Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs VMware ThinApp [EOL] comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Citrix and Broadcom are both solutions in the Application Virtualization category. Additionally, 93% of Citrix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...

Read 128 Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) reviews

17,208 Views
1,549 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Read 3 VMware ThinApp [EOL] reviews

100% willing to recommend

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...

VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) and VMware ThinApp [EOL] based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Citrix, Microsoft, Parallels and others in Application Virtualization.

To learn more, read our detailed Application Virtualization Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Application Virtualization

August 2026

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Helped 914,109 peers since 2012

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

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

128

Ranking in other categories

Application Virtualization (1st), Remote Access (5th), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (1st), Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (1st)

VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Average Rating

9.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Sorin Neacsu

Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange

Has delivered consistent desktop experiences across remote locations and has supported multimedia workloads efficiently

I have utilized the HDX protocol for compression and audio-video capabilities. When users need to conduct meetings with customers or colleagues, they can use Teams solutions and open a bridge where video and audio are encapsulated within the ICA protocol, which is protected by SSL and certificates for security. This provides secure communication at good quality through the HDX protocol. HDX protocol has improved application performance as it is specifically designed for multimedia applications. If processing audio or video files, such as in telecom where discussions are recorded and then prepared as video or audio, this does not consume excessive bandwidth during the operation compared to a normal remote desktop connection provided by Microsoft. Everything is compressed and provides sufficient bandwidth for multiple people to perform similar tasks without interruption or session disconnection. All multimedia-related activities, such as playing content on YouTube, deliver a better experience with this protocol overall. I use multi-factor authentication for opening sessions to the data center where users access their machines or software. Multi-factor authentication has helped secure applications because users typically have two-way authentication software on their phones. They use a password first and then authenticate themselves through their mobile application to grant access to resources. This approach is effective because if a hacker attacks a user, they need more than just the password and username. They must also possess the device that provides authentication. The device typically has facial recognition, a password, and provides better security overall.

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it_user769638

Associate Operations at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Streamlines checking our app after pushing an update, which helps cut costs

In the past we used multiple servers to load-balance the application and when we pushed updates to the application we would need to check it on all servers. But when it comes to VMware ThinApp we can do it on a file server or Isilon share and this helps cut costs and create a healthy environment. If we publish an application in Citrix through a server we should have more capacity. On multiple occasions, some applications need updates so at that point we need to disable the servers. But in this case there is no need for disabling user sessions, they can use it and we can do just gpupdate to update all servers in a row.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This Citrix product is flexible, easy to manage and faster than similar products such as VMWare Horizon."

"XenDesktop has helped our users to work remotely with a better user experience."

"You can try XenDesktop as an alternative to VMware View, and the Express edition allows you to use up to 10 machines or users."

"ICA/HDX optimization policies."

"The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the convenience and the ease of setup the tool provides."

"The flexibility provided by that alone was invaluable, in just getting people able to work from home."

"The most valuable feature is the watermark because most of the time our employees connect from a remote location. In case they photograph the DDA or some data, the watermark will show which user did so and from which IP they connected. That makes it more secure."

"The scalability of Citrix Workspace is exceptional."

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) pros

"A great solution to get started with app virtualization, app mobility and deployment"

"In the past we used multiple servers to load-balance the application and when we pushed updates to the application we would need to check it on all servers, but when it comes to VMware ThinApp we can do it on a file server or Isilon share and this helps cut costs and create a healthy environment."

Cons

"The Endpoint Management solution needs improvement when it comes to mobile device management. For example, they are still not supporting Windows 10 and this feature is required by many customers."

"In terms of the user experience, when we asked employees to work on the VDI, they were not entirely happy, considering the performance compared with a normal laptop or a desktop."

"The cost of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is high and has room for improvement."

"The dashboard should be more user-friendly as the tabs are not organized clearly."

"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."

"Licensing service installation and configuration was the biggest challenge for all Citrix solutions, but now they have fixed a lot of issues."

"The video conferencing feature needs to be improved."

"Users have some trouble adjusting to the Receiver interface, but other than that, everything has been very easy."

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) cons

"There are some improvements needed regarding different types of options and still they are in research and build stage so once everything is set it will look good."

"There are some functional areas Thinapp could be improved. Perhaps including application specific or hardware specific virtual drivers"

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The purchase price was around $300,000 USD and then the maintenance fees were 20%. There are no other additional fees."

"The product, XenServer, is free to use, and XenApp has a one month free license."

"You can buy an on-cloud or on-prem license. You can switch between on-cloud users and on-prem users. Its licensing is cheap. It is from $8 to $15 per user. It is not that expensive when you compare the cost of buying new hardware with the cost of the license. For example, at $15 per user, it costs around $180 for a year, which is cheaper than buying a $600 PC that at a certain stage, you will again have to change because its hardware is not supported. It may also get damaged or stolen. So, you can compare the cost of the actual hardware that you have to buy and the time spent in supporting the clients with the cost of its license."

"Citrix is expensive."

"You have to do some hard work in order to get the suitable licenses."

"As for the cost, it is neither cheap nor expensive. Personally, I find it quite expensive, especially if you want to add more features. The security features we use include App Protect and Endpoint Protection."

"My company opts for the yearly subscription model to pay towards the licensing costs attached to the solution."

"The price of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is approximately $300 for the new version called Dash and the license is approximately $900 annually."

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	45
Midsize Enterprise	21
Large Enterprise	69

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix Workspace?

Citrix DaaS is considered expensive, especially for companies that do not require multi-cloud. Tiered pricing based on company size would be beneficial.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Citrix Workspace?

The pricing of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) since the company was taken over by the investment firm is not favorable because prices have been raised. It is disapp...

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What is your primary use case for Citrix Workspace?

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is typically used by mobile workers and remote employees who work outside the central office and need access to centralized company r...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)

September 2026

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

Download Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Virtualization

August 2026

Download VMware ThinApp [EOL] product report

Also Known As

XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps), Citrix Workspace

ThinApp

Interactive Demo

Citrix

Demo not available

Broadcom

Overview

Citrix DaaS provides centralized administration, high security, and app and desktop flexibility, offering excellent user experience and robust remote access. It is known for low bandwidth seamless performance and ease of use, ensuring consistent experience on diverse devices.

Citrix DaaS is a comprehensive service for virtual application delivery and remote access, ideal for distributed teams and mobile workers. Its support for application virtualization, data regulation compliance, and business continuity makes it valuable in remote work environments. Organizations use it for centralized management and secure remote workflows, benefiting from low-bandwidth delivery in multi-city deployments. However, enhancements in speed, performance, and scalability are necessary, along with better monitoring and pricing improvements. Users face cloud compatibility challenges, and improvements in virtual desktop functionality and multimedia experience are desired.

What are the key features of Citrix DaaS?

Centralized Administration: Streamlined management of virtual desktops and apps from a single console.
High Security: Advanced protection features for data and applications.
Flexibility: Customizable publishing options for apps and desktops.
Robust Remote Access: Reliable performance even on low bandwidth connections.
Device Support: Broad compatibility ensures seamless deployment across devices.

What benefits should users look for?

Enhanced Business Continuity: Ensures consistent access to apps and data remotely.
Low Bandwidth Efficiency: Maintains performance in limited connectivity scenarios.
Centralized Management: Simplifies control over remote resources.
Remote Work Enablement: Facilitates secure access for distributed teams.

In healthcare, Citrix DaaS supports secure access to patient records and applications essential for telemedicine. Financial services benefit from compliance with data regulation and secure workflows. In education, virtual desktops offer accessible learning resources, aiding remote teaching initiatives. Retail uses it for streamlining operations across dispersed locations, ensuring quick access to inventory systems and data management.

Citrix

VMware ThinApp accelerates application deployment and simplifies application migration with agentless application virtualization. Deploy ThinApp packages on "locked-down" PCs and allow end users to run their favorite applications without compromising security. ThinApp eliminate application conflicts by isolating applications from each other and the underlying OS into a single executable file that can be easily deployed to many endpoints.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Exelon, Aeronamic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Alameda County Medical Center, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Aloysius Stichting, Amarchand Mangaldas, AmBev, Amnet Technology Solutions, Arval

Delhi International Airport, Telus Communications Company, Mansfield District Council, St Edmunds College, Sydney Adventist Hospital, ITSAM, Hertz International, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. , ASVZ, Appenzell Ausserrhoden Informatik, MTF, Stadt Hattingen, €sterreichisches Verkehrsbªro AG, DER Reisebªro GmbH & Co OHG, Thomas-Krenn.AG, BFI Wien, Metal One Pipe & Tubular Products Inc., NTT Neomeit

Buyer's Guide

Application Virtualization

August 2026

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