Azure Virtual Desktop

azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/virtual-desktop
Cloud Infrastructure
Few Days

Deliver affordable, secure remote desktop and application experiences to employees wherever they are.

How to Replace Azure Virtual Desktop

Overview

Azure Virtual Desktop is a cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) platform that provides employees with secure, remote Windows desktop and application experiences. It optimizes costs through multi-session capabilities and pay-per-use pricing while maintaining full control over configuration and management. The service is managed by Microsoft, allowing IT teams to focus on managing desktops and apps rather than infrastructure.

Features

16 features across 13 categories

Application Delivery(1)

Remote App Streaming

Use Azure Virtual Desktop as a platform as a service (PaaS) to provide apps as software as a service (SaaS)

Also in: Ivanti, NGINX One

Cost Optimization(1)

Multi-Session Capabilities

Windows 11 and Windows 10 multi-session capabilities help cut costs by allowing multiple users on a single virtual machine at the same time

Also in: OpenAI API, Neon, Melio

Hybrid Cloud(1)

Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Local

Deploy Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts on on-premises Azure Local infrastructure

Infrastructure(1)

Global Availability

Azure Virtual Desktop is available worldwide across multiple regions

Integration(2)

Citrix DaaS Integration

Deploy Azure Virtual Desktop into existing Citrix desktop and app virtualization environments

Omnissa Horizon Cloud Integration

Deploy Azure Virtual Desktop into existing Omnissa Horizon Cloud Service environments on Microsoft Azure

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Management(2)

Host Pool Management

Use advanced capabilities such as custom image templates to manage deployments at scale

Managed Control Plane

Have Microsoft manage all aspects of the control plane, giving you a resilient global footprint

Migration(1)

Cost-Efficient Cloud Migration

Reduce licensing and IT infrastructure costs by moving on-premises solutions to Azure Virtual Desktop

Also in: Keeper, MongoDB Atlas, Bitwarden

Monitoring(1)

Connection Quality Analysis

Deploy your virtual infrastructure in secured Azure regions around the world with connection quality monitoring

Networking(1)

Flexible Networking Options

Use networking options such as Azure Private Link and RDP Shortpath for additional security and reliability

Operating Systems(1)

Familiar Windows Experiences

Provide access to Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2022, 2019, and 2016 experiences

Pricing(1)

Pay-Per-Use Model

Scale consumption on demand. Pay for compute capacity by the second, with no long-term commitments or upfront payments

Remote Access(1)

Access from Anywhere

Access virtualized Windows 11 and Windows 10 desktops and apps with the security and reliability of Azure

Security(2)

Embedded Security and Compliance

Built-in security with 34,000 full-time equivalent engineers dedicated to security initiatives and >100 compliance certifications

Secured Virtual Machines

Configure and deploy virtual machines delivering Windows 11 and Windows 10 desktop and application experiences

Cost Calculator

Pricing data not available for Azure Virtual Desktop. Check their website for current pricing.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Azure Virtual Desktop alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 16 features.

Buy Azure Virtual Desktop

Better Value
Monthly costContact Sales
3-year totalVaries
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$12,000
Maintenance$180/mo
3-year total$18,480
Dev time~1 months

Buying Azure Virtual Desktop saves ~$18,480 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 16 features and a BuildScore of 4/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

5 known integrations

Azure LocalAzure Private LinkCitrix DaaSOmnissa Horizon Cloud ServiceRDP Shortpath