The Best VDI Solutions for Every Business Need 

“Why have our remote desktop costs tripled in the last two years?” asks your finance director. Your head of IT says there’s too many tickets about slow connections. And somewhere, a software dev stares at the ceiling, waiting for their virtual desktop to boot up.

VDI problems? It might sound like you need to visit the doctor – but this is actually a problem for your whole organisation.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) has become the backbone of modern remote working, yet it doesn’t always behave as you’d like. Especially if you just pick the first option that you find.

So if you want to find the best VDI solutions on the market — and figure out which one actually fits your business — read on to find out how to make the right call.

Before we dive into specific solutions, consider this: the best VDI solution is the one that solves your actual problems, not the one with the most impressive feature list. Too many organisations buy the virtual desktop equivalent of a sports car only to realise they needed a reliable estate.

If you’re new to this world, our beginner’s guide to virtual desktops breaks down the fundamentals. But for now, think of VDI as your way of delivering Windows (or Linux) desktops and applications to users anywhere, without them needing powerful local machines.

The key factors that separate great virtual desktop solutions from mediocre ones include performance (nobody likes waiting), cost (both upfront and ongoing), security (keeping your data where it should be), scalability (growing without pain), and management complexity (your IT team’s sanity matters too). Let’s take a look at them in more detail.

When performance is your top priority, two solutions consistently rise above the rest, though for different reasons.

Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) might surprise you here. While it’s not always the absolute fastest in raw benchmarks, it delivers consistently good performance for most business applications. The secret sauce is its tight integration with Microsoft’s global network and clever optimisations for Microsoft 365. FSLogix profile containers keep login times snappy, and the Windows 10/11 multi-session capability means you’re getting native Windows performance without the overhead of traditional VDI solutions.

VMware Horizon (now called Omnissa Horizon) is generally the performance champion for specialised workloads. If you’re running CAD applications, video editing, or anything that needs serious GPU muscle, Horizon’s graphics capabilities are tough to beat. The Blast Extreme protocol handles poor network conditions better than most alternatives, and instant clones technology dramatically reduces storage bottlenecks. Despite the recent ownership changes, the technology itself remains rock-solid.

For standard office applications, Parallels RAS deserves a mention. It might not win any benchmark competitions, but users consistently report that it feels responsive and snappy in daily use. Sometimes perceived performance matters more than raw numbers.

Let’s talk virtual desktop costs – because even the best technical solution means nothing if it breaks the budget. Here’s how cost works for some of the big hitters.

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is probably the most cost-effective option if you already have Windows Server infrastructure. You’re looking at Windows Server licensing plus RDS CALs, and that’s pretty much it. No fancy management consoles, no complex licensing tiers, just straightforward remote desktop functionality. It’s not glamorous, but for basic needs, it’s effective.

Parallels RAS hits the sweet spot for small to medium businesses. It adds enterprise-style features on top of RDS without enterprise-style costs. The pricing is transparent, and you can choose between perpetual licenses or subscriptions. For organisations with 50-500 users, it often provides the best value.

Azure Virtual Desktop becomes cost-effective at scale, particularly if you’re already invested in Microsoft 365. The consumption-based pricing means you’re only paying for what you use, and Windows 10/11 multi-session can dramatically reduce your VM costs.

Amazon WorkSpaces with hourly billing can be incredibly economical for specific use cases. Development teams who need powerful workstations for projects, seasonal workers, or businesses with clear shift patterns can see dramatic savings. Just be careful – like a taxi meter, those hours can add up if not managed properly. (Check out our comparison of Workspaces and AVD.)

With security, you want to think about features, control, and compliance. Getting a good fit for all of these should mean you sleep soundly at night.

VMware Horizon (Omnissa) is still a leader for when you need maximum control over your data. The ability to run completely on-premises means sensitive data never leaves your data centre. With proper configuration, you can achieve air-gap levels of isolation while still providing remote access. For organisations with strict regulatory requirements or those handling classified information, this level of control is often non-negotiable.

Azure Virtual Desktop brings Microsoft’s hefty security stack to your virtual desktop deployment. We’re talking Azure AD conditional access, multi-factor authentication, and integration with Microsoft Defender. The security defaults are sensible, and compliance certifications cover most regulatory requirements. Microsoft’s shared responsibility model means they handle much of the heavy lifting, though you’re still responsible for your configurations and data.

While we’re focusing on alternatives, Citrix has a strong security setup. Their zero-trust architecture and granular policy controls are amongst the best in the industry. Sometimes this industry classic is still worth considering, especially for high-security environments.

Parallels RAS provides solid security fundamentals without going overboard with complexity. Multi-factor authentication, SSL encryption, and granular access controls come standard. It might not have every security bell and whistle, but it covers the essentials well.

Small businesses need solutions that work without needing a team of specialists to manage them.

Parallels RAS is a great choice here. It’s sophisticated enough to handle growing business needs but simple enough that your existing IT team (or person) can manage it. The installation literally takes less than an hour, and most features work out of the box. The mobile clients are genuinely good too, which matters when your sales team is always on the road.

Microsoft RDS works well for Windows-centric small businesses who want to keep things simple. If you’ve already got a Windows Server environment and just need basic remote access, why complicate things? Your IT team already knows how to manage Windows Server, and there’s no shortage of documentation or community support.

Windows 365 deserves consideration for its sheer simplicity. Its Cloud PCs feel more like traditional desktops than shared VDI, which can reduce support tickets and training needs. The predictable per-user pricing makes budgeting nice and straightforward. For a deeper dive into when this makes sense, check our comparison of Azure Virtual Desktop vs Windows 365.

Enterprise deployments need scale, reliability, and extensive feature sets.

Azure Virtual Desktop has become the go-to choice for Microsoft-centric enterprises. If you’re already using Microsoft 365, Azure AD, and other Microsoft services, AVD feels like a natural extension rather than a bolt-on solution. The ability to manage everything through familiar Microsoft tools reduces the need for training, and Microsoft’s global infrastructure provides the scale that most enterprises need.

VMware Horizon remains strong for complex enterprise requirements, particularly hybrid deployments. Need some desktops on-prem for regulatory reasons but others in the cloud for flexibility? Horizon handles this elegantly. The ecosystem of third-party tools and extensive customisation options mean you can adapt it to almost any requirement. Just be prepared for the complexity that comes with this flexibility. The ongoing changes in VMware’s ecosystem are also worth thinking about for long-term planning.

Amazon WorkSpaces makes sense for enterprises already committed to AWS. The integration with other AWS services is pretty much seamless, and if your applications are already running in AWS, keeping desktops close to the data reduces latency and egress costs. The ability to provision thousands of desktops through infrastructure as code appeals to DevOps-minded teams.

Growth brings unique challenges: you need solutions that scale without requiring complete overhauls.

Azure Virtual Desktop excels here. You might start with a handful of desktops for remote workers and scale to hundreds without changing your fundamental approach. The consumption-based pricing means you’re not over-provisioning for future growth, and automation capabilities through ARM templates or Terraform mean your infrastructure can grow alongside your team.

Amazon WorkSpaces offers similar cloud-native scalability with the added flexibility of hourly billing. This is particularly valuable during growth spurts when you might need extra capacity for projects or new hires before settling into a steady state. The ability to mix and match bundle types means different departments can have appropriate resources without overprovisioning.

Parallels RAS can grow with you to a point. It handles the journey from 50 to 500 users well, but beyond that, you might need to consider more enterprise-focused solutions. That said, migration paths do exist if you outgrow it.

Cloud-native solutions generally handle growth better than on-premises alternatives. You’re not worried about rack space, cooling, or hardware refreshes.

If pressed to name a single “best overall” solution (though we maintain there isn’t one), Azure Virtual Desktop would probably be our favourite for most organisations in 2025.

Here’s why: it provides good performance for most use cases, reasonable costs with consumption-based pricing, enterprise-grade security, scales from small to large deployments, and integrates naturally with the Microsoft tools most businesses already use. It’s not perfect – you need a level of Azure expertise, it’s not the best for graphics-intensive workloads, and you’re committing to the Microsoft ecosystem. But for the broad middle of the market, it ticks more boxes than any alternative.

That said, declaring a universal winner misses the point. VMware Horizon might be “best overall” if you need on-premises deployment. Parallels RAS could be “best overall” for a 200-person company without dedicated VDI administrators. Amazon WorkSpaces might win if you’re all-in on AWS.

The best overall VDI solution is the one that aligns with your existing infrastructure, and meets your specific requirements. It has to fit within your budget and expertise constraints, too. Sorry there’s no single, definite answer – but you didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?

After all this analysis, how do you actually make a decision? Start with these questions:

• What’s your primary driver? Cost reduction, remote work enablement, security, or something else? Let this guide your evaluation criteria.
• What’s your existing investment? Using Microsoft 365? Lean towards AVD. Deep in AWS? Consider WorkSpaces. Existing VMware infrastructure? Horizon might make sense despite recent changes.
• What’s your true total cost? Include licensing, infrastructure, management time, training, and migration costs. The cheapest license doesn’t always mean the lowest total cost.
• What are your actual requirements? List what you genuinely need versus what would be nice to have. Be ruthless here: complexity you don’t need will make for future problems.
• What’s your team’s expertise? The best solution you can’t manage properly is worse than a simpler solution you can run well.

Common pitfalls to avoid include: choosing based on features you’ll never use, and ignoring migration complexity and costs. You’ll also have to make sure not to underestimate management overhead, or forget about user experience. And of course, if you fail to run proper pilot tests before committing, you’re risking a troublesome rollout.

Choosing the right VDI solution doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start with a clear understanding of your requirements, run proof of concepts with your shortlisted options, and gather real user feedback before committing. And you can always consider asking for outside help.

At Synextra, we’ve helped many organisations make these decisions. While we’re big fans of Azure Virtual Desktop, we’ll always consider the best options out there to help you find your perfect match.

Ready to find the best VDI solution for your organisation? Get in touch today.