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Azure Virtual Desktop vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Azure Virtual Desktop
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
83
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Azure Virtual Desktop is 11.2%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 6.0%, down from 8.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services6.0%
Azure Virtual Desktop11.2%
Other82.8%
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
 

Featured Reviews

RC
Senior Advisor at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Enhanced collaboration and security with seamless remote access has transformed work efficiency
We can integrate anything with Azure Virtual Desktop from an application perspective. The App-V has evolved into MSIX. To deliver an application to Azure Virtual Desktop, MSIX can be used by expanding it as a virtual hard disk and attaching it to the virtual machine. When this is done, users who need the application will have immediate access through Active Directory group assignment. One challenge with Virtual Desktop infrastructure is application delivery. From an infrastructure perspective, it's beneficial as we can have a fallback point - if one machine is down, we can have a disaster recovery site for redirection. The delivery of applications is a tedious process. Microsoft is working on building new products for efficient application installation. This feature might be included in upcoming releases. Currently, it's burdensome for IT administrators to create applications compatible with Virtual Desktop infrastructure, unlike traditional machines where direct installation is possible.
MN
technology consultant at Bank of America
Remote access has simplified certificate checks and daily support tasks across our organization
The best features Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers include providing me administrator access, certain inbuilt client tools, and the ability to remotely access enterprise applications, as well as helping me validate whether certificates exist or are missing, or near to expiry. The product also allows for multiple session virtualizations even if users are based in remote locations and offers support for legacy applications that need to be upgraded. Out of those features, the one I rely on the most is certificate validation and plugin installation or removal in certain IDEs which developers or coders generally use. Being able to do this remotely makes my job significantly easier than going to everyone's desk in the office.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The best feature is scalability, as it can be used from anywhere."
"Azure Virtual Desktop provides users the ability to do remote work in a secure environment that is easy to manage."
"The scalability is probably the most valuable feature since I can quickly add or remove machines or increase or decrease the size depending on resources to manage the cost better."
"Azure Virtual Desktop enables anyone connecting to Microsoft to use MFA (multi-factor authentication), totally secured to connect and has end-to-end encryption through tunnel encryption."
"Azure pricing is quite cheap due to licensing benefits with Microsoft."
"Azure Virtual Desktop is stable and provides a 100% stable experience."
"I've always found Azure Virtual Desktop to work for me without issues."
"The biggest advantages are the price and flexibility."
"I give the stability a nine out of ten."
"It is a stable product."
"The solution offers good value for money."
"The most valuable part of RDS is that it allows you to work from any location and check the server through a VPN connection."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable and reliable."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is scalable."
"The initial setup is not that difficult. I have gone through the RDS initialization steps, which only seem easy."
"The solution is really fast."
 

Cons

"Azure is vast, and perhaps an architect-level experience could provide more insights into potential improvements."
"I would like to see built-in proxy and internet filtering."
"One of the issues I had was the ability to add an internet proxy. I would like to see built-in proxy and internet filtering."
"The main issue is the response time, which needs improvement to be faster."
"It takes too long to get a return call."
"Access from Entra ID should be implemented to provide only tenant access to users connecting to the Azure Virtual Desktop environment, eliminating the need for on-premises requirements."
"My overall rating of Azure Virtual Desktop is five out of ten. While the stability and cost-effectiveness are commendable, there is room for improvement in technical support."
"The primary area for improvement is around the scalability of Azure, specifically on the desktop side."
"Sometimes difficult to set up without the requirement for login credentials each time."
"I rate Microsoft's customer service support a two out of ten. In general, Microsoft has poor support."
"The reliability of the solution could improve."
"The solution isn't as good as the Citrix option."
"Security in the connection between us and our clients' servers is something that can be improved."
"We'd like them to continue to improve on security."
"We are searching for a product with better remote access and remote sessions."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The solution has a pretty comparable pricing."
"The tool's pricing is high in the Slovenian market. I rate it a nine out of ten."
"It will probably cost about $500 USD to get the resources set up in the cloud."
"The pricing could always be improved."
"I rate the price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a three out of five."
"Although not an expensive product, pricing is always something that can be improved."
"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is less expensive than some other solutions on the market."
"The solution has a perpetual license and it is purchased upfront."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
26%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business40
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise32
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Virtual Desktop?
The usual amount customers pay for this tool varies. I have seen large deployments catering to 500 or 700 users. Enterprises do use it, and they pay quite a bit for this.
What needs improvement with Azure Virtual Desktop?
I see areas for improvement in Azure Virtual Desktop, specifically regarding cost, as it is a little bit expensive. However, when you account for replacing dedicated hardware and the maintenance it...
What is your primary use case for Azure Virtual Desktop?
We use RDP with Azure and have some virtual desktops. A major use case for Azure Virtual Desktop is that we give access to external consultants so they can access our information and interact with ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
In limited use cases, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is free as it is defaulted by any Microsoft license. The paid version for enterprise requires RDS ( /products/amazon-rds-reviews ) CALs, or c...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be improved because we have keyboard compatibility issues with some platforms; on macOS, we sometimes experience keyboard connectivity issues, and it can be ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Remote Desktop Services
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Bank Alfalah Ltd.
Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Virtual Desktop vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.