Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs VMware Horizon View comparison

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9,429 views|8,191 comparisons
85% willing to recommend
VMware Logo
5,947 views|4,482 comparisons
89% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Oct 30, 2022

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and VMware Horizon View based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: Users of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services say deployment is easy. VMware Horizon View users share mixed reviews regarding deployment.
  • Features: Users of both products are happy with their stability, scalability, and performance.

    Microsoft Remote Desktop Services users like the solution’s multi-screen feature, smooth connectivity, and that it is user friendly. Reviewers say the solution could improve if it worked with other operating systems, and think it could benefit from an added notification feature.

    VMware Horizon View users like the solution’s desktop management and its remote virtual desktop interface. Users say the reporting could be improved and that they would like to see more useful monitoring.
  • Pricing: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services users share mixed reviews on the pricing. VMware Horizon View users consider the solution to be very expensive.
  • Service and Support: Most Microsoft Remote Desktop Services users are satisfied with the technical support. VMware Horizon View users share mixed opinions.
  • ROI: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services users do not mention ROI. In contrast, VMware Horizon View users report a positive one.

Comparison Results: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has an easier deployment then VMware Horizon View and a better experience with technical support. However, VMware Horizon View users report a positive ROI where Microsoft users do not.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. VMware Horizon View Report (Updated: March 2024).
768,857 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
"Microsoft is very reasonable in its approach to cost.""I like that it works. In most cases, it's predictable. You know what you get.""The solution is user-friendly and has a good user experience.""Things can be made easier if someone is not with us or at a long distance since we can connect easily with those people. So, it's easy for us to use such features.""The performance is one of the main features of this solution.""The solution is stable.""The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is the ability to remote into a system that is not on-premises.""Everything is really good and it works well."

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"This product works quickly and is reliable.""It's centralized management, and you have access gateway to enter the the VMs from outside.""Managing all operating systems in a single environment helped a lot in organizing and integrating it.""VMware's technical support is good.""It is a very scalable solution.""VMware has a lot of experience in virtualization — they are the pioneers in virtualization.""Horizon View provides virtual desktops on demand.""VMware Horizon View is easily scalable. Its onboarding is easy and comes with flash provisioning features."

More VMware Horizon View Pros →

Cons
"We encounter challenges with portability, especially for users of iOS devices.""Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by having a better application for managing multiple sessions. There used to be one but they stopped supporting it.""The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is its security and simple configuration.""We find the services are not as transparent as we would like for our integration with Citrix.""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.""Microsoft still has some really bad remote desktop appliance for Mac.""The only issue I experienced was with the initialization of the session, which affected the stability of the solution.""From the perspective of an IT professional, Microsoft Remote Desktop is very easy to use. However, it could be made easier to use for the end user, especially when it comes to activating it."

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"In the latest versions, the deployment of certificates on the console has been implemented. Although it is functional, it is not working as well as I would like. I hope this feature can be improved in the future.""In the next release, the performance, the speed, and the price need to be improved.""The standard license does not include certain features.""The customer service and support team could be better.""Sometimes, the protocol itself gets a bit laggy. If you have less than optimal switching and routing, it can get kind of laggy.""User profiles are something that needs to be improved.""Reporting could be improved, we currently have to export manually.""The system is not designed to allow the client to log in easily."

More VMware Horizon View Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The pricing is moderate."
  • "The solution has a perpetual license and it is purchased upfront."
  • "It will probably cost about $500 USD to get the resources set up in the cloud."
  • "Although not an expensive product, pricing is always something that can be improved."
  • "It's not an expensive solution."
  • "It's not an expensive product."
  • "Its licensing is on a yearly basis. We're on the educational or academic license, and our terms are good. We're very happy with the pricing."
  • "The pricing could always be improved."
  • More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Licensing and hardware outsourcing is expensive, but can be cost-effective in the three to five-year range."
  • "This solution is expensive."
  • "This solution is expensive. A lot of companies in Mexico find that the price is too high."
  • "There is a monthly subscription for the use of this solution and it is expensive."
  • "Customers pay a licensing fee."
  • "The pricing can be relatively competitive, but sometimes you have to go back to VMware and ask for additional discounts. You can make it competitive If you're prepared to put in the work. The list prices and standard discounts may not be competitive, but if you push hard enough, you can get the price to where you need it to be."
  • "The solution can be costly for customers who do not run mission-critical applications or who have less than 50 users."
  • "I cannot provide a detailed comment on the pricing; however, I can say that it is quite expensive."
  • More VMware Horizon View Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The pricing could be improved. The tool is not cheap, but it is not too expensive. I rate the pricing a five out of ten. We get what we pay for.
    Top Answer:The solution must be faster and smoother.
    Ranking
    Views
    9,429
    Comparisons
    8,191
    Reviews
    37
    Average Words per Review
    412
    Rating
    8.1
    Views
    5,947
    Comparisons
    4,482
    Reviews
    29
    Average Words per Review
    420
    Rating
    8.1
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Remote Desktop Services, MS Remote Desktop Services
    Horizon View
    Learn More
    Overview

    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

    VMware Horizon View is a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution that helps organizations to provide virtual machines and applications to end-users that can be run on a variety of devices. With Horizon View, organizations are able to provide remote access to desktops, improve their security and compliance, and significantly reduce the costs and complexities of physical hardware management.

    Horizon View has an intuitive central management area for all virtual devices, which enables image creation and management, management of users, and access control. Horizon View users have the flexibility that allows them to access their virtual desktops and applications from any type of device and from any location.

    The solution has enhanced security abilities, including built-in encryption and secure communication between the devices and the virtual machines. These security measures help ensure the safety of sensitive data, even if the data is accessed from a non-secure device.

    Benefits of VMware Horizon View

    VMware Horizon View provides its users with several key benefits, including:


    • Enhanced security: VMware Horizon View’s virtual desktops are run from a secure data center, which reduces the risk of data loss or attacks.


    • High performance: Experience high levels of performance and stability, even with low-bandwidth connections.


    • Flexibility: Horizon View virtual machines can run on a wide range of devices, including laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Users are able to access their virtual desktops from any location.


    • Centralized management: Create and manage all of your virtual desktops from a single location.


    • Scalability: Scale your virtual machines up and down depending on your usage.


    • Reduced costs: Eliminate the usage of physical desktops and reduce hardware, maintenance, and energy costs.


    • Simple deployments: Horizon View automates the deployment and configuration of virtual desktops, making it faster and easier to roll out virtual desktops to users.


    VMware Horizon View features

    Some of Horizon View’s top features include:



    • Load balancing: Improve performance and stability by balancing workloads across multiple servers.


    • User management and access control: Create and manage user profiles, including their saved data and settings across virtual desktops. Control user access to virtual desktops based on multiple factors.


    • Multimedia optimization: Improve the performance of your applications that use audio and video by optimizing multimedia playback for virtual desktops.


    • Virtual application and machine sharing: Create and share pools of virtual desktops and applications between users, making them easy to maintain and manage.


    • Customizations: Enables IT to customize the user environment, including the desktop background, shortcuts, and start menu, to meet the needs of different users or departments.


    Reviews from Real Users

    VMware Horizon View stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Several major ones are its flexibility, powerful performance, and virtualizing capabilities.

    David G., a systems engineer at a tech services company, writes, “This product is great for desktop management. It enables you to update one golden image, save it and basically deploy it... It makes management a lot easier. There's also the huge savings. We've (used) it with the pandemic because everybody had to work from home. Even if there weren't enough laptops to go around, almost everybody has a home computer. It was just a matter of installing Horizon on your home computer and connecting to the office using two-factor authentication. They made it really simple.”

    Sample Customers
    Bank Alfalah Ltd.
    Amway, Hertz International, Metro Health, North Carolina State University, Ottawa International Airport, Revlon, and Whirlpool.
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm17%
    Comms Service Provider10%
    Manufacturing Company10%
    Computer Software Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company13%
    Government9%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm15%
    Government13%
    Computer Software Company13%
    University10%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company12%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Government9%
    Healthcare Company8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business45%
    Midsize Enterprise20%
    Large Enterprise35%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business27%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise57%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business49%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise37%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise63%
    Buyer's Guide
    Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. VMware Horizon View
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. VMware Horizon View and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    768,857 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is ranked 1st in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with 75 reviews while VMware Horizon View is ranked 4th in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with 67 reviews. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is rated 8.0, while VMware Horizon View is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services writes "Easy to set up and reliable, but needs an additional control panel". On the other hand, the top reviewer of VMware Horizon View writes "User-friendly, reasonably priced, and simple to install". Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is most compared with TeamViewer, VMware Horizon, VMware Workstation, Citrix Workspace and Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service), whereas VMware Horizon View is most compared with VMware Horizon, Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service), Citrix Workspace, VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion. See our Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. VMware Horizon View report.

    See our list of best Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) vendors.

    We monitor all Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) 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.