

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and Horizon 8 compete in the virtual desktop solutions category. Horizon 8 is viewed more favorably for its features, whereas Microsoft excels in pricing and support satisfaction.
Features: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services supports terminal-based connections, allowing multiple devices to access a server for application execution. It emphasizes secure sessions and centralized management for installation and updates. Horizon 8 is known for advanced virtual machine provisioning and strong graphics support, suitable for enterprises needing swift provisioning, including instant clones and centralized management features.
Room for Improvement: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve network performance and introduce more clientless access options. Users seek faster speeds and automated application setups. Horizon 8 could have better platform integration, enhanced monitoring, and clearer licensing terms.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers smooth integration in on-premises and hybrid cloud environments, with simpler deployment processes. Support is mostly praised, although slower response times are noted. Horizon 8 supports hybrid and public clouds but requires more technical expertise, and support quality varies by provider.
Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is cost-effective, often included free for Windows environments, though licensing can be complex. It provides good value for essential remote access. Horizon 8, despite high upfront costs and complex licensing, offers a strong ROI through hardware savings and administrative efficiency, reflecting premium features appropriate for enterprises but posing challenges for smaller businesses.
By unlocking a locked situation, I mean we couldn't connect to a server in any other way, so we had to use RDP.
The main areas needing improvement are response speed and quality of answers.
The support team is helpful and offers assistance.
Our support from VMware expired last December.
My impression is that most of the solutions, especially today, make sense for large corporations with 2000 seats or more.
Especially with the integration of NVIDIA, we experience multiple problems including crashing applications, crashing desktops, spontaneous logoffs, black screens, and systems that no longer respond or cannot reconnect.
We can scale by adding additional servers and connection servers.
I would like to see improvements in Horizon 8, specifically integration with NVIDIA for graphical performance upgrades because it creates many issues such as crashing and black screen systems, causing users to lose access to their current desktop and work.
We have limited capabilities since we are not using a multi-instance solution, just single instances.
For Horizon 8, it would be beneficial to integrate more monitoring capabilities in advanced editions.
On macOS, we sometimes experience keyboard connectivity issues.
It should be easier to create a template and duplicate users.
The only problem I see is that when I am connected, there is a certain lag because of the network.
I rate the cost-effectiveness of GenApp of Citrix equal to our CMS; it is quite cost-effective.
After VMware was bought by Broadcom, the pricing was ridiculous, but now that Onmises has VMware Horizon 8, the pricing is back to an acceptable level.
These licenses are not cheap, as they add up in cost.
Centralized management of desktops is one of the main reasons customers choose this solution.
The solution has data leak prevention features that ensure data is not copied from the base machine to VDI.
From a security point of view, security in Horizon 8 is one of the main points in keeping the system resources from the company away from bad actors. You can keep the desktops completely isolated, and you don't need to share your file shares or database with the end-user system.
The main benefits that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services provide to me include streamlining my working process, ensuring security, and offering flexibility to connect to virtual desktops and apps from multiple devices.
Using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has helped my team save time and improve productivity because we had Microsoft servers that were impossible to connect from our MacBook Pro laptops, and once we started using RDP, we could connect and move forward to deliver the project.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services positively impacts my organization because it makes the job and work easier for all.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Horizon 8 | 6.9% |
| Microsoft Remote Desktop Services | 6.0% |
| Other | 87.1% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 61 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 22 |
| Large Enterprise | 44 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 40 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 16 |
| Large Enterprise | 31 |
VMware Horizon is a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution designed to allow users to create secure and scalable virtual desktops and applications that work on any device, from any location. These virtualization capabilities help simplify and speed up application delivery and greatly reduce enterprise costs.
VMware Horizon’s centralized management console provides IT admins with comprehensive control over all of their virtual desktops and applications, making them simple to manage and secure. The solution enables using features such as identity and access management, multi-factor authentication, and encryption, to ensure ultimate data protection.
Some of key the benefits of using VMware Horizon include:
Some of the top features of VMware Horizon include:
Reviews from Real Users
VMware Horizon stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Several major ones are its high performance, flexibility, and powerful virtualization capabilities.
Natnael A., a consultant at IWM Network Solutions, writes, “The app virtualizing is a great feature. The system developers use it to deliver apps to targeted staff. It basically reduces the server infrastructure resource. The solution provides good functionality.”
Rob M., a systems administrator at Saint Tammany Parish Hospital, says, “The solution has provided flexibility by allowing an end user to remote in, log in, and get their VM. VDI session and have all the icons and applications they need to use and retain the same booking view regardless of location.”
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is a highly regarded remote access tool in addition to being a top-ranked Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution in the marketplace today.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is a suite of valuable elements of the Windows operating system (OS) that serve specific desired objectives. Microsoft RDS integrates various features that allow approved users to gain access to graphical desktops and Windows applications remotely. Approved users are able to deploy applications or even a complete desktop without having to install anything on their devices. Everything remains in the cloud. This ensures that there are never any compatibility issues and keeps the organization's original network secure at all times. Administrators are also able to ensure that data cannot be stored in any unapproved location, such as the local device, unapproved drives, or any other location.
Microsoft RDS makes it easy for business organizations to access Windows Desktops and other Windows applications remotely to ensure today’s busy enterprise organizations are able to maintain the highest levels of productivity at all times. There are two basic ways organizations can effectively utilize RDS.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Benefits
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has many benefits. Some of its most valuable benefits include:
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services makes it easy for busy enterprise organizations to stay productive and remain competitive in today’s aggressive marketplace. An organization's end-users can be given access to their own specific desktops from any location, anytime, using any approved device. Additionally, users can access Microsoft applications without having an effect on their device's resource capacity or performance.
Reviews from Real Users
“What I found most valuable in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is accessibility because the solution lets you take control of your computer remotely, and that's a good feature.” Pascal B., IT consultant at Secoptrial
“The most valuable features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services are unification, central management, and accessibility.” Jan S. Solution Architect at a tech services company
“The most valuable features are that it is fast and cost-effective. I am not aware of a replacement currently on the market.” Ramon H. Director at Empaco
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