installed, updated, and removed, and automated workflows can also be created.

VMware Workspace ONE Benefits

Some of the benefits of using VMware Workspace ONE include:

Less IT intervention necessary: Because VMware Workspace ONE has simple app authentication, end-users can help themselves by selecting the applications they need rather than having IT intervene.
Smoother employee onboarding: Transform employee onboarding by enabling self-service access to the apps your end-users need to complete their job duties.
Compliance: VMware Workspace ONE helps end-users reach compliance by using advanced device restrictions.
Real-time visibility: You can have real-time visibility with application, device, and console events that provide detailed information for system monitoring. You can also view logs in the console or export pre-defined reports.

Workspace ONE Components

Workspace ONE Access
Workspace ONE UEM
VMware Workspace ONE® Intelligence
VMware Unified Access Gateway
Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub

Reviews from Real Users

Below is some feedback from our PeerSpot users who are currently using the solution:

PeerSpot user Patrick B., Cybersecurity Architect at a tech services company, says, "Its UI is extremely easy to use whether you're an advanced user or a novice user. When I first opened it up and had to learn the product, I was easily a novice. By the end of the third month, I was digging into the backend of the system and using it as a highly advanced user to accomplish what I needed to accomplish, and I was able to do it through the UI mostly."

Roshan T., Partner Manager North America at a tech company, mentions how satisfied he is with the product, saying, "You can put all your applications on a mobile device, be it a phone or tablet. It is secure and easy to use. Because it is centrally managed, you don't have to do any configuration on the phone. I just got the phone and connected to the central applications. I just downloaded one thing and everything got rolled out. Email, calendar, and other things were deployed centrally. If you don't have AirWatch, you have to configure your phone manually. For example, you need to deploy and configure your email manually and then synchronize everything. It is much simpler when a mobile device is centrally managed."

Omnissa

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

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM

January 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM

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