Amazon WorkSpaces vs Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Amazon WorkSpaces and Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The best thing about Amazon WorkSpaces is the security it provides.""It has good speed and connects well with computers.""The best feature is that it operates very quickly. It depends on the regional location. If we choose a nearby location, nearby servers, it will be best for users to use.""They maintain it and manage it very well.""The experience is seamless and there is no delay. The performance is very good. Initial startup times is a little bit of wait time, but it is bearable.""The most valuable features are easy provisioning, an active directory, and mobile access.""Amazon WorkSpaces is very fast.""Security, streaming, faster performance, scalability, and the fact that it is very much cost-effective, are some of the solution's valuable features."

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"This is a very stable solution which you can feel confident using.""The scalability is fine. We have about 400 users, who are supported by six staff members. We use the product company-wide throughout 40 different locations, and we currently do not have plans to increase the scale of use.""Citrix DaaS’s most valuable feature is the virtualization of applications and desktops.""Citrix is one of the companies that is delivering virtual apps and desktops in a big way. They are mature enough to understand the level of stability required and deliver it.""XenDesktop has helped our users to work remotely with a better user experience.""The App is the most valuable feature.""It is a stable solution. We don't usually have problems with the platform...It is a very scalable solution.""The most valuable feature is the gateway to a remote connection, to a physical or a virtual PC. Compared to a normal VPN client and connection, the connection via Citrix is more stable and does not consume as much network bandwidth."

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Cons
"An area that could be improved is it could work better on VPN.""Amazon WorkSpaces needs to improve on releasing the most number of patches immediately as quickly as possible. And they need to enable more USB options to connect a mobile phone to that particular workspace.""The initial setup was somewhat difficult.""Its features for the hardware version could work faster.""If they had a cheaper option for graphics pro, I think that it would be beneficial and I would use it.""Amazon WorkSpaces needs to improve its pricing.""I would say that it is a little complex to configure.""The product needs to improve its pricing. It should also improve corporate identity management and single sign-on."

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"Citrix should consolidate the multiple tools currently required into a single platform.""Direct connection of USB devices on the terminals to be used by streamed applications is very important for printing and the usage of token authentication, but the current version does not support this one hundred percent.""There is room for improvement because it has a lot of dependency on Active Directory and other things. If they could come up with something similar and native, a complete solution portfolio would help.""Latency is also a major problem when adopting Citrix for video editing software or 3D editing software, especially editing 4K video or large file size. The Citrix virtualized solution becomes too slow, so we cannot use the VDI.""The support offered by Citrix's partner needs to improve. The partner support platform should aim to provide more technical information to users.""Where improvement could be driven is in terms of clarity as to the functionality of some of the solutions. If you go back to the older Citrix Xen products that we had, we understood those really well. As we've come into the new workstation premium suite, there is a lot of additional functionality that we perhaps have not yet fully exploited. It is not because we can't, but simply because we don't yet understand the depth of functionality that's offered.""​There have been many issues with stability.""I have to re-enter my user password when I am not using the tool for some time around ten minutes. I want to also improve the need to download other Citrix apps."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "There are several different options available, but it can range anywhere from $85 to $150 a month per machine."
  • "The bundle works out to be approximately $20.00 per month."
  • "The solution is not very cheap and it is not too pricey."
  • "On a scale of one to ten, where one is low and ten is a high price, I rate the pricing a two."
  • "The solution is expensive."
  • "I think that the price can be lower. We have cases where the customer needs to have lower costs. So since we don't have options, like, shadow mode, they need to decrease pricing or have other models for reduced pricing."
  • "They have hourly and monthly pricing, and because our use case is, more of a sporadic use, so I go for hourly pricing. Again, the details of the pricing is handled by the procurement. From an end user perspective, pay as you use hourly is suitable"
  • "Price-wise Amazon Workspaces is cheaper than most services available."
  • More Amazon WorkSpaces Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "You have to do some hard work in order to get the suitable licenses."
  • "The licenses are affordable, but the support is a bit expensive, though worth the value.​"
  • "The product, XenServer, is free to use, and XenApp has a one month free license."
  • "It is a bit costly, but enterprise class features come with a cost."
  • "It is quite expensive, but so are the competitors on the market."
  • "I think it is a little high priced."
  • "I suggest using the concurrent user licensing scheme."
  • "A perpetual enterprise license costs approximately $300 USD."
  • More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Performance and scalability are valuable features.
    Top Answer:It is very expensive. I would rate the pricing model a ten out of ten, with ten being the most expensive. There are additional costs to the standard licensing fees.
    Top Answer:Configuration was a bit complicated at first but manageable. In future releases, I would like to see more user-friendly administrator controls.
    Top Answer:There are many features that I like, but the stability over the Internet is exceptional. Even if there's bandwidth fluctuation or network jitter, it performs well, offering a seamless experience to… more »
    Top Answer:In the past, the prices of the product were great. With the acquisition of Citrix by your company, the prices have drastically increased. For my company, it has become a bit of a problem to sell… more »
    Top Answer:I would like to see simplification in the management of the on-prem infrastructure component of Citrix DaaS, particularly in the studio tool used to manage the DaaS infrastructure. This simplification… more »
    Ranking
    Views
    2,081
    Comparisons
    1,396
    Reviews
    11
    Average Words per Review
    439
    Rating
    8.1
    Views
    2,702
    Comparisons
    1,697
    Reviews
    21
    Average Words per Review
    584
    Rating
    7.5
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    WorkSpaces
    Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps)
    Learn More
    Overview

    Amazon WorkSpaces is a fully managed desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) solution provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It allows users to access a virtual desktop environment in the cloud from various devices, including laptops, tablets, and thin clients.

    With Amazon WorkSpaces, users can have a complete desktop experience with their familiar applications and data, while the underlying infrastructure and management tasks are handled by AWS. The virtual desktops provided by Amazon WorkSpaces are persistent, meaning that user data and settings are retained even when disconnected from the virtual desktop.

    Amazon WorkSpaces Features:

    • Desktop Experience: Provides a complete Windows or Linux desktop experience for users.
    • Device Flexibility: Accessible from various devices such as computers, tablets, and thin clients.
    • Managed Service: AWS manages infrastructure, updates, patches, and backups.
    • Flexible Scaling: Easily scale the number of virtual desktops based on needs.
    • Security and Compliance: Built-in security features and compliance capabilities.
    • Cost-Effective: Pay-as-you-go pricing model for optimized cost management.
    • Integration with AWS Services: Seamlessly integrates with other AWS services.
    • User Profile Management: Supports saving and applying user-specific settings.
    • Application Compatibility: Supports a wide range of applications.

    Amazon WorkSpaces Benefits:

    • Flexible Accessibility: Users can access their virtual desktops from various devices, providing flexibility and mobility.
    • Simplified Management: AWS manages the underlying infrastructure, reducing the burden of desktop management for organizations.
    • Scalability: Easily scale the number of virtual desktops up or down based on business needs, accommodating workforce changes.
    • Enhanced Security: Built-in security features and compliance capabilities ensure data protection and regulatory compliance.
    • Cost Savings: Pay-as-you-go pricing eliminates upfront infrastructure costs, allowing organizations to optimize their desktop infrastructure expenses.
    • Integration with AWS Services: Seamlessly integrate with other AWS services for enhanced functionality and capabilities.
    • User-Friendly Experience: Offers a familiar desktop environment with customizable settings and application compatibility.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Sachin Narvekar, IT-IS LEAD at Tata Consultancy, writes that "Amazon WorkSpaces is a virtual desktop platform. So, instead of having your laptops, and desktops, you can have your data on the cloud.”, he also adds, "Security, streaming, faster performance, scalability, and the fact that it is very much cost-effective, are some of the solution's valuable features."

    Ravi-Bhardwaj, Manager at Ravi RITS Enterprice, states that “The solution has improved the organization because now any user who doesn't have a corporate laptop can connect to the system, security is still high, and it uses very low bandwidth.”

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    Sample Customers
    GrubHub, Endemol Shine Nederland, CMC Property Services
    Exelon, Aeronamic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Alameda County Medical Center, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Aloysius Stichting, Amarchand Mangaldas, AmBev, Amnet Technology Solutions, Arval
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Government14%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Insurance Company8%
    Energy/Utilities Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company13%
    Financial Services Firm11%
    Government8%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business38%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise38%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business20%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise61%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business28%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise56%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business23%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise63%
    Buyer's Guide
    Amazon WorkSpaces vs. Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Amazon WorkSpaces vs. Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Amazon WorkSpaces is ranked 2nd in Desktop as a Service (DaaS) with 14 reviews while Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is ranked 1st in Desktop as a Service (DaaS) with 90 reviews. Amazon WorkSpaces is rated 8.2, while Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Amazon WorkSpaces writes "A High Performing Amazon Workspace Solution for Seamless Workspace Management". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) writes "Flexible Deployment, reliable performance, and fast transmission speeds". Amazon WorkSpaces is most compared with Amazon Appstream, Teradici PCoIP Zero Clients, VMware Horizon DaaS and Nutanix Frame, whereas Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is most compared with VMware Horizon View, Citrix Workspace, Amazon Appstream, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS). See our Amazon WorkSpaces vs. Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report.

    See our list of best Desktop as a Service (DaaS) vendors.

    We monitor all Desktop as a Service (DaaS) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.