Horizon Cloud Service vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comparison

Horizon Cloud Service vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

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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:

Categories and Ranking

Horizon Cloud Service

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

10th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (3rd)

Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Remote Access (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Horizon Cloud Service is 4.7%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 6.9%, up from 6.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services	6.9%
Horizon Cloud Service	4.7%
Other	88.4%

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

SivaKuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

Centralized management enhances multi-cloud flexibility with cost efficiency improvements

The cost of Horizon Cloud Service is high, however, it could be optimized. The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help. Improvements in application performance, especially for resource-heavy applications like intensive 3D workloads, are needed. More built-in automation for routine tasks like patching and upgrading could reduce administrative effort.

Read full review

reviewer2795433

Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Secure remote access has protected sensitive country data and supports strict compliance needs

I understand from the IT team managing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services that it is complex to set up the multiple roles, certificates, and networks required. Networking is quite complicated. Even though on the data center side it is quite simple, maintaining the farm of other connections that connect to that server is the complex piece. I understand there are more modern systems replicating what this solution does, which are easier to use, such as Azure Virtual Desktop within Microsoft Azure Cloud or Amazon WorkSpaces, which I have used before. Rather than having to manage all the complex networking, you could abstract it away a little further in the cloud for easier use. I also understand that this tool is in an end-of-life state now, with Microsoft actively pushing people towards Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365. I do not believe further features will be rolled out due to its end-of-life state, making it a legacy solution now.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of VMware Horizon Cloud is the ability to manage a great number of desktops at once and the remote access for users that are working from outside of the office or from different offices in the country."

"The main benefit of Horizon Cloud Service is that it is cloud-based, allowing our organization to leverage the service without having to manage all infrastructure directly."

"VMware Horizon Cloud is easy to use and the full development cloud is very good."

"The most valuable feature of VMware Horizon Cloud is all of its capabilities together."

"The tool remains pretty stable."

"The interface is much easier to use compared to Microsoft and other VDI vendors that are well known on the market. I like VMware so much more than the others. With Horizon Cloud, you don't need to spend a lot of money upfront to buy the infrastructure. You can use it the on the cloud, so it lowers the barriers to entry. It's easier to test it and get started. Some clients stay in the cloud, but others prefer to go on-premise. It depends on the nature of the client."

"Horizon Cloud Service provides deployment flexibility across multiple clouds with a scalable architecture that easily scales virtual desktops and applications up or down based on demand."

"From the scalability perspective, that's one of the great things, because even with the basic setup, which has essentially very few components, you can run 10,000 desktops straight off the bat."

More Horizon Cloud Service pros

"The initial setup is great; it's very simple and straightforward."

"Microsoft is very reasonable in its approach to cost."

"We chose this solution because it's a Microsoft Cloud and end-to-end all solution, Cloud 365, and it's all Microsoft, so it made sense to stay with the same VDI solution."

"The solution works very well for us and I recommend it to others."

"The performance is one of the main features of this solution."

"The valuable features I mentioned assure a stable and highly available environment with maximum uptime for business users."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is highly stable."

"We have scaled the solution and find this easy to do."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pros

Cons

"There should be more emphasis on the Workspace One access part of the solution."

"The application remoting features have some room for improvement."

"Our technical support of VMware is good, but the main problem is it takes a lot of time."

"The product has a lot of bugs."

"In the design phase, sometimes the tools for designing Horizon solutions have issues when they're calculating the number of nodes and platforms needed to support the VDI systems."

"The cost of Horizon Cloud Service is high, however, it could be optimized. The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help."

"It can be very expensive to scale up because each part of scaling up requires you to have new components of the infrastructure."

"It is too expensive as compared to other solutions because of which we don't use it that much."

More Horizon Cloud Service cons

"The only problems that you're going to have with the remote desktop are going to be firewall ports, security, and NLA, which is a net network level access control, or TLS transfer layer security or some other SSL-type of security."

"In the next release, I would like to see better performance over slower networks, and integration with Linux, but this is something that we're going to get out of Microsoft in terms of a unified solution."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services needs to improve its security."

"Security in the connection between us and our clients' servers is something that can be improved."

"In the past, my company had faced some issues related to the stability of the product. The product's stability can be improved."

"We would like configuration to be automatic and the price to be close to zero, however, that's not realistic."

"I would like to see the hard drives work without locking up and integrate the local drives in the next release."

"Users have to re-enter their ID and password every time they log on, which is tedious and repetitive."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Initially, the product is cheap, but it starts to get expensive when users try to scale out."

"There is a license required for the use of this solution and there are different tier levels available."

"VMware Horizon Cloud is a low-cost solution. The model that they have is consumption-based. However, some features are expensive."

"I rate VMware Horizon Cloud pricing a ten out of ten."

"It is too expensive as compared to other solutions because of which we don't use it that much. We tend to go more for Hyper-V or Azure just because VMware licensing is quite up there. We sway people away from VMware Horizon Cloud. We have some clients who already have it. They stay on it for a little while, and then most of them end up moving off when we provide them a better solution that isn't as license heavy cost-wise."

"VMware Horizon Cloud is an expensive solution. This solution is approximately 30 percent more than Microsoft Azure Cloud. There can be extra costs."

"For what you get, it is very compelling. You've got to look at the total cost of ownership of this type of piece of software in terms of being able to utilize it as a cloud service. I don't have to run everything on-premises. When you look at the total cost of just being able to use it and then being able to point it to any public or private cloud, it is very compelling. You have one less thing to manage."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services comes free as part of Microsoft Windows."

"The cost is fair."

"The solution is overly expensive."

"There is a licensing cost."

"The solution is expensive. My company pays toward the monthly licensing costs of the solution...The additional cost, apart from the solution's licensing cost, is related to the technical support a user wants."

"I would say it's expensive as there similar products available for free."

"Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is less expensive than some other solutions on the market."

"I am aware that for Azure we do have an extra license because we are leveraging on different tenants."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pricing and cost advice

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913,806 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Performing Arts

Outsourcing Company

Manufacturing Company

11%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	45
Midsize Enterprise	17
Large Enterprise	36

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Horizon Cloud?

The cost is considered normal, not remarkable but not outrageous. In terms of expense, compared to other virtualization products, I would rate it as a six.

What needs improvement with VMware Horizon Cloud?

The licensing model needs to be adjusted, as a cloud license is currently required even for on-premises devices. Horizon Cloud Service should continue improving their protocol and work with other h...

What is your primary use case for VMware Horizon Cloud?

Our primary use case focuses on virtual desktop and application hosting. This is spread across different industries. We have a large number of employees, and we are one of the largest GSIs globally...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

The experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that the pricing is based on licensing costs and the setup is complex.

What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services can be improved in several areas. Currently, it requires a license cost, it has performance limits on shared resources with bottlenecks, the setup is complex, and ...

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

Our main use case for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is to allow multiple users to remotely access our Windows machine, desktop, or application over the internet and our network.

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Horizon Cloud Service

Comparisons

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Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 5% of the time

TeamViewer vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 4% of the time

NICE DCV vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Horizon Cloud Service

Download Horizon Cloud Service product report

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Download Microsoft Remote Desktop Services product report

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services report

Also Known As

VMware Horizon Cloud, VMware Horizon DaaS

Remote Desktop Services

Overview

Horizon Cloud Service offers stable, flexible access to virtual desktops anytime, anywhere. Its centralized cloud management and scalable architecture support hybrid environments.

Horizon Cloud Service provides a cloud-based desktop solution ideal for businesses seeking remote access and power management. With features like centralized management and dynamic environment handling, it supports a seamless desktop experience. While offering remote accessibility and advanced management, it aids in reducing infrastructure costs through cloud-based scalability. However, improvements are needed in VM performance and external connection support, with current licensing complexities posing a challenge. Designed for VDI and application hosting across platforms such as Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS, it enables secure remote working with efficient workload management.

What are the main features of Horizon Cloud Service?

Centralized Cloud Management: Efficiently manage desktops from a unified platform.
Dynamic Environment Management: Customize environments to suit user needs dynamically.
Remote Access: Access desktops from anywhere with high reliability.
Multiple Monitor Support: Enhanced user experience with multi-screen compatibility.
VPN Connectivity: Secure connections for remote access users.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Infrastructure Cost Reduction: Lower costs with cloud-based scaling.
Seamless Desktop Experience: Consistent user interface across devices.
Hybrid Environment Support: Foster versatile deployment methods across clouds.
Flexible Deployment: Accommodate diverse business needs with adjustable solutions.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and education, Horizon Cloud Service facilitates secure remote operations and automates cloud-based machine generation, supporting hybrid workspaces for resource-efficient deployment.

Omnissa

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services provides secure, seamless access to remote applications with cross-platform compatibility and centralized management, enhancing productivity and resource sharing in Windows environments.

The robust security features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services enable efficient data handling and user support across devices. With a focus on remote application access, scalability, and ease of use, this solution integrates effortlessly with Windows environments. It offers centralized management, facilitating smooth IT operations. However, there is potential for improving interface intuitiveness and setup simplicity. Addressing keyboard compatibility with macOS, network connectivity challenges, and security vulnerabilities could enhance the user experience. Optimization for performance on slower networks and clearer license management would further benefit users.

What are the key features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

Robust Security: Ensures data remains secure on servers.
Seamless Remote Application Access: Provides smooth access to applications remotely.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Supports multiple devices and operating systems.
Centralized Management: Simplifies IT resource management.
Ease of Use: Facilitates setup and offers excellent accessibility.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Increased Productivity: Enables efficient resource sharing and task management.
Enhanced Flexibility: Improves performance through remote access.
Scalability: Allows for easy management of growing resources.
Secure Access: Protects sensitive data and client applications.

In numerous industries, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services supports remote server management, virtual desktops, and application virtualization. Organizations use it for collaboration, secure data handling, and accessing critical resources across different locations. It aids in troubleshooting, ensuring secure connections to client applications and facilitating testing and support for multiple users in diverse environments.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Marriott, Sprint

Bank Alfalah Ltd.

Horizon Cloud Service vs. Microsoft Remote Desktop Services