Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Microsoft App-V vs Microsoft Virtual Server comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

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

Microsoft App-V
Ranking in Application Virtualization
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Virtual Server
Ranking in Application Virtualization
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Application Virtualization category, the mindshare of Microsoft App-V is 22.7%, down from 24.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Virtual Server is 2.0%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Virtualization
 

Featured Reviews

SN
Legacy software is maintained effectively, offering cost savings and integration flexibility
I believe there is no room for improvement in Microsoft App-V since it is officially at the end of life. Microsoft does not negotiate extensions for their end-of-life solutions. It has been a great tool over the years, but the company has managed to write most applications to bring them up to date, many written from scratch or as web-based applications. It's highly likely that we will decommission the Microsoft App-V solutions next year, keeping backups for a period until the new applications stabilize. I'm confident that once they transition to newer versions, they will phase out Microsoft App-V just like they do with operating systems. When Microsoft decides to close a version, such as Windows 10-22H2 or 21-H2, it happens. Paying for extended support is costly and, in the end, not worth it. Organizations must think of alternatives, possibly leaning towards MSIX, although MSIX doesn't support very old software used on Windows XP or 2000, which raises doubts about what can truly be improved. It's clear they won't introduce anything new; they will only provide security patches as they approach the end-of-life timeline.
CharlesChang - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient resource management and cost savings benefit usage
I do not get the detail of the money saved, but I am not a system engineer, so I do not know how much we saved. From one to 10, I would give it eight in terms of expense. It is deployed on-premises. In general, I rate my overall experience with Microsoft Virtual Server as an eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Microsoft App-V is a simple, very good working product that just works."
"The most interesting and powerful feature for us is the fact that we can upgrade any kind of app instantly."
"We can deploy applications incredibly fast."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft App-V that I found is the possibility to bring old software back to life and publish it for users to do their jobs using those applications."
"I appreciate the process of being able to change or review my answers."
"It is very easy to use from an administration point of view."
"From my experience with Microsoft App-V, the feature I liked the most is the streaming."
"It is easy to scale. You can quickly deploy additional instances. Rollbacks are easy because there is an automatic backup every hour. Deploying the application is straightforward and efficient."
"The performance, pricing, and PowerShell commands are valuable features."
"I appreciate the ease and speed with which I can set up and manage virtual machines using Microsoft Virtual Server."
"The dashboard is valuable to us."
"Microsoft Virtual Server is a highly scalable solution."
"It is easy to use. It offers good compatibility with other operating systems. That's one of the reasons I used it."
"It is stable and easy to use."
"The most valuable feature is the tool's cheap cost."
"You can detach and reuse the storage drive without disrupting the virtual server, which is quite useful. Additionally, it provides options like network security groups to protect virtual machines from unauthorized access."
 

Cons

"The reporting features could be improved."
"Microsoft App-V is more suited for legacy software usage, and trying to make it work in that context usually feels tricky and unreliable."
"The downside is that Microsoft bought this product and they are going to discontinue it in 2026. This is worrisome for us."
"There is definitely room for improvement with Microsoft App-V, especially in terms of enhancing troubleshooting resources and user guidance."
"Microsoft App-V has been slow, and users experience delays when launching applications, which presents significant challenges."
"The process was streamlined but didn't make our work simple. We encountered an issue with the person responsible for designing the website."
"Regarding improvements in Microsoft App-V, I would appreciate seeing the successor, MSIX, work better, as nothing is going to be implemented anymore since it is end of life by the end of the year."
"If it were possible to integrate App-V with a cybersecurity solution then we could implement a documentation registry, which would be useful."
"The main thing that could be improved is the licensing cost."
"There could be more security features included in the product."
"The bandwidth to Singapore could be scaled better."
"The solution should be more user-friendly and cheaper."
"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"The tool must provide more freedom to the customer."
"The solution's user interface could be improved."
"The platform could provide more integration and stability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Clients do not pay licensing fees."
"The pricing of this product is competitive."
"The price of this product could be better."
"The cost can also be optimized by changing the size of the implementation."
"Microsoft Virtual Server’s licensing is expensive."
"There is no need for me to pay anything towards the solution's licensing costs."
"The solution has a yearly license. If we switch to a yearly subscription plan for Microsoft Virtual Server, it would be cheaper in the long run. The price per month would be higher, but the overall cost for the year would be lower."
"It is an expensive platform. I rate its pricing an eight out of ten."
"Microsoft Virtual Server is a low-cost solution."
"Some of the licensing costs are monthly, and others are yearly."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Virtualization solutions are best for your needs.
865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Government
9%
Healthcare Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft App-V?
Regarding pricing, I believe flexibility would help retain customers. Costs could be more adaptable to meet varying budgets.
What needs improvement with Microsoft App-V?
There is definitely room for improvement with Microsoft App-V, especially in terms of enhancing troubleshooting resources and user guidance.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft App-V?
I have been using Microsoft App-V for quite some time, and I can describe my use cases, which include various applications that enhance productivity.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Virtual Server?
I am not involved much in cost-related matters but heard from management that it is a better choice.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Virtual Server?
There is room for improvement in the user interface, which could be more user-friendly. Additionally, introducing a .NET experience with a drag-and-drop feature would enhance ease of report formati...
 

Also Known As

App-V, MS App-V
Virtual Server, MS Virtual Server
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), GDDKiA, P&V, Etisalat Lanka, Hellenic Petroleum
Paylocity, ASELSAN, Sochi Organizing Committee, Supervisor of Elections, Orange County, Florida, Netgem, Nav Canada, The British & Irish Lions
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft App-V vs. Microsoft Virtual Server and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,384 professionals have used our research since 2012.