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Azure Virtual Desktop vs Workspace ONE UEM comparison

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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)
4th
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)
8th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (10th), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (5th), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (15th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Azure Virtual Desktop is 6.6%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workspace ONE UEM is 3.1%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Azure Virtual Desktop6.6%
Workspace ONE UEM3.1%
Other90.3%
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

"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."
"Azure Virtual Desktop is stable and provides a 100% stable experience."
"Azure pricing is quite cheap due to licensing benefits with Microsoft."
"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've always found Azure Virtual Desktop to work for me without issues."
"The cost-effectiveness of Azure Virtual Machines is one of the most valuable features."
"The biggest advantages are the price and flexibility."
"The best feature is scalability, as it can be used from anywhere."
"I found the initial setup to be easy."
"Overall, this is a pretty good product that can do many things."
"Its UI is extremely easy to use whether you're an advanced user or a novice user."
"The feature with the highest rating for me is its employee management. I can also praise how versatile it is in terms of operating systems. It has good support for multiple operating systems and can easily manage them all. Not just that, but it can also support any kind of tool that can be run on all these operating systems."
"The platform makes the mobile device management process straightforward to handle."
"What I found most valuable in VMware Workspace ONE is that it's user-friendly."
"VMware Workspace ONE can ease the jobs of the IT department in an organization by allowing clear visibility on devices and compliance issues."
"The Identity component of this solution is its most valuable feature."
 

Cons

"The initial setup of Azure Virtual Desktop overall is complex. The complexities I've noticed are with application optimizations, and it can get complex by meeting customers' security requirements."
"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 costs are a bit difficult to predict upfront."
"The primary area for improvement is around the scalability of Azure, specifically on the desktop side."
"The delivery of applications is a tedious process."
"It takes too long to get a return call."
"One of the issues I had was the ability to add an internet proxy. I would like to see built-in proxy and internet filtering."
"The database gets corrupted when used in the cluster. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."
"The portal is not user-friendly."
"AirWatch doesn't seem to empower IT admins to try new things or get creative with implementations."
"vIDM could be improved with the multi-tenant capabilities that VMware tends to offer—features like customization branding and the integration of the app catalog based on the branding."
"The accuracy of the management function has room for improvement. It's important to us because sometimes we send a profile to the machine and it's pending but doesn't reach."
"In terms of the inventory management side, as in the invoice management, the stock management and the entire inventory of an organization is lagging a bit in comparison to Blackberry or other EMM solutions."
"One of the things that I want them to improve on, if possible, is the management of Mac devices, MacBook Pro, for example. They do it, but they have scope for improvement, in my opinion. It's not that it's that bad, it just a small need."
"I tried to use the tool on an encrypted disk, but it was inconvenient."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"In terms of pricing, this solution is definitely much more expensive compared to other solutions, like MobileIron or MaaS360 or any other product in the market. This solution is more expensive by 30 or 40 percent."
"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."
"The solution runs at roughly around $36/user for a year."
"My guess is that its licensing was yearly. There was probably no fee in addition to the standard licensing fee."
"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."
"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."
"It's a highly affordable solution"
"Its pricing was okay for our company."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Media Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise2
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 Horizon Air?
I don't deal with the pricing side, so I don't have any insight about it. That's what the organization would have already handled in their environment or maybe they are comparing it with products s...
 

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: September 2026.
913,683 professionals have used our research since 2012.