The entire development environment is accessed only through the virtual desktop setup using Citrix DaaS.
Provides good desktop virtualization and security features
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of the solution is the desktop virtualization, which allows me to connect from anywhere."
- "Compared with the Outlook mobile app, the Citrix mobile app shows some lag in authentication."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution is the desktop virtualization, which allows me to connect from anywhere. The solution's security feature provides a secure environment for the organization by preventing copying the content outside the virtual desktop.
What needs improvement?
The Citrix DaaS application is a bit heavy when it comes to mobile access, and it should function more smoothly. For example, the Citrix mobile app takes a long time to log in and should work even faster. Compared with the Outlook mobile app, the Citrix mobile app shows some lag in authentication.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Citrix DaaS for four to five years.
Buyer's Guide
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Citrix DaaS is quite a scalable solution. We can quickly set up new desktops. With a simple configuration, we can create multiple instances and seamlessly give users access. Around 20 to 25 users use the tool in our organization, and we have plans to increase the usage.
I rate the solution ten out of ten for scalability.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used VMware Horizon. I switched to Citrix DaaS because it seemed more secure.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is very easy.
On a scale from one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy, I rate the solution’s initial setup ten out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
The solution has a fast deployment, and it can be deployed in less than ten minutes.
What was our ROI?
The tool provides a good return on investment because it reduces the maintenance of user hardware. We don't need powerful user hardware, like a powerful laptop; any simple laptop is enough to connect. We can add the required intra virtually to the virtual desktops so it gives the required performance.
What other advice do I have?
We are using Citrix DaaS in the IT industry. The solution's security aspect has influenced our trust in using it for remote access. I would recommend Citrix DaaS to other users for its security and performance.
Overall, I rate Citrix DaaS a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Graduate Apprentice Trainee at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt
The solution’s speed and connectivity could be improved, though it helps connect to devices
Pros and Cons
- "I use Citrix DaaS to connect to devices."
- "The speed and connectivity of Citrix DaaS could be improved."
What is most valuable?
I use Citrix DaaS to connect to devices.
What needs improvement?
Citrix DaaS is pretty slow. In Citrix DaaS, I have to connect to the computer in another form and always have to keep waiting. Sometimes, I click on Microsoft Teams or Outlook, but it doesn't work at all. We use a few PDM (product data management) software in another company, and they're pretty slow through these things. So we always have to keep waiting, and a lot of time goes wasted.
The speed and connectivity of Citrix DaaS could be improved. Most of the time, it doesn't work for any colleagues. At least one or two employees complain about the solution's speed every day.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Citrix DaaS for a month.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Citrix DaaS is not a stable solution. I rate Citrix DaaS two out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Citrix DaaS ten out of ten for scalability because it is scalable and it's been used in a huge form. Around 1,000 users are currently working with the solution in our organization.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Citrix DaaS is very easy. I rate Citrix DaaS ten out of ten for its ease of initial setup.
What about the implementation team?
Getting access to Citrix DaaS took a while, but installing the solution took five to ten minutes. Just one person is enough for the solution's deployment.
What other advice do I have?
I won't recommend Citrix DaaS to other users. I don't know if there are any other better solutions. However, Citrix DaaS is also a good solution if the speed issue is resolved.
Overall, I rate Citrix DaaS a four or five out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Solution Architect at Kimberly-Clark
Simple to set up and has deep integration with Microsoft
Pros and Cons
- "The product is simple to set up, and its deep integration with Microsoft is also a valuable feature."
- "Their customer support can be improved a lot as it lacks a lot of knowledgeable help."
What is our primary use case?
The main use case for me is the solution’s ability to provide remote users access to enterprise LAN over thin Internet-connected devices securely and efficiently.
What is most valuable?
I have found the NetScaler or ADC devices by Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops valuable. The product is simple to set up, and its deep integration with Microsoft is also a valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
Their customer support can be improved a lot as it lacks a lot of knowledgeable help.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops for the past 14 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. It is a fire-and-forget solution. Once you set it up, things keep happening, and you don't even have to monitor it until you want to get some statistics.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. Approximately 10,000 users use the solution in my company. We often use Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops in our company, but it all depends on the use cases. If we find the solution convenient for our projects, we will definitely use it. However, we'd only do it on a case-to-case basis. Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is our go-to solution for any server-based computing.
How are customer service and support?
The customer support for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops should be more knowledgeable.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is pretty simple and easy. We keep deploying it very often based on our requirements, but the complete setup can be done in three days or less than three days for a 1000 people user base. It's more of a fire-and-forget solution. It will take three days if you have the entire idea. If you want to chart out from the beginning, that could take around two months. However, if you know what you're doing, it can be done in three days.
What about the implementation team?
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a decade-old technology. We don't need any consultants to set it up. Any candidate with five to six years of experience should be able to set it up. We analyze the applications, the customers, and the users. We also consider the type of user base and the type of applications, and then we plan our infrastructure to meet their requirements and do a POC before deploying the solution. Considering Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a 24/7 uptime solution, we need at least six technical staff for its deployment and maintenance.
What was our ROI?
We do have an ROI using this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is an expensive solution.
What other advice do I have?
I use the latest LTSR version of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
Someone who needs an enterprise solution with a stable working environment should go for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. If there is no 24/7 requirement, and they can manage a few hours of outage, people should look at alternatives for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. This solution is for critical users who cannot do without it. Banking and finance customers should adopt the cloud version of this solution and not the enterprise version.
Overall, I rate Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Virtual Desktop and Applications Offerings Global Offering Manager at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
Quite scalable with an ubiquity that makes it easy to find answers or troubleshoot
Pros and Cons
- "Because of the solution's ubiquity, it is easier to find answers to problems than with competitive products."
- "The sales team does not focus on client needs but instead focuses on selling higher-priced items."
What is our primary use case?
Our company uses the solution to gather user abstractions from their machines, locations, devices, and work areas. Classic use cases include mergers, acquisitions, and work from home scenarios.
We have a partnership, are resellers, and generally provide services to clients based on their use of the solution.
What is most valuable?
The solution effectively brokers a virtual desktop connection.
Because of the solution's ubiquity, it is easier to find answers to problems than with competitive products. If we have a problem, somebody has blogged it or answered it in a forum. Frequently asked questions and white papers are readily available.
What needs improvement?
The sales team does not focus on client needs but instead focuses on selling higher-priced items.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for twenty years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is quite scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Support is no better or worse than other vendors.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We implement the solution for customers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I cannot comment on pricing because we have more than a million seats under management so we get the best price.
Our pricing view is very different than most users.
What other advice do I have?
It is important to find an integrator who has experience. Do not try to implement the solution yourself.
I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
CTO at Integrity software
It's a highly mature solution with the most advanced technology in the industry
Pros and Cons
- "Citrix has had the top remote display for the last 20 years, and there is a huge technological gap between Citrix and its competitors."
- "I think they can improve the troubleshooting to make it easier for users to solve problems on their own. For example, it could provide an error code and some instructions on how to reconnect to the database or do something proactive to fix the issue with the system."
What is our primary use case?
We use Citrix for VDI and publishing applications. My company only has 50 users, but some of my customers have more than 10,000 users.
What is most valuable?
Remote access is useful.
What needs improvement?
Citrix is a highly mature product, but they could always add more benefits by acquiring a third-party software product to integrate with their their solution and make it more complete.
I think they can improve the troubleshooting to make it easier for users to solve problems on their own. For example, it could provide an error code and some instructions on how to reconnect to the database or do something proactive to fix the issue with the system.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Citrix for more than 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a backbone platform that organizations rely on. If Citrix is down, then the organization can't function, so it must be a stable solution. If we are working in a thousand-user organization and Citrix goes down, then 1000 employees are left idle.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If you can afford the licenses, you can scale Citrix up as much as you want.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy and only takes two or three hours. The most complex task is coordinating between the golden image and organizational resources. You need to install all the organization's applications and adjust the settings to meet the company's needs. Setting up a Citrix farm takes less than five hours, but tailoring it to the organization requires another three or four days.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The Citrix license model has changed. It costs around $240 per user for a single username, but a concurrent license costs double.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops nine out of 10. This is the leading solution in the world for remote work. Citrix has had the top remote display for the last 20 years, and there is a huge technological gap between Citrix and its competitors. However, Citrix doesn't have the same level of marketing as its competitors. Many times, people don't realize that Citrix is the best until they've deployed it.
I recommend taking advantage of Citrix eLearning online courses. Four or five days of online training can help you overcome a lot of shortcomings, but you need two or three years of experience working with the Citrix system and infrastructure to be a system admin.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Virtualization Solution Expert at Migros Ticaret A.Ş.
Helps us easily use and manage machines with system policies
Pros and Cons
- "It has the best remote working features."
- "We encounter compatibility issues related to hardware, scanners, and other devices."
What is our primary use case?
We use the platform to manage apps and virtual desktops.
What is most valuable?
The product has reasonable licensing costs for hardware. It has the best remote working features. It helps us easily use and manage machines with system policies and other aspects.
What needs improvement?
We encounter compatibility issues related to hardware, scanners, and other devices. There could be web control management features and persistent VDA.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Citrix DaaS for eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable product.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Horizon Cloud a few years ago. Back then, we found Citrix had higher capabilities than Horizon. Thus, we went with Citrix. However, it is providing better services now.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Citrix DaaS an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Multi-Cloud Operations Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Efficient, mature, and secure
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is easy."
- "We have had issues with certain aspects, which is why we are looking for alternatives. For example, the firewall solution from Citrix is a bit complicated. Integration is hard."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is primarily used for provisioning the desktop for the employees in the company, including different layers of employees. We have different groups using the PVS, the provisioning tool. We are provisioning different groups according to the level, according to the department, et cetera, to deliver a specific desktop for employees who are working at home.
What is most valuable?
The PVS technology itself, the provisioning, is great. It's very easy. It's very simple to alter the main image or the golden image.
It's also very secure.
I find Citrix is a stronger option in many other aspects since it's one of the most mature in the market. It's ancient and it's always developing itself to add new things.
The initial setup is easy.
Scaling is straightforward.
What needs improvement?
We have had issues with certain aspects, which is why we are looking for alternatives. For example, the firewall solution from Citrix is a bit complicated. Integration is hard. It needs a higher understanding of the network. It's not plug-and-play. When I deal with it, I always need assistance from the network team if I need to alter anything. It should be simpler to deal with.
When I was doing comparison research, the thing that I found really interesting in Horizon is that the firewall setup is easy. It's like a wizard menu, and it's well-documented, so it's not hard to alter anything in the firewall. Maybe the feature that I want to be added to Citrix is well-written documentation and a wizard just to let me know what is going on in the firewall, how to edit things, and how to easily deploy something on the firewall. Do I initiate a rule or decline a rule? They just need to make it easier for me to troubleshoot firewall issues.
For how long have I used the solution?
We're a company working for a certain customer and the customer has been working with the VDI since it started, so for a very long.
I've been working with it for a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is pretty good and there are no real issues. The one concern is the firewall. If there's any error, U2 a firewall error, we were not able to easily modify it or easily solve it due to tissues with integration. You really need higher network knowledge. In the end, security issues or any issues on the firewall will affect the stability in the end.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We are always adding new PVS machines. As an operator, we're always asked to add new PVS machines to batch them, update them, add new machines, and add new images. It has been very easy to scale and everything is a click away. There are no issues while scaling.
The organization is huge, so I cannot say exactly how many people are using the solution. The organization has around 750 servers. On each server, there may be hundreds of machines. There are lots of users. There are maybe tens of thousands of end users actually using the desktop as a service through Citrix.
How are customer service and support?
We don't really deal with technical support. All errors that we face, we are able to detect ourselves as an operator. We don't open any tickets with Citrix support itself. We don't have any experience with the support that Citrix provides.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Since the start we were working on Citrix.
How was the initial setup?
It is straightforward to set up and implement.
I participated in editing something in the image itself or while provisioning. That said, the main deployment happened long ago, and we are operators, so we were not really in the middle of the actual process of the deployment.
The errors that we had during maintenance are typically all due to the firewall and its networking of it. Other than that, things are smooth, and all the errors are detectable. If it's an error in configuration and any other aspects except, of course, the networking of the firewall, it may be difficult. Otherwise, for other aspects, everything is easy to maintain.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm the operator for a customer, so I'm not really aware of the licenses. They do the deal with Citrix and we just operate the infrastructure or the VDI. I don't really know how much it costs in reality.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I was comparing this product against Horizon. I wanted to compare both solutions in case we need to migrate from one solution to another.
The company wants to migrate to the cloud so that's why we are searching for an alternative - to see if we should replace Citrix or keep on working on Citrix.
What other advice do I have?
We are working with Citrix VDI, and we are mainly working on the PTS for provisioning.
I'm a system integrator. I'm dealing with the latest version of the product.
It's a very well-known solution, and it's very efficient. However, you need to dig deep into the architecture of it just to understand it and grasp it well, especially how things are calling one another, how things are operating inside the APIs and all the networking inside, and how things are working in the architecture to be able to work with Citrix and actually understand everything that's going on it.
If you face any error, you'll be able to know the cause and easily go to the root cause. However, you must first understand the architecture, understand how things are calling one another, and how the networks play. Then, start step-by-step working on it, on the application itself. If you have good knowledge, you'll find working with it very easy.
I'd rate the solution a seven out of ten based on the fact that we did rin into a lot of issues related to the firewall. Other than that, Citrix works fine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Information Technology Division Director at Ethiopian Roads Administration
A great virtual desktop that's easy to expand and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "With this product, everyone can have a similar kind of desktop environment."
- "If there are connectivity issues, there are stability issues."
What is our primary use case?
If you have a desktop, laptop, or device that can be distributed to end users, to any kind of inconsistency in the institution, we deploy the solution so that anybody can get whatever resource is required. It helps ensure access. It makes it easy for us to give storage, memory, RAM, or processor resources without anything affecting their day-to-day activity. It makes it simple and easy for our institution to provide the kind of activity to the users.
What is most valuable?
The product is ideal for sharing an application for different resources. For instance, let's say we have a Microsoft Office product and want to share the Microsoft Office product with everyone simultaneously. That can easily be done.
With this product, everyone can have a similar kind of desktop environment. So it's a virtual environment, the desktop environment. They can do whatever they need in that environment, and different kinds of users can access different kinds of applications.
The product is scalable.
What needs improvement?
If there are connectivity issues, there are stability issues.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and reliable. However, it depends on the network infrastructure. If we have a stable network infrastructure, then it's stable. That said, if the infrastructure is not stable, I don't recommend this product. If there is an interruption, it might not actually be available to the user, which could cause issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
Right now, we have 1,100 virtual workspaces, and we are planning to add 1,500 more.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We do not use a different type of service right now.
How was the initial setup?
In terms of handling the setup process, we need planning since it is a bit complex. We need to know the infrastructure itself. The hardware resources can also be a bit expensive, and the licensing might also depend on the number of users that the organization has. Therefore, it is a bit expensive, the initial deployment. The cost of RAM after the deployment is much less.
It needs a proper professional to deploy everything. It also requires the engagement of Citrix. Three to six months is enough to deploy it as the hardware might first actually need to be available. Still, once you have that resource, deploying Citrix also might take additional time.
While internally, it can be managed by an in-house staff, the deployment cannot. It requires proper capacity building to do even the deployment. It is a little bit challenging, so I recommend the setup be done by the consultant.
What about the implementation team?
The initial setup requires a specific supplier or consultant to handle everything. It can't be done in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In January 2020 they changed the licensing scheme and they're also changing the on-prem licensing scheme to be subscription-based as well. It can be tricky. I don't know why they did that. Maybe it's the marketing strategy. I don't know. The subscription is for three years or five years. If you procure three years subscription, you can use the license, after three years, they'll block it, which can be a challenge if you aren't paying attention to when licensing renewals are due.
What other advice do I have?
We last updated about a year ago. We are on the 2021 version.
I recommend the solution, however, it depends on the organization's use case. Let's say if that organization needs to share the resource equally through the users or staff they have, then I recommend it.
I'd rate it nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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