Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Workspace ONE UEM comparison

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM

Download the complete report

Helped 850,043 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

Microsoft Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.4%, down from 11.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 10.5%, down from 14.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workspace ONE UEM is 6.2%, down from 12.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Remote Access

Featured Reviews

Joseph Merusi

Collaborations engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Everything has worked better since we started using it

Sometimes the syncing is inconsistent. I'm confident that the devices are checking in every eight hours, but sometimes the devices aren't picking up the settings as quickly as I would expect. Some features haven't been updated in a while, and Microsoft doesn't seem interested in developing them. Unless you talk to an engineer, you don't know whether there will be an update. There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now. Some reporting areas still need development. For example, I noticed that the reporting for driver updates is still confusing.

Read full review

Terje Romen

CEO & Owner at Mono AS

Accessing the same desktop experience from anywhere but user template creation needs improvement

Mostly we are quite happy with it. However, some of us want a more powerful desktop. When not present, we use a remote tool called Splashtop, which is a good solution for some users. We have about ten licenses for those who need a powerful workstation at the office. We have not used many different tools. We are never in contact with Microsoft. These are quite basic configurations, to be honest. It's not complicated. AI is coming to or is already in some applications we are using. Not system-wise, however, it might be good. I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. It's quite good, yet certainly not perfect.

Read full review

Joel Amate

Project Engineer at CTC

The solution is stable, scalable, and offers single sign-on

I give the solution a nine out of ten. I suggest if a person wants to start using Workspace ONE, they should make use of the cloud instance instead of the on-premise instance. There is an on-premise instance available, but the cloud instance is a better option now. I advise them to make use of the cloud instance. This is because management-wise, there is no need to manage a server. For example, we don't need to buy a server, and we don't need to buy network switches, which are required for the on-premise. At the same time, I can advise setting up all the functionalities or whatever functionalities are available for the trial version. We need to check if the Workspace ONE integration includes Azure AD or other identity providers. A lot of applications are using these providers for authentication, such as Ping, Okta, and others. If the Workspace ONE integration doesn't include these providers, the company might have to find a different solution. Security projects should also be considered. Specifically, if the solution can integrate with local security solutions to secure mobile devices.

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

"The best part of Intune is application deployment. We can deploy an application to several users with a single click. We can use conditional access, granting access to users based on certain conditions, such as location, platform, etc."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Intune is patching-related capabilities."

"The automatic patching is the most valuable feature of Intune."

"The best features include the management, which is quite good, and endpoints."

"The ability to send configurations to our systems is valuable, particularly as we don't have a regular Windows AD server. Our current environment doesn't have a Windows AD, which limits our ability to push GPOs. However, this is where the solution can step in and help us push policies."

"I haven't used other mobile device management solutions, but compared to SCCM, we eliminate a lot of on-premises infrastructure and maintenance by using Intune."

"It is absolutely a positive investment."

"This product offers an alternative solution to other UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) solutions."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"The installation of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was easy."

"The technical support is good."

"In terms of the valuable features, I like the profile, the new version is really good."

"The installation is straightforward."

"I would recommend Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, especially for general support."

"The most valuable part of RDS is that it allows you to work from any location and check the server through a VPN connection."

"The solution now includes a multi-screen feature which is great."

"The solution is now stable."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pros

"The most valuable feature is the security policies."

"The most valuable feature is the interface with SCAP, which is the Security Content Automation Protocol."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the multi-platform support."

"The most valuable feature depends on the use case of the clients. However, one feature I like is the Kiosk Mode. In the Kiosk Mode in most cases, the clients only can make available one application developed by the solution and permit the employee or the final client to use only this one application for interaction. This provides a security control layer limiting only one application functionally."

"It helps the end users to work on the road without needing to set up all kinds of VPN connections"

"The most valuable features in VMware Identity Manager for me are the control groups and rules."

"We used to have a system before, Mac OS Open Directory server and this open directory became obsolete because Apple decided to stop the enterprise market, so there was no other alternative for us to use. We chose this to replace the open directory and we found that it has many more features than the previous solution. We totally rely on it right now to manage all the devices on campus."

"The platform provides a stable environment for operations and quickly creates new environments. Additionally, it offers efficient flexibility."

More Workspace ONE UEM pros

Cons

"I, as such, do not have any specific inputs or needs. However, there is always room for improvement when it comes to scalability."

"The configuration and pricing can be improved."

"At this time, I do not have any areas for improvement. I have heard about some downtime, but I am not in the local IT team."

"Areas for improvement in Intune include expanding support beyond Samsung devices to accommodate other Android manufacturers like Redmi and Motorola."

"I rate Microsoft customer service six out of 10. While some technicians go above and beyond, there is inconsistency, and connecting with the most helpful representatives is occasionally challenging."

"The reporting part needs improvement, and it would be beneficial if it could integrate with third-party tools instead of just Power BI."

"Intune's server management could be better. If it could incorporate more features from System Center into Intune's Configuration Manager, it would be beneficial."

"A detailed device diagnostic feature is missing. Also, operating system deployment and imaging are missing."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is its security and simple configuration."

"The only problems that you're going to have with the remote desktop are going to be firewall ports, security, and NLA, which is a net network level access control, or TLS transfer layer security or some other SSL-type of security."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could improve by having graphical acceleration."

"Security in the connection between us and our clients' servers is something that can be improved."

"Sometimes, the updates break the system."

"We had some instability during the implementation process. This has since been resolved."

"We'd like, in the future, if it would work with Linux or Unix-based operating systems or even Mac."

"It could be made simpler from a management perspective."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services cons

"The integration on the application side could improve."

"We're unhappy with the quality of support we get for it. We're unhappy with how upgrades occur, so we are migrating away from it. We have an on-premise AirWatch solution and for us to do upgrades we have to call AirWatch to be able to perform the upgrades. They're busy, and scheduling it is not timely enough for us."

"The length of time it takes to deploy an application could improve."

"The setup was very difficult. It was not as easy as I had expected."

"There are other solutions that might be better for certain use cases. This is not an all-purpose solution."

"They need a more flexible pricing model."

"I prefer to work with Jamf Pro because it is more specific to working with the iPad features."

"When we had some issues, the support did not respond quickly, and they did not provide a solution."

More Workspace ONE UEM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's affordable. In comparison to the competitors, the price depends on what features you need from Intune, but it's affordable. There are no hidden costs, but there are some features that go for a premium price. Those are the add-ons for which you have to pay extra."

"There is a license required to use the solution. If you're core users in Office 365, for example, you have Outlook email and E3 license, this is only email. You have to buy an EMS license to have Microsoft Intune. It is expensive."

"The product is offered as part of a Microsoft standard bundle. The pricing can be competitive to Airwatch, and Maas360."

"Its price is fair. It's a normal price. It isn't too expensive or too cheap."

"The pricing for Intune and the competitor products are all within the same range, there is no true advantage when it comes to cost."

"The price of Intune is often included as part of a bundle with other Microsoft licenses, which makes it somewhat cheaper."

"Intune is linked with Microsoft. We can deploy the Microsoft E365 license to users by Intune. There are different types of licenses, such as device administrator licenses, E5 licenses for device enrollment manually, and P1 and p2 licenses for device enrollment automatically. These are the licenses required for the administration."

"It is not a cheap solution. The price for a device when you start using it at a large scale can be improved. It is covered under our enterprise agreement. We pay once a year. I am not aware of any additional costs."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

"We do not have to pay for the product."

"The tool must be cheaper."

"It's not an expensive solution."

"I am aware that for Azure we do have an extra license because we are leveraging on different tenants."

"The price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is reasonable."

"The solution is expensive. Since things are made to be a bit easier in the solution, the solution's cost is a bit on the higher side."

"It will probably cost about $500 USD to get the resources set up in the cloud."

"The pricing could always be improved."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pricing and cost advice

"The tool is expensive."

"My guess is that its licensing was yearly. There was probably no fee in addition to the standard licensing fee."

"The price of VMware Workspace ONE is expensive. However, for the features that are provided, the price is reasonable. There is a subscription to use the solution."

"There is a separate cost for technical support and extra premium features. The pricing should be simplified."

"We are paying about $145,000 a year on a three-year subscription with no ability to scale up or scale down within that class model."

"You should take out a dedicated license agreement of your MDM fleet and invest heavily in innovating in this space."

"I rate the product price a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

"Currently, the product is priced at around 50 USD."

More Workspace ONE UEM pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Remote Access solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

850,043 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

20%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?

Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...

What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...

How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...

What do you like most about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

The tool shares computer resources perfectly.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

I've never had an issue with it. I've always thought the pricing for RDS was reasonable.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

We would like configuration to be automatic and the price to be close to zero, however, that's not realistic. Everyon...

How does VMware Workspace One compare with VMware Horizon 7?

VMware Workspace One has a powerful set of helpful features. The solution offers very good documentation, the initial...

What do you like most about VMware Workspace ONE?

The platform provides a stable environment for operations and quickly creates new environments. Additionally, it offe...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Workspace ONE?

I would rate the pricing a three out of ten. It's a highly affordable solution. If a customer knows the value of the ...

Jamf Pro vs Microsoft Intune

Comparisons

Compared 13% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 8% of the time

ManageEngine Endpoint Central vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 5% of the time

Samsung Knox vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 4% of the time

More Microsoft Intune Competitors

Horizon 8 vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 21% of the time

Apache Guacamole vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 12% of the time

TeamViewer vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 8% of the time

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 8% of the time

Parallels Access vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 7% of the time

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Competitors

Horizon 8 vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 7% of the time

SOTI MobiControl vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 7% of the time

Jamf Pro vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 6% of the time

ManageEngine Endpoint Central vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 5% of the time

More Workspace ONE UEM Competitors

Product Reports

Microsoft Intune

Download Microsoft Intune product report

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Download Microsoft Remote Desktop Services product report

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services report

Workspace ONE UEM

Download Workspace ONE UEM product report

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

Remote Desktop Services

VMware Workspace ONE, VMware AirWatch, Workspace ONE Assist, VMware Identity Manager, Workspace ONE Access, VMware Horizon Air

Overview

Microsoft Intune provides centralized management of mobile devices and applications, ensuring security, compliance, and productivity through integration with Microsoft services like Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory.

Organizations use Intune for managing mobile devices and applications, enhancing security and compliance across platforms. With features like single sign-on, conditional access, and zero-touch deployment via Autopilot, it facilitates efficient operations. Intune's scalability, easy enrollment, and capabilities such as remote wipe support diverse device management, offering robust data protection and efficient operation. Despite its features, improvement areas include reporting, compatibility with non-Microsoft devices, and better support for macOS and Linux devices.

What are the key features of Microsoft Intune?

Seamless Integration: Works with Microsoft 365, Azure Active Directory, and System Center for streamlined management.
Conditional Access: Enhances security with policies that restrict access based on conditions.
Autopilot: Provides zero-touch deployment for setting up new devices efficiently.
Mobile Device Management: Enables control over both personal and corporate devices.
Application Deployment: Facilitates app delivery across a range of devices.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Centralized Management: Reduces complexity by managing devices and applications in one place.
Security Enhancement: Protects data with features like remote wipe and compliance monitoring.
Improved Productivity: Enhances efficiency with seamless integration and automation features.
Device Scalability: Supports diverse device management for growing business needs.

In industries such as finance, healthcare, and education, Microsoft Intune is implemented to ensure secure and compliant device management. Companies leverage its capabilities to deploy security policies and manage both corporate-owned and BYOD environments, facilitating a unified approach to data protection and compliance.

Microsoft

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 Component: This allows users to connect with various alternate desktops from their current device. Once the user has gained a secure connection based on the approved administrative permissions, the user can seamlessly access and interact with the remote desktop. Users have the feeling of having this new virtual desktop installed directly on their machine.

RemoteApp: Users are able to easily access cloud-based applications via their own personal desktop computers or other approved mobile devices. This application ensures overall application management is centralized and consistent throughout the entire business enterprise.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Benefits

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has many benefits. Some of its most valuable benefits include:

Access Windows applications remotely from any device
Enhanced consistent application performance
Increased computing resources
Secure cloud-based data storage.
Streamlined management processes
Reduction in technical administrative resources
Reduction in hardware and device costs.
Improved employee productivity
Cost-effective
Improved Profitability
Reduce carbon footprint

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

Microsoft

VMware Workspace ONE is an intelligence-driven digital workspace platform that delivers any app on any device. It integrates access control, multi-platform endpoint management, and application management. With the VMware Workspace ONE platform, IT teams can deliver a digital workspace that includes the devices and apps of the company’s choice, but with security and control.

VMware Workspace ONE is available:

As a cloud service
On-premises
Hybrid

VMware Workspace ONE Key Features

Simple app authentication: VMware Workspace ONE allows end-users to have password-less single sign-on, giving them access to virtually any app (mobile apps, web apps, cloud apps, and Windows apps).
Unified Endpoint Management options: VMware Workspace ONE aims to support all devices, offering convenience, access, security, and management that will work for any business.
Conditional access: VMware Workspace ONE provides a powerful policy engine to help you make dynamic decisions regarding end-user access rights and to protect sensitive information.
Automated app management: With VMware Workspace ONE the application delivery process can be automated, which improves security and compliance. Software packages can be automatically installed, updated, and removed, and automated workflows can also be created.

VMware Workspace ONE Benefits

Some of the benefits of using VMware Workspace ONE include:

Less IT intervention necessary: Because VMware Workspace ONE has simple app authentication, end-users can help themselves by selecting the applications they need rather than having IT intervene.
Smoother employee onboarding: Transform employee onboarding by enabling self-service access to the apps your end-users need to complete their job duties.
Compliance: VMware Workspace ONE helps end-users reach compliance by using advanced device restrictions.
Real-time visibility: You can have real-time visibility with application, device, and console events that provide detailed information for system monitoring. You can also view logs in the console or export pre-defined reports.

Workspace ONE Components

Workspace ONE Access
Workspace ONE UEM
VMware Workspace ONE® Intelligence
VMware Unified Access Gateway
Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub

Reviews from Real Users

Below is some feedback from our PeerSpot users who are currently using the solution:

PeerSpot user Patrick B., Cybersecurity Architect at a tech services company, says, "Its UI is extremely easy to use whether you're an advanced user or a novice user. When I first opened it up and had to learn the product, I was easily a novice. By the end of the third month, I was digging into the backend of the system and using it as a highly advanced user to accomplish what I needed to accomplish, and I was able to do it through the UI mostly."

Roshan T., Partner Manager North America at a tech company, mentions how satisfied he is with the product, saying, "You can put all your applications on a mobile device, be it a phone or tablet. It is secure and easy to use. Because it is centrally managed, you don't have to do any configuration on the phone. I just got the phone and connected to the central applications. I just downloaded one thing and everything got rolled out. Email, calendar, and other things were deployed centrally. If you don't have AirWatch, you have to configure your phone manually. For example, you need to deploy and configure your email manually and then synchronize everything. It is much simpler when a mobile device is centrally managed."

Omnissa

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

Bank Alfalah Ltd.

Australian Sports Commission, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Lomond School, Merck, United Bank, Medical College of Wisconsin, Latymer Upper School, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust, Dowling Aaron Inc., Trillium Lakelands District School Board, Harrogate Grammar School, Duke University Football, Delta Air Lines, Adventist Health System, Giochi Preziosi, Cramlington Learning Village, Intermountain Healthcare, Safexpress, TAG Aviation

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM