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Azure Virtual Desktop vs Workspace ONE UEM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Azure Virtual Desktop
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Workspace ONE UEM
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (10th), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (2nd), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (14th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Azure Virtual Desktop is 7.5%, up from 5.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workspace ONE UEM is 2.8%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Azure Virtual Desktop7.5%
Workspace ONE UEM2.8%
Other89.7%
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
 

Featured Reviews

RC
Senior Advisor at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Enhanced collaboration and security with seamless remote access has transformed work efficiency
We can integrate anything with Azure Virtual Desktop from an application perspective. The App-V has evolved into MSIX. To deliver an application to Azure Virtual Desktop, MSIX can be used by expanding it as a virtual hard disk and attaching it to the virtual machine. When this is done, users who need the application will have immediate access through Active Directory group assignment. One challenge with Virtual Desktop infrastructure is application delivery. From an infrastructure perspective, it's beneficial as we can have a fallback point - if one machine is down, we can have a disaster recovery site for redirection. The delivery of applications is a tedious process. Microsoft is working on building new products for efficient application installation. This feature might be included in upcoming releases. Currently, it's burdensome for IT administrators to create applications compatible with Virtual Desktop infrastructure, unlike traditional machines where direct installation is possible.
Vishal Bhatia - PeerSpot reviewer
Trainer/Consultant at Koenig Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Effective product tracking and monitoring enhances daily operations despite needing documentation improvement
The documentation part of Workspace ONE UEM can be confusing. The documentation is not comprehensive compared to other VMware solutions or Microsoft documentation. Most people struggle to connect the dots when looking at the documentation. Even the training material and PowerPoint slide decks that trainers use are sometimes too confusing or overwhelming, with too much content but not enough clarity. The support side has recently become weaker compared to what it used to be with VMware. This is another area that needs improvement. Since working with Workspace ONE UEM from when it was AirWatch, it has improved significantly over the last five years. However, there are still some gray areas and scope for improvement, especially in documentation and workflow between different aspects of the solution.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Azure Virtual Desktop is stable and provides a 100% stable experience."
"Azure pricing is quite cheap due to licensing benefits with Microsoft."
"The biggest advantages are the price and flexibility."
"Azure Virtual Desktop enables anyone connecting to Microsoft to use MFA (multi-factor authentication), totally secured to connect and has end-to-end encryption through tunnel encryption."
"I rate the overall solution nine out of ten."
"The best feature is scalability, as it can be used from anywhere."
"The scalability is probably the most valuable feature since I can quickly add or remove machines or increase or decrease the size depending on resources to manage the cost better."
"Scalability is very straightforward with Azure Virtual Desktop."
"The solution's Self-Service feature is valuable because it gives a single managed application that users can download and use based on their preferences and productivity."
"I found the initial setup to be easy."
"The Workspace ONE UEM interface is very easy to understand; there are not many doubts regarding configuration and providing use cases, so it's good."
"The most valuable feature is the User Experience Designer, which has been very helpful for our project."
"Workspace ONE UEM's best features are that you can track and monitor all the products, with a wide range of supported devices like Android, Apple, and Windows, and it offers easy application and email management along with effective compliance and health attestation capabilities."
"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."
"It has improved the way our organization functions; it provides security, and if an employee loses his or her phone or someone steals it, the data on the phone itself is secured because you can just centrally disable everything, so you only lose the device but not the data."
"The technical support is very good, the agent was always helpful and responsive."
 

Cons

"The costs are a bit difficult to predict upfront. When I am trying to sell it to a customer as a consultant, it is hard to give them a fixed price."
"Access from Entra ID should be implemented to provide only tenant access to users connecting to the Azure Virtual Desktop environment, eliminating the need for on-premises requirements."
"There are challenges when upgrading the OS from Windows 10 to Windows 11, such as facing a black screen during testing. It is essential for Microsoft to ensure better testing and smoother transitions when decommissioning previous versions."
"The main issue is the response time, which needs improvement to be faster."
"Azure is vast, and perhaps an architect-level experience could provide more insights into potential improvements."
"The primary area for improvement is around the scalability of Azure, specifically on the desktop side."
"I see areas for improvement in Azure Virtual Desktop, specifically regarding cost, as it is a little bit expensive."
"My overall rating of Azure Virtual Desktop is five out of ten. While the stability and cost-effectiveness are commendable, there is room for improvement in technical support."
"The main negative issue is the cost of licensing."
"They need a more flexible pricing model."
"The mobile device repository is somewhat difficult to manage with a large user base."
"Support is absolutely horrible. If I was not escalating through the account team that I've got, I would have practically no support on it whatsoever."
"They could provide DLP integration for applications and specific user account security."
"Our customers are concerned about the costs. The solution is higher than they want it to be."
"Setup is not too complex."
"The initial setup should be simplified."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"AirWatch would benefit from reducing the license pricing per user per month. Microsoft bundles everything, and then that bundling makes the product free for the customers."
"I rate the product price a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."
"A person should pay towards the licensing costs of VMware Identity Manager on a yearly or monthly basis, but government and public sector units cannot for a perpetual licensing model."
"The solution is about $45 per device for a 12 month subscription. The price is standard across the world."
"For the moment, we have a multi-year contract, meaning that we cannot go with a different solution at this time even if the price should prove more favorable."
"The solution can be costly when the customer is dealing with multiple platforms. If a customer is only dealing with iOS, Windows, and Android then Intune is the better choice because there are free licenses."
"While the platform offers comprehensive solutions, it can be expensive, especially if you only need it for occasional testing and deployment."
"There is a separate cost for technical support and extra premium features. The pricing should be simplified."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
25%
Outsourcing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business40
Midsize Enterprise22
Large Enterprise60
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Virtual Desktop?
The usual amount customers pay for this tool varies. I have seen large deployments catering to 500 or 700 users. Enterprises do use it, and they pay quite a bit for this.
What needs improvement with Azure Virtual Desktop?
I see areas for improvement in Azure Virtual Desktop, specifically regarding cost, as it is a little bit expensive. However, when you account for replacing dedicated hardware and the maintenance it...
What is your primary use case for Azure Virtual Desktop?
We use RDP with Azure and have some virtual desktops. A major use case for Azure Virtual Desktop is that we give access to external consultants so they can access our information and interact with ...
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 it easy to control security and manage the usage of mobile apps when you have a ...
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 setup is easy, and the product is very stable and reliable. I think the fact th...
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 solution, the price seems worth it. VMware Workspace ONE customers usually pay o...
 

Also Known As

No data available
VMware Workspace ONE, VMware AirWatch, Workspace ONE Assist, VMware Identity Manager, Workspace ONE Access, VMware Horizon Air
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
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
Find out what your peers are saying about Azure Virtual Desktop vs. Workspace ONE UEM and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.