Horizon Cloud Service vs VMware Workstation comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Omnissa and Broadcom are both solutions in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category. Omnissa is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.0, while Broadcom is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3. Omnissa holds a 4.9% mindshare in VD, compared to Broadcom’s 9.1% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Omnissa users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

Horizon Cloud Service

Read 11 Horizon Cloud Service reviews

3,730 Views
3,506 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

VMware Workstation

Read 57 VMware Workstation reviews

15,503 Views
9,147 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Horizon Cloud Service

VMware Workstation

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

VMware Workstation and Horizon Cloud Service operate within the virtualization market, each meeting distinct requirements. VMware Workstation stands out for its user-friendly nature and cost-effectiveness, whereas Horizon Cloud Service is highlighted for its scalability and advanced functionality, appealing to businesses seeking comprehensive cloud-based solutions.

Features: VMware Workstation offers powerful virtual machine management, simultaneous multi-OS operation, and hardware device compatibility including USB and Bluetooth. Horizon Cloud Service provides seamless virtual desktop integration, scalable cloud infrastructure, and support across various platforms.

Room for Improvement: VMware Workstation could enhance its technical support and explore cloud capabilities for broader deployment. Horizon Cloud Service might improve its initial deployment process, simplify its configuration steps, and optimize pricing tiers for small to medium enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: VMware Workstation is easy to install on local machines, favored by individual users and small teams for its minimal setup complexity. Horizon Cloud Service, though requiring detailed initial configuration due to its cloud reliance, excels in providing extensive customer support particularly beneficial for larger organizations with complex needs.

Pricing and ROI: VMware Workstation is typically more affordable up front, appealing to smaller operations or personal users. In contrast, Horizon Cloud Service has higher initial costs but offers greater ROI for enterprises leveraging its scalable cloud functionalities, making it a sound investment for robust virtual desktop infrastructure needs.

To learn more, read our detailed Horizon Cloud Service vs. VMware Workstation Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service vs. VMware Workstation

September 2026

Download the complete report

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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

Horizon Cloud Service

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (3rd)

VMware Workstation

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Horizon Cloud Service is 4.9%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Workstation is 9.1%, down from 14.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
VMware Workstation	9.1%
Horizon Cloud Service	4.9%
Other	86.0%

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

SivaKuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

Centralized management enhances multi-cloud flexibility with cost efficiency improvements

The cost of Horizon Cloud Service is high, however, it could be optimized. The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help. Improvements in application performance, especially for resource-heavy applications like intensive 3D workloads, are needed. More built-in automation for routine tasks like patching and upgrading could reduce administrative effort.

Read full review

Gary Comorau

Director of IT at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees

Creating and destroying test machines has simplified our operations and reduced manual recovery time

The Snapshot feature has helped with workflows by allowing us to more easily reconstruct something if we lose it or need it. We've been making Snapshots on a consistent basis, mainly of servers. The VX Rail has worked effectively because we can create machines as we need them. It's helpful for resetting and has helped with our operations because I had set up failover servers on Vertex, but we don't have to do that anymore since VMware will just create a new machine immediately if we have a problem. We're doing our domain servers on there, and we've been very happy with that. We appreciate that we can create machines simply to test things out and then destroy them. I use it for a test machine for checking emails, so if the email has a virus in it, we can just destroy the machine and create a new one. We're slowly moving into the VMware environment, although the pricing with Broadcom has been a disaster.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Horizon Cloud Service provides deployment flexibility across multiple clouds with a scalable architecture that easily scales virtual desktops and applications up or down based on demand."

"The most valuable feature of VMware Horizon Cloud is all of its capabilities together."

"The product allows a VPN connection, adding extra value to its features."

"I honestly liked the application itself because it was just like using a desktop. You could copy and paste, inside and outside, and you could use multiple monitors. You could access it anytime, anywhere, no matter whether you were in the office or out of the office. I could leave the office, go somewhere, go back in, and everything would be there. I could just leave it up and running. I absolutely love this feature in VMware Horizon Cloud."

"VMware Horizon Cloud is easy to use and the full development cloud is very good."

"Its advanced management features are the most valuable, especially power management. One of the really important things was to be able to have power management in a consumption world. This means that unlike a Microsoft environment, you could actually turn off virtual desktops or have them start up and shut down. If you're consuming resources in the public cloud, you want to be able to do that because when you're not using those, such as at the weekend, you want to be able to turn them off. So, the advanced options for managing the BDIs are very important."

"The tool remains pretty stable."

"The product’s on-premise version has the ability to create an image of any updates or changes in the system."

More Horizon Cloud Service pros

"For all the interface customers, VMware is a one-stop solution for all the virtualization needs."

"We can undo some changes using the snapshot feature."

"I like that it's easy to use. It's easy to deploy virtual machines. You have to insert your ISO and the image of your OS and configure it. They provide a step-by-step guide, and you have to follow it. In the end, you have to start the machine, and that's all you have to do. I liked that they synchronized the mouse, keyboard, and everything. When you finish the installation, it directly links to your laptop. This makes copying and pasting things from my laptop inside the virtual machine easy."

"The product works well."

"Instead of relying on dual-boot operating systems, I can utilize open-source tools within my infrastructure. This approach allows me to create an in-house cloud platform suitable for testing. VMware Workstation enables me to perform tasks across various operating systems using a single device. It has helped me save time."

"The most valuable feature of VMware Player is the ability to snapshot with or without memory."

"The technical support is good."

"The product's initial setup phase was simple."

More VMware Workstation pros

Cons

"Our technical support of VMware is good, but the main problem is it takes a lot of time."

"It is very expensive. Its price needs to be improved. They can do a better job with external resources such as a USB or a hard drive. When I tried to connect using these external resources, it failed a lot of times. I had to do a shared connection with a local laptop and then connect from a network standpoint, rather than through VMware Horizon point. They definitely have weaknesses with external connections. A lot of companies probably don't let people use external connections because it defeats the purpose of having a cloud solution and keeping the data in a secure area. You can copy to an external device, and you can lose the data. A lot of companies may not focus on this feature, but if you are providing it, you should make it work."

"It can be very expensive to scale up because each part of scaling up requires you to have new components of the infrastructure."

"Logging into VMware Horizon Cloud could be made easier. Additionally, the VMs could be better in their performance."

"It is too expensive as compared to other solutions because of which we don't use it that much."

"There should be more emphasis on the Workspace One access part of the solution. This is essentially identity management provided with Horizon. There needs to be some kind of integration because you are able to have all of these desktops on any device, but you have to have this other component to make it easier from a single sign-on perspective. That's why there should be an emphasis on Workspace One access. It actually comes free with the product, but people don't really know how powerful it can be."

"The application remoting features have some room for improvement."

"The product has a lot of bugs."

More Horizon Cloud Service cons

"The initial setup is quite easy, but can be daunting to someone unfamiliar with desktop computing environments."

"I would like to see the stability improve. We have experienced some crashes on our devices."

"VMware Workstations is for desktop use only and is pricey."

"The problem we are facing with stability is that the network adapter causes crashes of the VM when we're using it for developing purposes."

"I would like to see more detailed reporting capabilities, particularly around snapshot activity. It would be helpful to have a summary of changes made prior to deploying an application, allowing us to provide comprehensive reports to our management on a regular basis."

"I would want to see features included that make deployment easier."

"One improvement is mouse emulation. Some people in the office want to use a five—or seven-button mouse like they're used to at home, but they can't with the workstation setup."

"The interface is a little wonky and needs to be improved."

More VMware Workstation cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"VMware Horizon Cloud is an expensive solution. This solution is approximately 30 percent more than Microsoft Azure Cloud. There can be extra costs."

"There is a license required for the use of this solution and there are different tier levels available."

"For what you get, it is very compelling. You've got to look at the total cost of ownership of this type of piece of software in terms of being able to utilize it as a cloud service. I don't have to run everything on-premises. When you look at the total cost of just being able to use it and then being able to point it to any public or private cloud, it is very compelling. You have one less thing to manage."

"I rate VMware Horizon Cloud pricing a ten out of ten."

"Initially, the product is cheap, but it starts to get expensive when users try to scale out."

"VMware Horizon Cloud is a low-cost solution. The model that they have is consumption-based. However, some features are expensive."

"It is too expensive as compared to other solutions because of which we don't use it that much. We tend to go more for Hyper-V or Azure just because VMware licensing is quite up there. We sway people away from VMware Horizon Cloud. We have some clients who already have it. They stay on it for a little while, and then most of them end up moving off when we provide them a better solution that isn't as license heavy cost-wise."

"With a VDI solution, there is always extra cost running a VDI solution but it's not for cost purposes anymore. In the beginning, it was to save money on hardware but at the moment it's other aspects that are more important why you should use a VDI solution."

"The tool is not the cheapest."

"VMware is expensive. Licensing can be tricky. For example, I recently had a client running VMware vSphere Essentials and wanted to migrate to a more scalable solution. However, they had no choice but to purchase a completely new license and deploy a completely new instance of VMware."

"Licensing costs are paid on a yearly basis."

"The price of the solution per workstation is approximately 200 Francs annually. We pay a total of 800 francs. Everything is included in the price such as the support."

"The product has a moderate price."

"The licensing costs are cheap. I pay approximately $100 per year."

"VMware Workstation is an expensive tool. I rate the product's price a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low or good price."

More VMware Workstation pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Performing Arts

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

12%

Manufacturing Company

University

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	33
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	18

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Horizon Cloud?

The cost is considered normal, not remarkable but not outrageous. In terms of expense, compared to other virtualization products, I would rate it as a six.

See all answers

What needs improvement with VMware Horizon Cloud?

The licensing model needs to be adjusted, as a cloud license is currently required even for on-premises devices. Horizon Cloud Service should continue improving their protocol and work with other h...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for VMware Horizon Cloud?

Our primary use case focuses on virtual desktop and application hosting. This is spread across different industries. We have a large number of employees, and we are one of the largest GSIs globally...

See all answers

Which VMware solution would you go with - Workstation or vSphere?

VM Workstation’s setup is so easy, you can use it almost instantly, it works well with Windows and Linux. We like VM Workstation primarily to test environments to determine how well a solution will...

See all answers

What needs improvement with VMware Player?

Here's what happened with us regarding the prices for VMware Workstation: we purchased everything through Dell, and as is common, we got busy and didn't get everything activated. By the time we tri...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for VMware Player?

I have a bunch of VMware servers set up, including our domain servers, our data servers, and some test machines on VMware. We're not really using VMware Workstation as workstations. We've got a cou...

See all answers

Comparisons

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 14% of the time

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 9% of the time

Nerdio vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 7% of the time

Amazon WorkSpaces vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 7% of the time

Sangfor aDesk VDI vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 4% of the time

More Horizon Cloud Service Competitors

VMware Fusion Pro vs VMware Workstation

Compared 14% of the time

Hyper-V vs VMware Workstation

Compared 11% of the time

Azure Virtual Desktop vs VMware Workstation

Compared 7% of the time

VMware vSphere vs VMware Workstation

Compared 7% of the time

Oracle VM VirtualBox vs VMware Workstation

Compared 6% of the time

More VMware Workstation Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service

October 2026

Download Horizon Cloud Service product report

Buyer's Guide

VMware Workstation

October 2026

Download VMware Workstation product report

Also Known As

VMware Horizon Cloud, VMware Horizon DaaS

No data available

Overview

Horizon Cloud Service offers stable, flexible access to virtual desktops anytime, anywhere. Its centralized cloud management and scalable architecture support hybrid environments.

Horizon Cloud Service provides a cloud-based desktop solution ideal for businesses seeking remote access and power management. With features like centralized management and dynamic environment handling, it supports a seamless desktop experience. While offering remote accessibility and advanced management, it aids in reducing infrastructure costs through cloud-based scalability. However, improvements are needed in VM performance and external connection support, with current licensing complexities posing a challenge. Designed for VDI and application hosting across platforms such as Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS, it enables secure remote working with efficient workload management.

What are the main features of Horizon Cloud Service?

Centralized Cloud Management: Efficiently manage desktops from a unified platform.
Dynamic Environment Management: Customize environments to suit user needs dynamically.
Remote Access: Access desktops from anywhere with high reliability.
Multiple Monitor Support: Enhanced user experience with multi-screen compatibility.
VPN Connectivity: Secure connections for remote access users.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Infrastructure Cost Reduction: Lower costs with cloud-based scaling.
Seamless Desktop Experience: Consistent user interface across devices.
Hybrid Environment Support: Foster versatile deployment methods across clouds.
Flexible Deployment: Accommodate diverse business needs with adjustable solutions.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and education, Horizon Cloud Service facilitates secure remote operations and automates cloud-based machine generation, supporting hybrid workspaces for resource-efficient deployment.

Omnissa

VMware Workstation offers virtualization with a user-friendly approach, allowing multiple OS to run on a single machine. It supports snapshots, backups, and comes with high-quality graphics and USB support, ideal for development and software testing.

VMware Workstation is known for its ease of use, making it a popular choice for both educational and professional environments. Its support for multiple platforms, user-friendly setup for virtual machines, and third-party software compatibility provide a reliable solution for running diverse operating systems simultaneously. Users benefit from features like network virtualization, resource allocation, and folder sharing, providing a streamlined approach to workload management. While it excels in creating isolated virtual environments ideal for testing and development, areas of improvement include resource management, pricing strategies, and comprehensive documentation for non-expert users. Enhancements in performance, stability, and network configuration compatibility, particularly with macOS, could further elevate its standing.

What are the key features of VMware Workstation?

Virtualization: Run multiple operating systems on one machine efficiently.
Snapshots and Backups: Safe rollback to previous states with ease.
High-Quality Graphics: Excellent rendering for graphic-intensive applications.
USB Device Support: Seamless connectivity for USB devices across platforms.
Network Virtualization: Simplifies network setup within virtual machines.

What benefits do users find in VMware Workstation?

Versatility in Testing: Effective environment for developing and testing applications.
Ease of Use: Intuitive interface reducing the learning curve for new users.
Enhanced Productivity: Efficiently manage multiple workloads in a single setup.
Educational Resource: Demonstrates system features effectively in learning setups.

Many industries implement VMware Workstation to create streamlined testing environments and manage virtual machines for various development needs. Companies use it to deploy specific configurations securely, offering a robust setup for application testing and management of legacy systems. In education, it allows instructors to showcase system functionalities efficiently, supporting diverse learning objectives.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Marriott, Sprint

Akademiska Hus

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service vs. VMware Workstation

September 2026

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