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Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Microsoft App-V comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

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

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...
Ranking in Application Virtualization
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
128
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (5th), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (1st), Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (1st)
Microsoft App-V
Ranking in Application Virtualization
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Application Virtualization category, the mindshare of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is 22.9%, down from 27.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft App-V is 11.1%, down from 22.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Virtualization Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)22.9%
Microsoft App-V11.1%
Other66.0%
Application Virtualization
 

Featured Reviews

SN
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.
Francois Gotti - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Infrastructure Engineer at IQEQ
Streaming has impressed but integration and support require improvement
The problem with Microsoft App-V is that there is no choice since Microsoft has decided to stop it, and we are searching for alternatives. Microsoft App-V needs to evolve, possibly with better integration with other solutions, particularly since we use Citrix and want to integrate App-V packages more efficiently. The management of packages should be easier, possibly through a web console for visibility in versioning, and options to convert packages when changing technologies. Many companies avoid using tools like Admin Studio due to high costs. Additionally, Microsoft App-V has been slow, and users experience delays when launching applications, which presents significant challenges.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"XenApp is a fast, secure and reliable solution for remote connections that is completely different than and superior to older Windows solutions."
"One of the best features of Citrix Workspace is that we can access it from any device anywhere."
"It allows us to mute users who adhere to a policy of not allowing direct VPN access for security reasons. It is easy to use."
"You can connect to any printer, and from anywhere you can print documents using a compressed channel. It is easy and the bandwidth is very low."
"Citrix Virtual Apps is the most valuable feature. Many customers use this feature to publish only applications, and not the full desktop. They can publish the internal resource or allow the end-user to reach a site or an application without having the full desktop. That's why they love this feature. It helps them save on resources."
"If you're a medium-scale or a small-scale business, it works great."
"I can access it from anywhere."
"The service dash and Workspace Environment Manager service are good features."
"From a technical point of view, it meets most of the customers' needs."
"From my experience with Microsoft App-V, the feature I liked the most is the streaming."
"We can deploy applications incredibly fast."
"It is easy to scale. You can quickly deploy additional instances. Rollbacks are easy because there is an automatic backup every hour. Deploying the application is straightforward and efficient."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft App-V that I found is the possibility to bring old software back to life and publish it for users to do their jobs using those applications."
"I appreciate the process of being able to change or review my answers."
"I would recommend Microsoft App-V for its simplicity and efficiency."
"The most interesting and powerful feature for us is the fact that we can upgrade any kind of app instantly."
 

Cons

"Citrix Workspace Is difficult to deploy. The initial setup is very complex."
"The biggest issue is that there is no documentation, NO documentation what so ever about what hotfix to apply and which one not."
"Our experience of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is good, but the environment can become complex and difficult to manage at times."
"There is room for improvement on the hypervisor side, providing better integration between the hypervisor and the product line. I suspect that they haven't put the work into that because of the move to the cloud. They want everything to be cloud-hosted. But for folks like us, who will always be a hybrid model, that's of some concern."
"The product should expand its capabilities for integrating with other environments."
"The cost of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is high and has room for improvement."
"Scalability depends on the server and the number of users in the organization."
"I heard that Citrix found some loopholes in the product, and they have yet to be covered up."
"The downside is that Microsoft bought this product and they are going to discontinue it in 2026. This is worrisome for us."
"Microsoft App-V is more suited for legacy software usage, and trying to make it work in that context usually feels tricky and unreliable."
"The process was streamlined but didn't make our work simple. We encountered an issue with the person responsible for designing the website."
"Microsoft App-V has been slow, and users experience delays when launching applications, which presents significant challenges."
"The reporting features could be improved."
"If it were possible to integrate App-V with a cybersecurity solution then we could implement a documentation registry, which would be useful."
"There is definitely room for improvement with Microsoft App-V, especially in terms of enhancing troubleshooting resources and user guidance."
"Regarding improvements in Microsoft App-V, I would appreciate seeing the successor, MSIX, work better, as nothing is going to be implemented anymore since it is end of life by the end of the year."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"The price of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is approximately $300 for the new version called Dash and the license is approximately $900 annually."
"Citrix is expensive."
"Citrix licensing is expensive."
"A perpetual enterprise license costs approximately $300 USD."
"The purchase price was around $300,000 USD and then the maintenance fees were 20%. There are no other additional fees."
"The solution is expensive and I give the cost a four out of ten."
"The product, XenServer, is free to use, and XenApp has a one month free license."
"Clients do not pay licensing fees."
"The pricing of this product is competitive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Healthcare Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business45
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise69
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix Workspace?
Citrix DaaS is considered expensive, especially for companies that do not require multi-cloud. Tiered pricing based on company size would be beneficial.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft App-V?
Regarding pricing, I believe flexibility would help retain customers. Costs could be more adaptable to meet varying budgets.
What needs improvement with Microsoft App-V?
There is definitely room for improvement with Microsoft App-V, especially in terms of enhancing troubleshooting resources and user guidance.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft App-V?
I have been using Microsoft App-V for quite some time, and I can describe my use cases, which include various applications that enhance productivity.
 

Also Known As

XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps), Citrix Workspace
App-V, MS App-V
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Exelon, Aeronamic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Alameda County Medical Center, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Aloysius Stichting, Amarchand Mangaldas, AmBev, Amnet Technology Solutions, Arval
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), GDDKiA, P&V, Etisalat Lanka, Hellenic Petroleum
Find out what your peers are saying about Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs. Microsoft App-V and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,563 professionals have used our research since 2012.