Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Workspace ONE UEM comparison

Microsoft and Omnissa are both solutions in the Remote Access category. Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4, while Omnissa is ranked #3 with an average rating of 7.7. Microsoft holds a 10.5% mindshare in VUS, compared to Omnissa’s 6.2% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Omnissa users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and VMware Workspace ONE both compete in the virtual desktop and applications management category. Based on user reviews, VMware Workspace ONE seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced features and comprehensive management tools.

Features: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is praised for its integration with other Microsoft products, ease of access to resources, and straightforward deployment. VMware Workspace ONE is valued for its seamless user experience, extensive integration capabilities, and continuous updates.

Room for Improvement: Users of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services highlight issues with session stability, limited customization options, and fundamental features enhancement. VMware Workspace ONE users suggest improvements in reporting capabilities, a more intuitive setup process, and refining existing features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is noted for its straightforward deployment and reliable customer service. VMware Workspace ONE stands out with its flexible deployment models and proactive support team.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is often cited as a cost-effective solution with a favorable ROI for organizations invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. VMware Workspace ONE, while more expensive, provides significant ROI through its comprehensive feature set and the efficiency gains in IT management.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM

April 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:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.4%, down from 11.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 10.5%, down from 14.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workspace ONE UEM is 6.2%, down from 12.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Remote Access

Featured Reviews

Joseph Merusi

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

Everything has worked better since we started using it

Sometimes the syncing is inconsistent. I'm confident that the devices are checking in every eight hours, but sometimes the devices aren't picking up the settings as quickly as I would expect. Some features haven't been updated in a while, and Microsoft doesn't seem interested in developing them. Unless you talk to an engineer, you don't know whether there will be an update. There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now. Some reporting areas still need development. For example, I noticed that the reporting for driver updates is still confusing.

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Terje Romen

CEO & Owner at Mono AS

Accessing the same desktop experience from anywhere but user template creation needs improvement

Mostly we are quite happy with it. However, some of us want a more powerful desktop. When not present, we use a remote tool called Splashtop, which is a good solution for some users. We have about ten licenses for those who need a powerful workstation at the office. We have not used many different tools. We are never in contact with Microsoft. These are quite basic configurations, to be honest. It's not complicated. AI is coming to or is already in some applications we are using. Not system-wise, however, it might be good. I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. It's quite good, yet certainly not perfect.

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Joel Amate

Project Engineer at CTC

The solution is stable, scalable, and offers single sign-on

I give the solution a nine out of ten. I suggest if a person wants to start using Workspace ONE, they should make use of the cloud instance instead of the on-premise instance. There is an on-premise instance available, but the cloud instance is a better option now. I advise them to make use of the cloud instance. This is because management-wise, there is no need to manage a server. For example, we don't need to buy a server, and we don't need to buy network switches, which are required for the on-premise. At the same time, I can advise setting up all the functionalities or whatever functionalities are available for the trial version. We need to check if the Workspace ONE integration includes Azure AD or other identity providers. A lot of applications are using these providers for authentication, such as Ping, Okta, and others. If the Workspace ONE integration doesn't include these providers, the company might have to find a different solution. Security projects should also be considered. Specifically, if the solution can integrate with local security solutions to secure mobile devices.

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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 tool's most valuable feature is Autopilot."

"We have not experienced any bugs or glitches with this solution."

"Comparing this to having an endpoint management solution, the efficiency gain may be up to 80%."

"I haven't used other mobile device management solutions, but compared to SCCM, we eliminate a lot of on-premises infrastructure and maintenance by using Intune."

"Its security is most valuable. It gives us a way to secure devices, not only those that are steady. We do have a few tablets and other devices, and it is a way for us to secure these devices and manage them. We know they're out there and what's their status. We can manage their life cycle and verify that they're updated properly."

"Third party integrations are very convenient to use with Microsoft Intune."

"What I like most about Intune is its seamless enrollment process, particularly the Autopilot method."

"I like that it's very good and very simple. I found that we just needed to have a proper subscription for an Intune tenant, and from the subscription, if we have the right role assigned, like the global admin role or the owner role, we can use Microsoft cloud resources. With the help of that, we can do many things like setting up Microsoft Intune in the cloud to create our virtual machines. All these can be done, and the steps are very simple. I really liked it. I like features like Windows Auto-Enrollment. I like it very much because whenever you supply it to the end-user, it will be ready to use immediately. The end-user only needs to provide the user credentials, and then they are good to go. I also really like Cloud PC, which was recently launched on Azure."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"The solution has very smooth connectivity and is very user friendly."

"The solution is now stable."

"It works fine, and it is largely issue-free."

"The most valuable features are it is fast and cost-effective."

"Mostly we are quite happy with it."

"We use cloud remote support because we need to assist our customers. It allows them to connect from the web. I"

"We use it to connect to the legacy system."

"Good screen draw feature and ability to use two monitors."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pros

"The platform provides a stable environment for operations and quickly creates new environments. Additionally, it offers efficient flexibility."

"Among the most important improvements is the ability to set up different groups with different deployment policies."

"The bigger vendors like VMware, Insight, and MobileIron can assign engineers to customers. You can work with them to develop the right competency to use the product."

"The most valuable feature is the security policies."

"The most valuable feature of VMware Workspace ONE is it provides the ability to find out the location of devices and manage end-point solutions when they are deployed, and keep them secure."

"The remote management and location capabilities are good."

"If an end-user has an issue with a device, the administration has the ability to remote access the device after approval from the end-user."

"From a remote management perspective, I like the management and the inventory."

More Workspace ONE UEM pros

Cons

"I wanted to check if there is any provision at the Intune level to restrict certain things, such as a website, but unfortunately, that feature is available only in Microsoft Defender. Intune has web filtering capabilities, but they are only useful for protection from malicious websites, whereas we would like to be able to restrict a website. For example, YouTube is a clean website. No one would identify it as a malicious website, but if we want to stop the end-users from going to that website, we have to go for another product, such as Microsoft Defender or another third-party proxy solution. It would be great if this capability is included in Intune."

"It's only good for a Microsoft environment."

"Intune is not the most user-friendly mobile device management platform available."

"Improvements can be made by allowing server integrations since it is an area where the product currently has shortcomings."

"Areas for improvement in Intune include expanding support beyond Samsung devices to accommodate other Android manufacturers like Redmi and Motorola."

"We had an APNS certificate set to expire last week. We tried to renew it two days before it expired. We logged in to the APNS portal but could not find that certificate. We didn't know where it went. All the iOS devices stopped working. We contacted the Apple and Microsoft teams, and each blamed the other. This is something that Microsoft should take care of. Last week, we had so many escalations from high-profile users who couldn't access corporate data on their devices."

"Lacks the ability to deploy more ways of management, managing devices and processing the policies."

"Technical support is not that great."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"The performance of Remote Desktop Services could be better."

"We face frequent disconnections."

"The pricing could be better."

"Microsoft should be more compatible with other operating system."

"It could be made simpler from a management perspective."

"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."

"I rate Microsoft's customer service support a two out of ten. In general, Microsoft has poor support."

"The training profiles could be better."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services cons

"The application itself individuals are getting annoyed with it. They are looking to integrate with ABB applications regardless of whether it is Android or iOS based. We are wanting to shift from this application because of the integration issues we are facing."

"The mobile device repository is somewhat difficult to manage with a large user base."

"I would like to see technology expense management integrated into the next release. This feature would allow us to manage expenses across various workloads and services, including cloud environments and computing resources."

"Integration with Microsoft needs improvement. There are some dependencies with Microsoft that aren't 100% yet, for example: compliance synchronization."

"The product's initial setup phase was quite complex."

"Lacks a modern enterprise mobility management platform."

"Many of the features that exist in Active Directory do not exist in Identity Manager, which means that people depend on Active Directory."

"VMware Workspace ONE should allow certain common settings and restrictions across multiple operating systems."

More Workspace ONE UEM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is very reasonable."

"Based on the features that it gives, it is cost-efficient. It is not necessarily on the expensive side of the scale. It provides a hefty number of features that any organization would want. It is in a good price range."

"The purchase of the product was handled by someone else."

"Intune is cost-effective as it is included in some of the Office 365 packages."

"We work in the charity sector, so a lot of our clients get Microsoft Premium licenses or Business Premium for free. They get ten licenses free, and a lot of our clients do not have more than ten staff members. They are getting the tool for free, so its cost is not an issue."

"Most of our clients come to us with licensing already in place. On average, it costs $6 per device per month to add Intune to an Office 365 subscription, but I am not sure."

"The licensing costs we leave up to the customer and these vary from one to another."

"Microsoft offers some licensing where it's included at no extra cost when customers are already using the licenses. In such a case, it's a really good value. If you have to buy the licensing for it, it's probably on par with other solutions. It isn't substantially more or less expensive. The great thing is that it is included in some of Microsoft's licensed packages. So, some customers don't have to spend additional money for it. Typically, most providers that support Intune do charge a management fee of some sort or some fee. Certainly, we're no exception."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

"The solution comes free with Microsoft Windows."

"The price of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is reasonable."

"I think that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is expensive compared to Login solution."

"The solution is overly expensive."

"The tool must be cheaper."

"The solution has a perpetual license and it is purchased upfront."

"The solution is expensive. Since things are made to be a bit easier in the solution, the solution's cost is a bit on the higher side."

"It's not an expensive solution."

More Microsoft Remote Desktop Services pricing and cost advice

"There is a separate cost for technical support and extra premium features. The pricing should be simplified."

"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."

"It is quite expensive, but I think large companies have agreements with these organizations that provide remote monitoring for phones, and they get massive discounts. The public price does not reflect what they pay. You won't get the same pricing if you're buying for 10 employees versus 1,000 employees. On the public price, you get perhaps a 10% discount, but if you're buying 1,000, the discount could be really massive, especially if you signed a contract for a number of years."

"We are paying about $145,000 a year on a three-year subscription with no ability to scale up or scale down within that class model."

"My guess is that its licensing was yearly. There was probably no fee in addition to the standard licensing fee."

"I rate the product price a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

"AirWatch would benefit from reducing the license pricing per user per month. Microsoft bundles everything, and then that bundling makes the product free for the customers."

"Currently, the product is priced at around 50 USD."

More Workspace ONE UEM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

19%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 ...

See all answers

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...

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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 ...

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What do you like most about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

The tool shares computer resources perfectly.

See all answers

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

I've never had an issue with it. I've always thought the pricing for RDS was reasonable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?

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

See all answers

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...

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What do you like most about VMware Workspace ONE?

The platform provides a stable environment for operations and quickly creates new environments. Additionally, it offe...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Workspace ONE?

I would rate the pricing a three out of ten. It's a highly affordable solution. If a customer knows the value of the ...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 13% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

ManageEngine Endpoint Central vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 5% of the time

Samsung Knox vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 4% of the time

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Horizon 8 vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 20% of the time

Apache Guacamole vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 12% of the time

TeamViewer vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 8% of the time

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

Compared 8% of the time

Parallels Access vs Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

Compared 7% of the time

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Horizon 8 vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 7% of the time

SOTI MobiControl vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 7% of the time

Jamf Pro vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 6% of the time

ManageEngine Endpoint Central vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 5% of the time

BigFix vs Workspace ONE UEM

Compared 1% of the time

More Workspace ONE UEM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Intune

May 2025

Download Microsoft Intune product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services

May 2025

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services report

Download Microsoft Remote Desktop Services product report

Buyer's Guide

Workspace ONE UEM

April 2025

Download Workspace ONE UEM product report

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

Remote Desktop Services

VMware Workspace ONE, VMware AirWatch, Workspace ONE Assist, VMware Identity Manager, Workspace ONE Access, VMware Horizon Air

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

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is a highly regarded remote access tool in addition to being a top-ranked Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution in the marketplace today.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is a suite of valuable elements of the Windows operating system (OS) that serve specific desired objectives. Microsoft RDS integrates various features that allow approved users to gain access to graphical desktops and Windows applications remotely. Approved users are able to deploy applications or even a complete desktop without having to install anything on their devices. Everything remains in the cloud. This ensures that there are never any compatibility issues and keeps the organization's original network secure at all times. Administrators are also able to ensure that data cannot be stored in any unapproved location, such as the local device, unapproved drives, or any other location.

Microsoft RDS makes it easy for business organizations to access Windows Desktops and other Windows applications remotely to ensure today’s busy enterprise organizations are able to maintain the highest levels of productivity at all times. There are two basic ways organizations can effectively utilize RDS.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Component: This allows users to connect with various alternate desktops from their current device. Once the user has gained a secure connection based on the approved administrative permissions, the user can seamlessly access and interact with the remote desktop. Users have the feeling of having this new virtual desktop installed directly on their machine.

RemoteApp: Users are able to easily access cloud-based applications via their own personal desktop computers or other approved mobile devices. This application ensures overall application management is centralized and consistent throughout the entire business enterprise.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Benefits

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has many benefits. Some of its most valuable benefits include:

Access Windows applications remotely from any device
Enhanced consistent application performance
Increased computing resources
Secure cloud-based data storage.
Streamlined management processes
Reduction in technical administrative resources
Reduction in hardware and device costs.
Improved employee productivity
Cost-effective
Improved Profitability
Reduce carbon footprint

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services makes it easy for busy enterprise organizations to stay productive and remain competitive in today’s aggressive marketplace. An organization's end-users can be given access to their own specific desktops from any location, anytime, using any approved device. Additionally, users can access Microsoft applications without having an effect on their device's resource capacity or performance.

Reviews from Real Users

“What I found most valuable in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is accessibility because the solution lets you take control of your computer remotely, and that's a good feature.” Pascal B., IT consultant at Secoptrial

“The most valuable features of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services are unification, central management, and accessibility.” Jan S. Solution Architect at a tech services company

“The most valuable features are that it is fast and cost-effective. I am not aware of a replacement currently on the market.” Ramon H. Director at Empaco

Microsoft

VMware Workspace ONE is an intelligence-driven digital workspace platform that delivers any app on any device. It integrates access control, multi-platform endpoint management, and application management. With the VMware Workspace ONE platform, IT teams can deliver a digital workspace that includes the devices and apps of the company’s choice, but with security and control.

VMware Workspace ONE is available:

As a cloud service
On-premises
Hybrid

VMware Workspace ONE Key Features

Simple app authentication: VMware Workspace ONE allows end-users to have password-less single sign-on, giving them access to virtually any app (mobile apps, web apps, cloud apps, and Windows apps).
Unified Endpoint Management options: VMware Workspace ONE aims to support all devices, offering convenience, access, security, and management that will work for any business.
Conditional access: VMware Workspace ONE provides a powerful policy engine to help you make dynamic decisions regarding end-user access rights and to protect sensitive information.
Automated app management: With VMware Workspace ONE the application delivery process can be automated, which improves security and compliance. Software packages can be automatically installed, updated, and removed, and automated workflows can also be created.

VMware Workspace ONE Benefits

Some of the benefits of using VMware Workspace ONE include:

Less IT intervention necessary: Because VMware Workspace ONE has simple app authentication, end-users can help themselves by selecting the applications they need rather than having IT intervene.
Smoother employee onboarding: Transform employee onboarding by enabling self-service access to the apps your end-users need to complete their job duties.
Compliance: VMware Workspace ONE helps end-users reach compliance by using advanced device restrictions.
Real-time visibility: You can have real-time visibility with application, device, and console events that provide detailed information for system monitoring. You can also view logs in the console or export pre-defined reports.

Workspace ONE Components

Workspace ONE Access
Workspace ONE UEM
VMware Workspace ONE® Intelligence
VMware Unified Access Gateway
Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub

Reviews from Real Users

Below is some feedback from our PeerSpot users who are currently using the solution:

PeerSpot user Patrick B., Cybersecurity Architect at a tech services company, says, "Its UI is extremely easy to use whether you're an advanced user or a novice user. When I first opened it up and had to learn the product, I was easily a novice. By the end of the third month, I was digging into the backend of the system and using it as a highly advanced user to accomplish what I needed to accomplish, and I was able to do it through the UI mostly."

Roshan T., Partner Manager North America at a tech company, mentions how satisfied he is with the product, saying, "You can put all your applications on a mobile device, be it a phone or tablet. It is secure and easy to use. Because it is centrally managed, you don't have to do any configuration on the phone. I just got the phone and connected to the central applications. I just downloaded one thing and everything got rolled out. Email, calendar, and other things were deployed centrally. If you don't have AirWatch, you have to configure your phone manually. For example, you need to deploy and configure your email manually and then synchronize everything. It is much simpler when a mobile device is centrally managed."

Omnissa

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

Bank Alfalah Ltd.

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

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM

April 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Workspace ONE UEM and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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