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Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Workspace ONE UEM comparison

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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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Intune reduces costs and boosts efficiency by automating device management, enhancing security, and integrating with Microsoft services.
Sentiment score
7.1
Citrix DaaS reduces costs and boosts flexibility, efficiency, and continuity, offering long-term savings and environmental benefits.
Sentiment score
6.5
Users appreciate Microsoft Remote Desktop Services for efficiency and remote work but have concerns about its ROI and cost.
Sentiment score
7.0
Users generally experience returns from Workspace ONE UEM through security, cost savings, and compliance, despite increased costs for some.
Everything we've gained from it makes my job easier day after day, and I see value in it as an engineer.
Importantly, when someone leaves the company, it helps protect document access on their devices.
Applications are deployed through Intune, and we see fewer tickets for common issues because we can resolve them through the solution.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Microsoft Intune's support is mixed; premium service excels, while basic support and response times can vary significantly.
Sentiment score
6.6
Citrix DaaS' customer support receives mixed reviews, with praise for expertise but concerns about response times and support quality.
Sentiment score
5.1
Users have mixed experiences with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services support, with premier support offering better assistance and response time improvement needed.
Sentiment score
6.0
Workspace ONE UEM support receives mixed reviews, highlighting quick responses but also delays and inconsistent initial resolutions.
When a support ticket is submitted, it directly reaches someone with Intune support expertise.
When I contacted Microsoft, they had the same expertise, if not more, which is phenomenal because I felt heard and my problem was solved.
Sometimes, the support provided is excellent, and the representative is knowledgeable, while other times, the service needs improvement.
The first level often wastes time because I usually have to escalate to an engineer for proper support.
Support responds immediately, but I see that some engineers are new or they don't have experience collecting logs, so they take two to three days to come back.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Microsoft Intune is scalable, easily managing diverse endpoints and devices in organizations of all sizes through cloud-based licensing.
Sentiment score
7.9
Citrix DaaS offers scalable, easy expansion, efficiently handling demands with flexible Azure integrations despite some expense concerns.
Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is scalable and reliable, with positive feedback on auto-scaling, despite hardware and network concerns.
Sentiment score
7.7
Workspace ONE UEM scales effectively, integrating smoothly with cloud environments, though complexities arise in larger on-premises setups.
The scalability of Microsoft Intune is ten out of ten.
Ideally, we want to automatically segregate devices based on user properties like primary use, but currently, dynamic groups seem limited to device properties.
It supports organizations with 200 endpoints and those with more than 15,000 endpoints.
Citrix DaaS offers vast scalability options as workloads can be deployed across multiple data centers like Azure, Google, or AWS.
My impression is that most of the solutions, especially today, make sense for large corporations with 2000 seats or more.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Microsoft Intune offers reliable performance but faces minor issues in application deployment, synchronization, and occasional update delays.
Sentiment score
7.3
Citrix DaaS offers reliable, stable performance with high availability, ensuring user satisfaction for large-scale virtual desktop deployments.
Sentiment score
7.8
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is stable and reliable, performing well with proper setup and hardware, earning high user ratings.
Sentiment score
7.6
VMware Workspace ONE UEM is stable and reliable, with the cloud version outperforming competitors despite some setup challenges.
We have not experienced downtime, bugs, or glitches.
Microsoft Intune has been very stable.
A couple of years ago, the performance was not as good as it is now, but there are noticeable backend improvements.
Citrix DaaS allows for satisfactory stability by facilitating workload deployment in various data centers including Azure, Google, or AWS.
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Intune requires enhancements in reporting, device support, integration, user interface, security, management tools, and cost efficiency.
Citrix DaaS struggles with performance, setup complexity, high costs, and requires enhancements in integration, support, and user experience.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services struggles with setup, integration, security, pricing, and usability across networks and devices.
Workspace ONE UEM requires improvements in reporting, interface simplicity, support speed, pricing, platform consistency, integration, and security features.
Features like unlocking devices sometimes fail, and the support offered for other operating systems is insufficient.
There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now.
Many third-party companies offer single-pane-of-glass reporting that shows you what your update environment looks like, how your patch is doing, application status, etc., but Intune's reporting is not intuitive.
Citrix should have different pricing based on company size.
It should be easier to create a template and duplicate users.
Another concern is that support is getting reduced by Workspace ONE; some customers are saying there are support issues on Workspace ONE right now.
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Intune pricing varies by business size, with bundled Microsoft 365 options offering better value than standalone solutions.
Citrix DaaS pricing is costly yet competitive, with versatile licensing, complex management, and strategies needed for cost optimizations.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers flexible, competitive pricing bundled with broader licenses, enhancing value but posing complexity for some users.
VMware Workspace ONE UEM is seen as premium with flexible pricing, competitive due to features, but costs can increase.
Introductory professional services, like a fast-track service, were included with our E5 membership, and there have been no additional costs.
The Intune suite and add-ons, such as batch management and remote help, are costly.
It costs approximately forty euros per user per month.
Citrix DaaS is considered expensive, especially for companies that do not require multi-cloud.
These licenses are not cheap, as they add up in cost.
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Intune integrates with Office 365, Azure, providing remote device management, security, seamless updates, and centralized control benefits.
Citrix DaaS offers high-performance remote access with strong security, seamless app virtualization, and scalability for consistent user experiences.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers secure, scalable remote access, supporting centralized management, file transfers, and multi-screen capabilities for enhanced productivity.
Workspace ONE UEM provides efficient device management, security, and integration with user-friendly multi-platform support and centralized administration.
Intune excels in configuration and compliance management for Windows 10, ensuring devices receive timely updates and adhere to organizational standards.
Dynamic groups allow us to set conditions for automatic membership, eliminating the need for user intervention or manual review and ensuring a seamless workflow.
Windows Autopatch is the most valuable because it removes the burden of patch management.
With Citrix, all connections are outgoing, minimizing firewall vulnerability.
A valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is its native integration with Microsoft platforms.
In UEM, the most helpful part of Windows Management is the baseline policy and central script; using this, you can replace all the AD GPO policy.
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.7%, down from 10.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is 4.2%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 10.3%, down from 14.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workspace ONE UEM is 6.3%, down from 11.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Remote Access
 

Featured Reviews

Joseph Merusi - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Grant Waddell - PeerSpot reviewer
User-friendly and easily accessible, but cost could be made cheaper
We use Citrix Workspace on Citrix Cloud. We have all of our servers on the AWS public cloud. There are a number of tools that we can implement that would save us costs. However, we've stuck to Citrix for convenience. If the prices keep increasing, we will have to consider other solutions. Users need to understand the tool's limitations correctly and what they require from a usability perspective. They should also understand the configuration of security policies. In some cases, people are unable to download or upload files onto their PCs, which is necessary for them to do their work. Users should understand the limitations of the product or the configuration options. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Terje Romen - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Emthias Abdul Salam - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers a valuable single sign-on feature and a user-friendly interface with outstanding scaling capabilities
The single sign-on feature, which integrates with the Identity Manager is one of the most vital features. The VMware Workspace ONE Tunnel is another crucial aspect of the solution. Authentication processes become seamless with the single sign-on feature of VMware Workspace ONE. Whether the application resides within the premises or outside, the users don't need to reenter the credentials, VMware Workspace ONE auto authenticates using scripts. The solution can also integrate the app catalog with the Intelligent Hub, which acts as the agent. Applications catalogs and similar aspects can be accessed through one single interface, whether it's from an Android, iOS, or Windows device. It's a very user-friendly tool in terms of accessibility.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
 

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 ...
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...
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 ...
What do you like most about Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
My focus has primarily been on publishing virtual applications.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
I have found that Citrix DaaS is still a complex product, especially on the desktop side, which affects scalability. ...
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...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
I think it does what it does well, so there is nothing that needs improvement. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is v...
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...
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...
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 ...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps), Citrix Workspace
Remote Desktop Services
VMware Workspace ONE, VMware AirWatch, Workspace ONE Assist, VMware Identity Manager, Workspace ONE Access, VMware Horizon Air
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
Demo not available
Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway
Exelon, Aeronamic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Alameda County Medical Center, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Aloysius Stichting, Amarchand Mangaldas, AmBev, Amnet Technology Solutions, Arval
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
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, TeamViewer, Citrix and others in Remote Access. Updated: June 2025.
856,278 professionals have used our research since 2012.