Citrix Gateway vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway comparison

Citrix and Microsoft are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Citrix is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.4, while Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.7. Citrix holds a 3.6% mindshare in EIV, compared to Microsoft’s 4.6% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Citrix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Citrix Gateway

Read 40 Citrix Gateway reviews

2,533 Views
2,077 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Read 28 Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway reviews

3,008 Views
2,978 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Citrix Gateway

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Citrix Gateway and Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway are leading solutions in the VPN gateway market. Users find Citrix Gateway to be more cost-effective and easier to support, although Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is favored for its extensive features and perceived value.

Features: Citrix Gateway offers centralized management, secure remote access capabilities, and cost-effectiveness. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway stands out for its integration with Microsoft services, advanced security features, and extensive capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Citrix Gateway could improve scalability, modernize its interface, and enhance user experience. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway needs better configuration simplicity, improved troubleshooting, and a streamlined setup process.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Citrix Gateway is praised for straightforward deployment and responsive support. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway has a steeper learning curve but users are generally satisfied with support once understood. Citrix Gateway offers easier initial deployment, whereas Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway provides robust support post-deployment understanding.

Pricing and ROI: Citrix Gateway users report lower initial setup costs and faster ROI due to ease of integration. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway demands higher upfront investment but justifies it with comprehensive features and integration. Citrix Gateway is seen as offering cost benefits, whereas Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is viewed as an investment in extensive capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Citrix Gateway vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Citrix Gateway vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

March 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 884,192 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

5.5

Citrix Gateway offers cost-effective security, protecting against breaches and ransomware, enhancing ROI compared to traditional laptop deployment.

Sentiment score

4.5

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway offers cost-effective, scalable connectivity, enhancing security and efficiency while simplifying network setup for businesses.

Citrix Gateway secures our environment from potential threats, which can save substantial financial resources, especially in preventing data breaches or ransomware attacks.

VivekKumar10

Co-Founder at Virajo

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix Gateway report

The solution provides significant cost savings, transitioning expenses from CapEx to OpEx.

reviewer2593773

Infrastructure Architect at a maritime company with 10,001+ employees

Time savings have notably increased because establishing the connection with Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway was straightforward.

Srinivas A

Director- Head of DevOps, security, and Complaince at Rightdata

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.1

Citrix Gateway's customer service is generally satisfactory with fast responses, knowledgeable staff, but concerns about delays and inconsistency.

Sentiment score

4.6

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway support varies; premium praised for quick help, free criticized for delays; documentation gaps impact satisfaction.

Very experienced engineers contact you in order to troubleshoot the problem.

PEDRO FONSECA

Citrix VDI & Windows Virtualization Specialist at ATOS

While there are multiple support tiers with priority response times of around 30 minutes, there appears to be a limitation in the number of technical teams who can immediately understand and resolve issues.

Siva Kuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix Gateway report

Prioritization of tasks can also be challenging, impacting the timely resolution of problems.

reviewer2593773

Infrastructure Architect at a maritime company with 10,001+ employees

In a recent incident, I had an issue with the SharePoint API. It relates to documentation, specifically the lack of up-to-date documentation because Microsoft is moving away from the traditional SharePoint REST API to Microsoft Graph.

Mano Senaratne

Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.

We received the required support whenever we encountered challenges.

Srinivas A

Director- Head of DevOps, security, and Complaince at Rightdata

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.3

Citrix Gateway offers scalable, adaptable solutions for diverse deployments, with experiences varying on deployment size and requirements.

Sentiment score

6.1

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is scalable and cost-effective, supporting various configurations and user requirements with high availability.

The solution features high availability, supporting both active-passive and active-active deployments to ensure constant product availability.

Siva Kuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

I believe that the scalability of Citrix Gateway depends on the project's requirements, as it can vary from simple load balancing to extensive Web Application Firewall implementations.

VivekKumar10

Co-Founder at Virajo

Citrix Gateway is not for small companies; it's for medium companies because the pricing is better for more users.

PEDRO FONSECA

Citrix VDI & Windows Virtualization Specialist at ATOS

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix Gateway report

The process was very efficient to scale the solution, which supports a high level of scalability.

MatsHagberg Olsson2

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

It is auto-scalable, and I do not see any issues regarding scalability.

Srinivas A

Director- Head of DevOps, security, and Complaince at Rightdata

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.9

Citrix Gateway is reliable with positive user feedback, though some suggest improvements in setup and connection flow.

Sentiment score

7.0

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is stable with minimal downtimes, though configuration and CI/CD integration improvements are needed for optimal performance.

I find Citrix products to be very stable.

VivekKumar10

Co-Founder at Virajo

We used the EPA agent for client certificate authentication and gathered information for the Smart Access feature, but we are no longer using it.

Onurcan Yahyaoglu

Technical Manager at Migros Ticaret A.Ş.

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix Gateway report

Azure VPN Gateway is very stable due to reliance on Microsoft's own network.

MatsHagberg Olsson2

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway report

Room For Improvement

Citrix Gateway needs better load balancing, security, user interface, integration, and cost-efficiency, along with enhanced support and automation.

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway needs better troubleshooting, support, threat protection, faster connectivity, easier deployment, affordability, and enhanced documentation.

At this time it costs 35% more than other solutions.

Jorge Alberto Martinez Gallego

Docente De Planta- Programa Ingeniería Física at Universidad del Cauca

The main purpose of Citrix Gateway is to enforce the appropriate level of access to the correct user on the proper device under the correct conditions.

Siva Kuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

The monitoring site could be much better because monitoring NetScaler and Citrix Gateway is too difficult with just SNMP traps available.

Onurcan Yahyaoglu

Technical Manager at Migros Ticaret A.Ş.

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix Gateway report

More detailed logging would help in troubleshooting any failures during connection establishment or monitoring Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway.

Srinivas A

Director- Head of DevOps, security, and Complaince at Rightdata

The instructions on how to integrate P2N and P2S type networks into Azure VPN Gateway could be improved, though it is a constantly evolving process.

MatsHagberg Olsson2

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway report

Setup Cost

Citrix Gateway is a high-priced, premium network solution with various licensing options, attracting customers willing to invest in quality.

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is seen as affordable by some, but costs can be high for smaller businesses.

I consider Citrix Gateway to be an expensive solution, generally ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 yearly, depending on the model.

VivekKumar10

Co-Founder at Virajo

The price is one aspect, but technically it is complete.

PEDRO FONSECA

Citrix VDI & Windows Virtualization Specialist at ATOS

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix Gateway report

We are paying around $300 per month for a VPN gateway, which seems high.

Srinivas A

Director- Head of DevOps, security, and Complaince at Rightdata

The pricing is somewhat high but acceptable, considering it replaces the need for physical network equipment, leading to cost savings.

reviewer2593773

Infrastructure Architect at a maritime company with 10,001+ employees

The price of Azure VPN Gateway should be rated five from a purely invoice aspect.

MatsHagberg Olsson2

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway report

Valuable Features

Citrix Gateway provides secure, scalable connectivity with load balancing, VPN, and dual-factor authentication for efficient remote access.

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway excels with high availability, easy configuration, robust security, fast performance, and seamless Microsoft integration.

The product effectively helps me protect the organization's network from potential threats, thereby securing our environment from hackers and ransomware attacks.

VivekKumar10

Co-Founder at Virajo

It's easy to scale and easy to implement.

Jorge Alberto Martinez Gallego

Docente De Planta- Programa Ingeniería Física at Universidad del Cauca

Secure SaaS access is particularly valuable as it ensures that SaaS-based applications are delivered securely.

Siva Kuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix Gateway report

It simplifies the process of deploying a VPN connection, replacing all the physical network elements with a software appliance.

reviewer2593773

Infrastructure Architect at a maritime company with 10,001+ employees

The primary function of Azure VPN Gateway allows for designing subnets from existing networks, whether they are physical or virtual networks within Azure or other cloud instances.

MatsHagberg Olsson2

Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology

The best feature of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is its sophisticated security mechanism for transmitting data between on-premise to Azure or Azure to Azure.

Srinivas A

Director- Head of DevOps, security, and Complaince at Rightdata

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway report

Categories and Ranking

Citrix Gateway

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

9th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Universal Access Gateways (1st), SSL VPN (2nd)

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Citrix Gateway is 3.6%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is 4.6%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway	4.6%
Citrix Gateway	3.6%
Other	91.8%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

Siva Kuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

Strong security and versatile features drive positive experience, but support responsiveness can improve

The main purpose of Citrix Gateway is to enforce the appropriate level of access to the correct user on the proper device under the correct conditions. This is enabled through Citrix Gateway combined with endpoint analysis and optional Citrix analytics for security. Regarding improvements, implementing adaptive access policies on Citrix Gateway could be enhanced, particularly in security posture. Although it enforces real-time contextual access control based on device, user network risk, certain aspects can be improved. Other areas for improvement include BYOD access control and risk-based decision-making. Additionally, there is potential for reducing administrative overhead by applying policies dynamically based on context rather than static rules. Incident response speed is another area that could be enhanced.

Read full review

Srinivas A

Director- Head of DevOps, security, and Complaince at Rightdata

Secure data links from on-premise sources have enabled private access to client databases

The best feature of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is its sophisticated security mechanism for transmitting data between on-premise to Azure or Azure to Azure. The process of building the VPN gateway is user-friendly, making it easy to configure. Additionally, it supports various options to establish connections between on-premise to Azure or other sources to targets. Using pfSense as a firewall and VPN at our on-premise allows us to establish connections between Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway and our on-premise pfSense VPN easily. This streamlined connection process occurs within a few steps. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway has positively impacted our organization because it is core to our system and crucial for establishing private connections to our customer's data sources. Their databases lie in a private network with no communication with the outside world. Our customers trust Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway, and by extension, trust us because of this efficient networking establishment process.

Read full review

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Enterprise Infrastructure VPN solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

884,192 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Government

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	17

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

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

The price is one aspect, but technically it is complete. Technically, it is really complete.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Citrix Gateway?

It's difficult to say that because Citrix Gateway is changing all the time. It is improving all the time, and I think that it is periodically giving us patches. Anything that I can think to be impr...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Citrix Gateway?

I participate in integrator projects over the last year or two. Citrix Gateway is used in both my company and my customer's companies.

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

The solution is user-friendly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway can be improved in security points with stronger encryption. I do not have additional feedback about needed improvements regarding configuration, support, or documentation.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

My advice to others looking into using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is that if you have a specific use case such as site-to-site VPN, then this is a perfect option for you. I rate Microsoft Azure VP...

See all answers

Comparisons

OpenVPN Access Server vs Citrix Gateway

Compared 14% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Citrix Gateway

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Citrix Gateway

Compared 8% of the time

SonicWall SMA vs Citrix Gateway

Compared 8% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Citrix Gateway

Compared 8% of the time

More Citrix Gateway Competitors

OpenVPN Access Server vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 13% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 9% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 9% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 5% of the time

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Citrix Gateway

March 2026

Download Citrix Gateway product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

February 2026

Download Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway product report

Also Known As

Citrix NetScaler Unified Gateway

MS Azure VPN Gateway

Overview

Citrix Gateway is a customer-managed solution that can be deployed on premises or on any public cloud, such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. Citrix Gateway provides users with secure access and single sign-on to all the virtual, SaaS and web applications they need to be productive.

Citrix

A VPN gateway is a specific type of virtual network gateway that is used to send encrypted traffic between an Azure virtual network and an on-premises location over the public Internet. You can also use a VPN gateway to send encrypted traffic between Azure virtual networks over the Microsoft network. Each virtual network can have only one VPN gateway. However, you can create multiple connections to the same VPN gateway. When you create multiple connections to the same VPN gateway, all VPN tunnels share the available gateway bandwidth.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Aeronamic, Avianca, Bechtel Corporation, Betfair UK, Catholic University Leuven (K.U. Leuven), Centene Corporation, Cerner, Charityshare, City of High Point, Clark Builders

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Citrix Gateway vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

March 2026

Free Report: Citrix Gateway vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Find out what your peers are saying about Citrix Gateway vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

884,192 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Citrix Gateway vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway report.

See our list of best Enterprise Infrastructure VPN vendors.

We monitor all Enterprise Infrastructure VPN 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.