Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) comparison

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

5.3

Microsoft Intune enhances efficiency and security while reducing costs, resources, and hardware needs, offering excellent integration and productivity.

Sentiment score

6.8

Citrix DaaS offers varied ROI, enhances efficiency, flexibility, data protection, and supports continuity, with unquantified access and productivity benefits.

Sentiment score

6.8

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager offers cost savings, quick ROI, and enhances security by ensuring crucial access and reducing costs.

Everything we've gained from it makes my job easier day after day, and I see value in it as an engineer.

AndreaReynolds

IT Systems Engineer at Syracuse University

Microsoft Intune not only saves costs by reducing the number of personnel needed but also offers a comprehensive solution for managing laptops, applications, security, individual access, and enrollment.

Bharath Bharadwaj

Subject Matter Expert at Engage IT Services Pvt Ltd

Importantly, when someone leaves the company, it helps protect document access on their devices.

Nabil Saied

Channels & Alliances Head at Link Development

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Intune report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

5.7

Microsoft Intune support receives mixed reviews with praise for premium plans but concerns about slow responses and inconsistent quality.

Sentiment score

6.5

Customer service is praised for responsiveness, but technical support quality varies, especially needing improvement in first-level interactions.

Sentiment score

6.8

F5 BIG-IP APM customer service receives mixed reviews, with some praising responsiveness and others citing delays and communication issues.

When a support ticket is submitted, it directly reaches someone with Intune support expertise.

Joseph Merusi

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

When I contacted Microsoft, they had the same expertise, if not more, which is phenomenal because I felt heard and my problem was solved.

AndreaReynolds

IT Systems Engineer at Syracuse University

Sometimes, the support provided is excellent, and the representative is knowledgeable, while other times, the service needs improvement.

Jeff Wickham

Engineer at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Intune report

If support comes from Ireland, it can be good, rated at nine or ten.

Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange

The first level often wastes time because I usually have to escalate to an engineer for proper support.

Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Citrix support is better than Microsoft support.

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

IT Technical Advisor Specialist at Intact

Even if they respond, they don't update me with the process or what's going on.

Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees

Most of the technical support is managed in-house due to our extensive experience with F5 products.

Business Development Manager at Pylones

F5 technical support is responsive and helpful.

For more quotes and insights, download the F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

6.6

Microsoft Intune offers seamless scalability for various organization sizes, efficiently managing devices with flexible licensing and high user ratings.

Sentiment score

8.0

Citrix DaaS enables scalable, adaptable deployments for thousands of users, overcoming diagnostic challenges with strategic planning and regular updates.

Sentiment score

7.3

F5 BIG-IP APM scales for diverse deployments, offering flexibility and effective tools, though hardware limitations might challenge scalability.

The scalability of Microsoft Intune is ten out of ten.

reviewer2595288

Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

Ideally, we want to automatically segregate devices based on user properties like primary use, but currently, dynamic groups seem limited to device properties.

reviewer2595294

Engineer, Systems Admin . at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees

It supports organizations with 200 endpoints and those with more than 15,000 endpoints.

Martijn Van De Weijenberg

Director at Provisioned

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Intune report

It supports over 100 apps and 20,000 users in our organization, demonstrating impressive scalability.

IT Technical Advisor Specialist at Intact

The platform can scale to very large numbers.

Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange

Citrix DaaS offers vast scalability options as workloads can be deployed across multiple data centers like Azure, Google, or AWS.

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

The product's flexibility and company culture contribute to resolving these challenges.

Business Development Manager at Pylones

I would rate the scalability of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) between seven and eight.

For more quotes and insights, download the F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

6.7

Microsoft Intune is considered reliable and robust, despite occasional bugs and performance issues, with improvements over earlier versions.

Sentiment score

7.3

Citrix DaaS is reliable and efficient, with improvements enhancing stability and scalability, despite occasional network-related stability issues.

Sentiment score

7.9

F5 BIG-IP APM is praised for reliability, performance, and minimal bugs, with minor suggestions for log clarity improvement.

We have not experienced downtime, bugs, or glitches.

Alan Barrett

Head of IT at TWM SOLICITORS LLP

It appears Microsoft Intune undergoes changes without informing customers.

Jesper Boenigk

Support Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Microsoft Intune has been very stable.

Joseph Merusi

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

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Intune report

I evaluate Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) as a very stable solution and very sturdy in how it operates.

Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange

Citrix DaaS allows for satisfactory stability by facilitating workload deployment in various data centers including Azure, Google, or AWS.

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

On a scale from one to ten for stability, I would rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) a ten.

Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited

Sometimes, the logs are not quite informational or easy to understand.

For more quotes and insights, download the F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Intune needs improved reporting, third-party integration, non-Windows management, security policies, navigation, and better pricing and support.

Citrix DaaS has configuration complexities, high costs, and integration challenges, with users seeking better performance, usability, and scalability.

F5 BIG-IP APM requires improvements in pricing, cloud integration, user interface, documentation, support, and additional features for enhanced performance.

Features like unlocking devices sometimes fail, and the support offered for other operating systems is insufficient.

Thomas Howard

Strategy & Portfolio Advisor at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees

There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now.

Joseph Merusi

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

Many third-party companies offer single-pane-of-glass reporting that shows you what your update environment looks like, how your patch is doing, application status, etc., but Intune's reporting is not intuitive.

Jeff Wickham

Engineer at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Intune report

Citrix should have different pricing based on company size.

Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Creating App-V applications is not an easy task and could take from hours to weeks without success.

IT Technical Advisor Specialist at Intact

This makes it challenging to remain with them, and it becomes necessary to explore alternatives to achieve the same performance with less expense.

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange

If I could copy and paste objects instead of picking and configuring them from scratch each time, it would be great.

Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees

The main improvement needed for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is to integrate into the cloud-delivered services from F5.

For more quotes and insights, download the F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Business Development Manager at Pylones

The ability to run the Anycast feature would be valuable, as the current solution only operates on-premises.

SalihUcpinar

Senior Cyber Security Consultant at KoçSistem

SÜ

Setup Cost

Microsoft Intune provides cost-effective pricing, especially when bundled with Office 365, with average subscriptions at $7 per user.

Citrix DaaS is costly, especially with added Microsoft licensing, though offers comprehensive features and negotiable pricing options.

F5 BIG-IP APM is costly but valued for high performance, with unpredictable cloud pricing and additional fees for features.

Introductory professional services, like a fast-track service, were included with our E5 membership, and there have been no additional costs.

reviewer2595750

Senior Systems Architect IV at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees

The Intune suite and add-ons, such as batch management and remote help, are costly.

Mahmoud-Eldeep

Technical Sales Professional (Microsoft Modern Workplace) at Alnafitha IT

It costs approximately forty euros per user per month.

Gintaras_Navickas

Cyber Security Officer at Gudu

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Intune report

Citrix DaaS is considered expensive, especially for companies that do not require multi-cloud.

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

F5 products are more expensive than other solutions but are valued for their quality and reliability.

For more quotes and insights, download the F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Business Development Manager at Pylones

Valuable Features

Microsoft Intune integrates with Microsoft services, simplifying deployment and enhancing security for seamless cloud management and robust resource control.

Citrix DaaS provides scalable, secure remote access with low bandwidth, centralized management, and multi-device compatibility for seamless user experience.

F5 BIG-IP APM offers secure remote access with SSL VPN, multi-factor authentication, and comprehensive integration and security features.

Intune excels in configuration and compliance management for Windows 10, ensuring devices receive timely updates and adhere to organizational standards.

reviewer2563299

Microsoft Practice Lead at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Dynamic groups allow us to set conditions for automatic membership, eliminating the need for user intervention or manual review and ensuring a seamless workflow.

reviewer2595294

Engineer, Systems Admin . at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees

Windows Autopatch is the most valuable because it removes the burden of patch management.

Martijn Van De Weijenberg

Director at Provisioned

For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Intune report

With Citrix, all connections are outgoing, minimizing firewall vulnerability.

Pre-Sales at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

The scalability of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is impressive, supporting over 100 apps and a user base of 20,000 within our organization.

IT Technical Advisor Specialist at Intact

Users 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.

For more quotes and insights, download the Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange

APM is quite flexible for customers to use, providing secure remote access through various host-checking conditions for both machines and users.

Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited

It provides robust security and offers integration with multi-factor authentication systems, which is crucial for an organization's security policy.

Business Development Manager at Pylones

A lot of features are useful to me, including mostly the authentication, SAML, or SSO, with no sign-on.

For more quotes and insights, download the F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.3%, down from 9.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is 4.2%, down from 5.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is 1.4%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Remote Access Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Intune	9.3%
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)	4.2%
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)	1.4%
Other	85.1%

Remote Access

Featured Reviews

AkashKamble

Sr MacOS specialist engineer at Cyber24

Enables management of multiple operating systems with a single license

The best feature is that it's a Microsoft product, so if anything goes wrong, we get quick support for anything required. Remote system functionality allows us to sit anywhere and take control of any device via remote management. We can enhance security for clients' laptops with built-in Microsoft Defender, which is available with the Microsoft Intune license. We use it for reporting purposes through endpoint analytics. When pushing scripting, there are two types available: remediation script and reservation script. Through endpoint analytics, you can push defender policies to clients. It helps with reporting, inventory updates, and monitoring tenant status health.

Read full review

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

Technical Lead on Virtual Desktop at Orange

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.

Read full review

SÜ

SalihUcpinar

Senior Cyber Security Consultant at KoçSistem

Has provided reliable policy controls and secure web access for large enterprises

I consider Cloudflare when evaluating centralized access control features; Cloudflare utilizes multi-factor authentication and full API support, while F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) needs to enhance its API support. I recommend F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) for large companies such as Tüpraş and Ford. Tüpraş is one of the biggest companies in Turkey, along with other customers such as Tofaş, Euroko, Koç Holding, and more. For on-premises deployment, I would rate it a 10. For cloud deployment, I would rate it a seven. I primarily use it on-premises. I rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) eight out of ten.

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881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	121
Midsize Enterprise	47
Large Enterprise	154

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	9

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 Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?

My focus has primarily been on publishing virtual applications.

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.

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. ...

What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?

In my opinion, the GUI is perfect with the configuration options provided. F5 BIG-IP has given customization options ...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?

F5 products are more expensive than other solutions but are valued for their quality and reliability, akin to purchas...

What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is not user-friendly and operates slowly. Additional features for architecture ...

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Product Reports

Download Microsoft Intune product report

Microsoft Intune

January 2026

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)

January 2026

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

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

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

January 2026

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Download F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) product report

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps), Citrix Workspace

F5 Access Policy Manager

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Microsoft

Citrix

Demo not available

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

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

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is an access management proxy solution for managing global access to the enterprise networks, cloud providers, applications, and application programming interfaces (APIs). Through a single management interface, BIG-IP APM consolidates remote, mobile, network, virtual, and web access.

BIG-IP APM can also serve as a bridge between modern and classic authentication and authorization protocols and methods. For applications which are unable to support modern authentication and authorization protocols, like SAML and OAuth with OIDC, but which do support classic authentication methods, BIG-IP APM converts user credentials to the appropriate authentication standard supported by the application.

BIG-IP APM Benefits:

Ease of use
Flexibility
Ability to integrate with other systems
Security features
Granular access control
Responsive and helpful support team

BIG-IP APM Features:

Support for Identity Aware Proxy (IAP) enabling Zero Trust application access
Context-based authorization with dynamic L4/L7 ACLs
Integration with third-party MFA solutions
DTLS 2.0 mode for delivering and securing applications
SAML 2.0 identity federation support
Support for OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol
SSO support for classic authentication (Kerberos, header- based, etc.), credential caching, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, and FIDO2 (U2F)
AAA server authentication and high-availability
Integration with leading IAM vendor products (Microsoft, Okta, Ping Identity)
BIG IP Edge Client and F5 Access integrate with VMware Horizon ONE (AirWatch), Microsoft Intune and IBM MaaS360
Risk-based access leveraging third-party UEBA and risk engines (HTTP Connector)

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by BIG-IP APM users.

Mahmmoud Rabie, Senior Site Reliability Engineer, writes that BIG-IP APM is "A highly stable solution for load balancing, but the initial setup is complex."

Clyde Livingston, Senior Process Specialist at Telstra, says that BIG-IP APM is "Easy to use, useful access remotely, but lacking stability."

Chris Lam, Senior Solution Consultant at Macroview Telecom Limited, states that BIG-IP APM is "Useful for remote access VPN and VPI integration with VMware.

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

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

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office