Introduction

It’s easy to sing the praises of virtual desktop services in the remote work era.

VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) has long been a crucial asset for IT departments around the world. 

It lets workers connect to a secure work environment from anywhere with an internet connection. Their apps, workflows and data can all be used as if they were in the office. Running on virtual machines, often located on-premises, these virtual desktops have opened up a range of new working opportunities.

But then came the cloud. Cloud-based VDI (DaaS — Desktop as a Service) has taken VDI to the next level by delivering virtual desktops and applications from a managed cloud infrastructure. With DaaS, you can take advantage of its benefits without the need to invest in expensive on-premise hardware to host your virtual machines. 

DaaS is simply ‌a more affordable and scalable solution for running virtual desktops. 

But if you’re reading this, you probably know that already. 

You’ll also know that the cloud-based delivery model is the most attractive one for the way your business operates. You’re looking for a hosted desktop solution that won’t break the bank, won’t give you a headache, and won’t require you to sell your soul to the devil. Well, you’re in luck.

In this article, we’ll sing the praises of both Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Citrix Hosted Desktop, two of the most popular options out there. We’ll cover the pros and cons of each one, what to expect regarding cost, and which one we reckon is best. 

Hopefully, by the end of this short guide, you’ll have a good understanding of both AVD and Citrix, and you’ll be able to make an informed decision about which one will best suit your organisation’s needs. 

So, let’s dive into the details and explore the features, benefits, and drawbacks of both AVD and Citrix.

AVD and Citrix: an overview

Let’s start with the absolute basics. AVD and Citrix are both virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions that allow you to access your virtual desktop and applications from a centralised infrastructure. This can be done with either a single session desktop (one user) or multi-session (multiple users with separate sessions on the same virtual machine).

Instead of running applications locally on your device, you run them on a virtual machine. This makes it much easier to manage applications, secure data, and enable remote work.

AVD (Azure Virtual Desktop) is one such DaaS (Desktop as a Service) offering. It runs on Microsoft’s gigantic and super-powered Azure cloud platform. It’s got a range of deep integrations with MS services (of which there are thousands). And it’s growing pretty fast too, according to Microsoft.

AVD was once known as Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), and so its focus has always been on virtualising Windows instances for enterprise users. But it’s now flexible enough to work well for smaller companies, too.

Citrix Hosted Desktop, on the other hand, usually runs its virtual machines on servers that your IT department operates, potentially on-site.

Citrix has been a leader in the VDI space for years, and has a long history of providing virtual desktops for businesses. Citrix Hosted Desktop does have a wide range of features and customisations available, and many IT professionals will have come across it at some point in their career. It’s a good option for businesses needing complete control over their virtual desktop environment and are willing to manage it themselves. 

In 2024, Citrix is moving their focus to cloud and hybrid VDI solutions, encouraging customers to move at least some of their virtual desktop infrastructure to the cloud. They claim to have also introduced new tools and features to simplify the management of virtual apps and desktops, making it easier for administrators to deploy, configure, and maintain their environments.

(You can even use Citrix on Azure, with the two providers having an alliance despite offering competing products.)

In future, we might compare AVD with a cloud-only Citrix setup. But for now, we’re looking at a common use case: deciding between virtualisation on Azure or a local Citrix installation. We’ll skip to the end and give you a spoiler: we think AVD is the superior choice. But here’s an objective overview of the two.

The benefits of using Citrix Virtual Desktops

1) More features

When it comes to features, Citrix offers a range of customisation options and features that might not be available with cloud-based solutions like AVD. With Citrix, IT managers will have complete control over virtual desktop environments and can tailor it to meet their exact needs. 

They can choose which applications to install, configure policies, and tweak the VMs in any way they like. This level of control can be especially important for firms that need specific software or configurations to do their work.

2) Customer data protection constraints

In tightly regulated sectors it’s not uncommon to have to abide by rules set by customers, or even your supply chain, that dictate where sensitive data is stored. Locally-hosted virtual machines can be the only solution in some cases. This way, you can store data securely (if you set them up safely) and the data will remain in the geographical location you need it in.

3) Not affected by cloud downtime

One of the benefits of locally hosted Citrix Virtual Desktop is that it won’t be affected when cloud services go down. Cloud-based solutions like AVD rely on internet connectivity and cloud infrastructure, which can be subject to outages and other issues. 

With a locally-hosted solution, you have more control over your uptime and making sure your virtual machines are always available to your employees is your responsibility. If you need 24/7 access to your IT infrastructure, this is something to consider. That said, you might want to note that running Citrix on-premise comes with its own set of risks. To maintain high availability, you’ll need to invest in redundant hardware, complex networking, and failover mechanisms. This can be costly and takes significant expertise to set up and maintain.

Actually seeing downtime with AVD is almost impossible, though. The likelihood of cloud downtime is exceedingly low. Service level agreements vary between 99.9% uptime (44 minutes/month downtime) to 99.99% uptime (4 minutes per month downtime). And performance is almost always better than that anyway. 

The drawbacks of using Citrix

1) High complexity, high cost

Citrix can be more complex and costly both to implement and maintain. This is because it usually requires on-premise servers to be set up and software to be installed and updated. It needs an array of sub-systems to be connected (databases, storage and so on) and their performance levels to be optimised. With so many moving parts, it’s all too easy to end up with buggy, slow, error-prone systems.

The licensing costs for Citrix can quickly add up. Citrix has transitioned to a subscription-based pricing model, and depending on the plan, costs can range from $15 to $25 per user per month for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops​. In addition to the base subscription costs, there are often additional expenses for features like advanced security, performance analytics, and support services​​.

This all means you’re going to need an experienced Citrix manager on-staff – and they’re not cheap. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to hire an outside consultant – and that requires setup fees, project planning time, time spent by your employees to work with them, and a big pile of billable hours.

And if anything goes wrong down the line, you’ll have to call them again for help. That won’t be free.

2) Lack of scalability

Citrix won’t provide as much flexibility as cloud-based DaaS systems when it comes to scaling up or down. With AVD for example, you can easily add or remove virtual desktops as needed without having to worry about purchasing additional hardware or software licenses. With a Citrix setup, you’ll have to plan your server upgrades, buy additional hardware, and make sure the environment is configured correctly.

It’s usually easier and more cost-effective to scale your virtual desktop infrastructure with the cloud.

3) Outdated security

Compared to cloud DaaS setups, Citrix may pose more security risks if you’re managing it all in-house. Managing and upgrading on-premises systems can be difficult and time-consuming, making it easy for your IT department to struggle to keep up. Security updates, antivirus refreshes and software patches all need installing regularly, and on self-hosted hardware that’s not the easiest thing to do – especially if you’re a smaller organisation.

This can leave your business vulnerable to attacks and data breaches. With the ever-changing cybersecurity threat landscape, attackers can end up causing massive damage to your entire organisation. 

Why things are better with Azure Virtual Desktop

Let’s take a look at some of the major benefits of Azure Virtual Desktop. Some of these apply to cloud VDI solutions overall – we would generally recommend these over local hosting – but some are specific to AVD.

1) Better performance

One of the biggest benefits of Azure Virtual Desktop is its performance. With AVD, virtual desktops run on Microsoft’s high-powered Azure cloud platform, which can deliver faster performance and lower latency than on-premises solutions.

You’ve also got a suite of performance monitoring tools built-in that let you see how things are going, from a company overview to individual apps.

This should lead to a more responsive and seamless user experience, meaning your IT team isn’t drowning in support tickets while HR are left wondering why their documents won’t load.

2 ) Better flexibility

Another key advantage of Azure Virtual Desktop is its flexibility. With AVD, you can easily scale your virtual desktop environment up or down based on your organisation’s needs. Need to add more users? No problem. Seasonal demand dropping off? Scale back with a few clicks.

AVD session hosts can be spun up and deleted as required, giving you the ability to dynamically adjust your environment. If this were an on-premises solution, you might need to buy and provision additional hardware to accommodate these fluctuations. That’s not just expensive, it’s time-consuming.

With AVD, everything runs in the cloud, so you can say goodbye to long procurement cycles and hello to near-instant scalability. This flexibility allows your organisation to respond quickly to changing demands, without the need for hefty capital investments in hardware.

3) Integration with the entire Microsoft suite

If you’re already using Microsoft apps throughout your organisation, AVD is a perfect choice.

Microsoft 365 Office is a powerful range of productivity software, from which you’ll recognise Teams, Word, Excel, Sharepoint and more. Users will be able to enjoy single sign-on and data synchronisation between apps whenever they log in to their virtual desktop. 

Additionally, AVD gives you access to the broader Azure ecosystem. This includes a wide array of features, applications, and services like Azure Active Directory, Azure DevOps, AI and machine learning tools, and data analytics capabilities. These integrations mean that your organisation can benefit from the full power of the Azure cloud platform, so you get a unified environment to enhance productivity, security, and operational efficiency.

Apps are optimised for use on Azure servers and frequently updated, so you’ll always have the smoothest performance, best security, and latest features for your entire productivity suite.

4) More manageable and capable security features

Another key benefit of AVD over a locally-managed virtual desktop is stronger security.

Firstly, AVD’s core backend components are highly available and fully managed by Microsoft. This means that critical infrastructure is kept up-to-date automatically. Microsoft takes care of applying the latest security updates and patches to these components, reducing the burden on your IT team and helping keep your environment secure.

Secondly, virtual desktops themselves can be set to auto-patch. With AVD, you can configure your virtual machines to automatically install the latest operating system and application updates. This helps to close potential security gaps quickly without the need for manual intervention.

Additionally, AVD offers advanced security features such as conditional access policies, multi-factor authentication, and encryption to help protect against data breaches and other threats.

4) Cost control

AVD can offer significant cost savings over a locally-managed Citrix setup. With AVD, you don’t need to invest in expensive hardware or infrastructure to support your virtual desktop environment.

Microsoft manages the physical infrastructure on the Azure cloud platform of course, so you don’t have to worry about maintenance or upgrades. This reduces your overall IT costs and frees up your people and funds for other business priorities.

You can also use a range of cost reduction strategies to keep your expenses down with AVD. 

AVD uses Azure’s scaling plans, which means that virtual desktops are only powered on when the resource is required. 

Shutting down virtual machines when they’re not in use is one of the best – if your office closes at 5.30pm you shouldn’t need to pay for service through the night. That can add up to 200-300 hours per month of compute time saved. You’ll still pay for storage, but cutting compute costs can bring down a significant portion of your overall expenses.

In terms of licensing, most users who already use the Microsoft 365 suite would have a licence that covers them for AVD. In contrast, Citrix would require additional licences, adding to the overall cost. 

What’s more, Windows 10 Multi-Session Desktop allows the same users to share a virtual machine, which is great for cutting down on licence fees. Multi-session means that VM resources are used efficiently. Instead of each user having their own VM, resources can be shared, so you get higher utilisation and lower compute costs.

Our take: Azure Virtual Desktop is the clear winner

So, if you’re an IT leader trying to decide between virtual desktops, you should now be a bit more informed. 

In our opinion, AVD is the better choice. It’s a leaner, more focused setup for firms that don’t need every single feature under the sun. Costs scale up and down depending on usage, and its seamless place in the Microsoft ecosystem is a no-brainer for those that just want to get on with their work. 

While AVD doesn’t quite have as many features as Citrix, it’s improving. Thin client support, for example, was added in late 2022, a frequently requested upgrade. The massive growth Azure has gone through in the last few years points toward a bright future, and we expect it to become an even more extensive platform. 

You’ve always got to evaluate the choices based on your business requirements, of course. But, in our opinion, if you want a powerful and reliable VDI setup that’s cost-effective and easy to manage, AVD is the better choice.

About Synextra

More than just a great cloud MSP, we’re a boutique team of Azure specialists. And we do much more than just cloud migrations. We help game-changing organisations like yours discover their true potential through technology. Still battling with AVD vs Citrix? Contact us today and our elite Azure experts will show you what’s possible.