Cisco VXI vs Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) comparison

Cisco and Citrix are both solutions in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category. Cisco is ranked #21, while Citrix is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.6. Cisco holds a 0.7% mindshare in VD, compared to Citrix’s 15.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Citrix users who would recommend it.

Cisco VXI

Read 1 Cisco VXI review

351 Views
351 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...

Read 128 Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) reviews

8,854 Views
6,729 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Cisco VXI

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco VXI and Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Broadcom, Citrix, Omnissa and others in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).

To learn more, read our detailed Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

January 2026

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Helped 881,757 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

Cisco VXI

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

21st

Average Rating

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

128

Ranking in other categories

Application Virtualization (1st), Remote Access (4th), Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Cisco VXI is 0.7%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is 15.5%, up from 8.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)	15.5%
Cisco VXI	0.7%
Other	83.8%

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

Sina Ghozati

Technical Solution Specialist at Arrow Electronics

Straightforward implementation, scalable, but performance could improve

When using Cisco VXI in virtual environments there tends to be a lot of bugs with files you have to deploy across the virtual environment. You configure for hours, and then there is a bug that stops you, and you notice that you wasted hours. There's always room for improvement with these virtual environments because you're not dealing with the actual equipment, you're dealing with a virtual version of it that you have to install in a virtual environment. The performance of Cisco VXI could improve. It requires a lot of hardware and even if you install it on a server it is heavy on resources.

Read full review

Sorin Neacsu

Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange

Has delivered consistent desktop experiences across remote locations and has supported multimedia workloads efficiently

I have utilized the HDX protocol for compression and audio-video capabilities. When users need to conduct meetings with customers or colleagues, they can use Teams solutions and open a bridge where video and audio are encapsulated within the ICA protocol, which is protected by SSL and certificates for security. This provides secure communication at good quality through the HDX protocol. HDX protocol has improved application performance as it is specifically designed for multimedia applications. If processing audio or video files, such as in telecom where discussions are recorded and then prepared as video or audio, this does not consume excessive bandwidth during the operation compared to a normal remote desktop connection provided by Microsoft. Everything is compressed and provides sufficient bandwidth for multiple people to perform similar tasks without interruption or session disconnection. All multimedia-related activities, such as playing content on YouTube, deliver a better experience with this protocol overall. I use multi-factor authentication for opening sessions to the data center where users access their machines or software. Multi-factor authentication has helped secure applications because users typically have two-way authentication software on their phones. They use a password first and then authenticate themselves through their mobile application to grant access to resources. This approach is effective because if a hacker attacks a user, they need more than just the password and username. They must also possess the device that provides authentication. The device typically has facial recognition, a password, and provides better security overall.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The initial setup of Cisco VXI is straightforward."

"From my perspective, the most valuable feature is the manageability."

"In terms of Citrix Workforce features, the most valuable for managing our remote workforce is security, especially AppProtect. Users cannot simply copy and paste data to their local devices. This prevents data breaches, as data can't be copied to OneDrive or Google Drive. Screenshots from local PCs are also blocked, though data can still be manually copied using a phone."

"Its user-friendliness is most valuable. It was easy to log in and navigate. Some of such solutions are not very user-friendly, but this one was."

"The price and user interface are great."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it supports team clients."

"The shadow feature is extraordinary and helps a lot when supporting remote users."

"XenDesktop has helped our users to work remotely with a better user experience."

"It is user-friendly and easy to use."

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) pros

Cons

"When using Cisco VXI in virtual environments there tends to be a lot of bugs with files you have to deploy across the virtual environment. You configure for hours, and then there is a bug that stops you, and you notice that you wasted hours."

"Compared with the Outlook mobile app, the Citrix mobile app shows some lag in authentication."

"The cost of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is high and has room for improvement."

"The initial setup is complex."

"There is room for slight improvement in performance optimization and interface refinement."

"The speed and connectivity of Citrix DaaS could be improved."

"It would help if it were a little simpler. It's a bit complicated and we have hired Citrix administrators. But it's a good solution."

"The visibility the solution provides across SaaS, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments, for user and application traffic, is also limited if you do not enable all the services and is based on which services you are utilising. Citrix provides end-to-end visibility based on their services you are utilising."

"Using the app layering feature can be quite difficult and cumbersome."

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution when there are bugs. I'm always ready to give money for a complete solution where there are no bugs in it, but you will never find it."

"The pricing is a little bit high, but it's good value for the product's stability and efficiency."

"The purchase price was around $300,000 USD and then the maintenance fees were 20%. There are no other additional fees."

"Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is an expensive solution."

"I think it is a little high priced."

"Citrix is expensive."

"The product, XenServer, is free to use, and XenApp has a one month free license."

"In the past, the prices of the product were great. With the acquisition of Citrix by your company, the prices have drastically increased. For my company, it has become a bit of a problem to sell products from Citrix."

"Citrix solutions cost a lot in comparison with competitors, like Azure Virtual Desktop or VMware Horizon. Those solutions cost around 50 to 60 percent less, per month per user, than Citrix."

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	44
Midsize Enterprise	21
Large Enterprise	69

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What do you like most about Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?

My focus has primarily been on publishing virtual applications.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?

I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.

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What needs improvement with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?

I have found that Citrix DaaS is still a complex product, especially on the desktop side, which affects scalability. Although it works well on the apps side, the desktop aspect still has room for i...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

January 2026

Download Cisco VXI product report

Buyer's Guide

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)

February 2026

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

Download Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) product report

Also Known As

VXI

XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps), Citrix Workspace

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Cisco

Citrix

Overview

Cisco Virtualization Experience Infrastructure (VXI) is an end-to-end systems approach that delivers the next generation virtual workspace by unifying virtual desktops, voice, and video. It helps IT provide an exceptionally flexible and secure converged infrastructure for an uncompromised user experience.

Cisco

Enable secure, flexible work with the leader in virtual apps and desktops

Deliver desktop as a service (DaaS) from any cloud or datacenter

Get started with Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) in minutes to provide a familiar, high-performance digital workspace experience to your users. We’ll manage the infrastructure and security. You focus on your business.

Citrix

Sample Customers

Advanced Medical Transport, Artoni Transporti, Calligaris, CIPCO, Citrix, Comcast, Desktone, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), LightEdge, Management Science Associates, Molina Healthcare, North West Redwater, Outscale

Exelon, Aeronamic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Alameda County Medical Center, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Aloysius Stichting, Amarchand Mangaldas, AmBev, Amnet Technology Solutions, Arval

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

January 2026

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