Citrix, one of the oldest and most influential players in the virtual desktop industry, has been providing VDI and virtual desktop solutions for decades now. Despite the many, many years of virtual desktop activity, Citrix has managed to stay relevant and is still one of the most popular VDI providers on the market.
That said, the virtual desktop world has truly blossomed in recent years, and many new competitors and rivals have taken the market by storm. With so many Citrix alternatives, it’s always worth considering Citrix’s competitors.
This is especially true considering the fact that Citrix has its own issues that have led to users migrating to its competitors. The pressure from Citrix competitors is so great that Citrix’s market share has been iffy in the past few years as major players like Microsoft and Amazon offer similar services with more modern and scalable architectures.
With that in mind, it’s advisable that you, at the very least, consider Citrix alternatives, as its future doesn’t look amazing right now. Before that, though, let’s talk about Citrix itself and its main issues.
Who Is Citrix? What Services Does It Offer?
Citrix (short for Citrix Systems) is an American cloud computing and virtualization company established in 1989. It offers various services, such as desktop virtualization, software as a service (SaaS), and cloud computing and networking products for platforms like Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Citrix initially focused on thin clients; however, in 1995, it became one of the most prominent companies in virtual desktop computing with the release of WinFrame. WinFrame was a multi-user version of Windows NT 3.51 that allowed multiple users to access Windows applications remotely from thin clients. It was essentially the precursor to Citrix’s more modern virtualization products, like Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. Over the years, Citrix has improved and developed its services with more and more comprehensive solutions like MetaFrame in 1998 and XenApp and XenDesktop in the late 2000s.
Why You Should Consider Citrix Alternatives
Even today, after 35 years, Citrix remains one of the most popular virtual desktop and VDI providers in the market. However, Citrix is not without fault, and there are a few concerns that have led to users migrating from Citrix.
High Costs
Citrix is most suitable for enterprise-level businesses and only merely a “good” fit for medium-sized businesses. For smaller businesses, Citrix is just too expensive. Its services are comprehensive, to say the least, and Citrix understandably prices its services at the same level, making it an unsuitable and expensive option for small businesses.
Even among the Citrix alternatives and competitors, Citrix is still considered an expensive choice since services like Microsoft AVD and Amazon WorkSpaces average $12-$25 less in terms of per-user/month costs. On top of that, you have to consider licensing fees, infrastructure requirements, and training to manage Citrix environments.
Management and Pricing Complexity
Another reason why Citrix is unsuitable for small businesses is the complexity of setting up and managing Citrix services, as you may need specialized IT expertise to configure and maintain Citrix solutions.
Citrix’s complexity isn’t just limited to management and deployment, either. Citrix’s pricing models are so complex that the company offers a dedicated Workspace Pricing Calculator for IT experts to figure out the costs–Not for the average person, no, for the IT EXPERT.
The ambiguity doesn’t end there, as the pricing calculator Citrix offers so graciously is based on organizations with over 500 users with a three-year subscription. So the prices shown will most probably be different for you unless you have over 500 users and lock yourself in a three-year contract.
Dodgy Security
While anything that’s even remotely online is prone to a cyber attack, for Citrix, it’s a much more serious issue. This is due to the fact that Citrix provides services for many popular companies and even government projects.
So, you’d expect a somewhat impenetrable security that rarely falters, yet that’s not the case. Whether it is due to Citrix failing to keep up with the newest security measures or not, Citrix has faced several security breaches and exploitations with worrying repercussions.
In 2019, Citrix suffered a massive data breach where hackers had access to Citrix’s network for five months before Citrix noticed the breach. The hackers were able to steal over 6TB of sensitive business documents, some of which belonged to the likes of NASA and the FBI.
The Citrix Bleed Vulnerability (CVE-2023-4699) was a flaw that allowed attackers to hijack existing sessions and gain unauthorized access to systems. This exploitation also took months for Citrix to notice and affected high-profile organizations like Xfinity, where the sensitive information of over 36 million customers was stolen.
Lastly, another major breach was the CVE-2023-3519 exploitation, which primarily targeted critical infrastructure organizations such as healthcare, government, energy, and water systems. It doesn’t really get more important and serious than that, and when Citrix systems used for these sectors aren’t guarded well enough, who knows how well your data will be guarded?
The Best Citrix alternatives
Considering the high costs, complexity, and security concerns with Citrix, you might be considering opting for Citrix alternatives. So, I’ve gathered a list of some of the best Citrix alternatives on the market, each with its own unique selling point.
Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop: Best for Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem
Microsoft services are a fundamental part of many organizations these days, so it’s a no-brainer that if you already use Microsoft services, you should opt for Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
Azure Virtual Desktop is a cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure solution that integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft services like Azure Active Directory and Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive).
It offers scalable, flexible remote desktop options with centralized management, making it ideal for organizations already leveraging Microsoft products. Unlike Citrix’s concerning security background, Microsoft is known for its robust security measures and compliance certificates.
Microsoft AVD’s pricing model is notably cost-effective as well, as you’ll only pay for whatever resources you use. You don’t have to worry about access to your virtual desktops either, as AVD users can connect to their virtual desktops from any device.
That said, you should be aware that this alternative to Citrix shares the same problem with Citrix, as costs can increase due to Azure licensing. Another issue that Azure has in common with Citrix is that you’ll need technical expertise to configure AVD, especially for custom deployments.
Amazon WorkSpaces: Best for Cost-Efficiency
Another Citrix alternative that’s a great option for you if you already use its services is Amazon WorkSpaces. Amazon WorkSpaces is a fully managed virtual desktop solution that allows businesses to provision desktops for users quickly and cost-effectively.
It offers a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pricing model so that you only pay for what you want without having to lock yourself in. Amazon WorkSpaces also features easy resource scalability and high flexibility so that businesses that are developing quickly can meet their needs without worry.
However, despite the PAYG pricing model, Amazon WorkSpaces and AWS services in general, have an ambiguous pricing structure that’s difficult to understand for many users.
Additionally, Amazon WorkSpaces comes with a rather high amount of management overheads as day-to-day costs of managing user identities, monitoring desktop performance, and implementing security policies require dedicated IT support.
Lastly, Amazon WorkSpaces doesn’t support optimization features for one of the most popular communication platforms in the industry, Microsoft Teams. What this means is that all voice and video processing happens in the cloud, which translates into higher resource demands and can potentially lead to clients having to opt for virtual machines with more resources and costs.
VMware Horizon: Best for Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Deployments
Even if you’re new to this industry, you’ve most probably heard of VMware Horizon. VMware Horizon is a globally well-known and enterprise-adopted virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) used in pretty much every industry, from government to finance and healthcare.
VMware Horizon offers a highly flexible VDI solution with strong support for hybrid and multi-cloud environments. It integrates well with VMware’s ecosystem, providing a unified platform for managing both virtual desktops and applications.
It also supports advanced API integration with analytics, automation, and other essential systems. This way, with VMware’s low-code automation platforms, users can tailor automation to their unique business workflows.
VMware Horizon’s strong suit that makes it such a good Citrix alternative is its strong support for hybrid (a mix of on-premise data centers and public cloud services) and multi-cloud (two or more public cloud providers) environments.
Since VMware Horizon is designed for and mainly caters to enterprise-grade organizations, it requires a competent set of hardware and infrastructure to support virtual desktop instances. This means that you’ll most likely need to invest in additional computing, storage, and networking resources for optimal performance, leading to an increase in deployment cost.
Lastly, VMware Horizon license and support costs can quickly rack up a hefty fee, especially for bigger companies and organizations.
AnyDesk: Best for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses
AnyDesk is a remote desktop software that stands out for its simplicity, speed, and cross-platform compatibility. It allows users to access and control desktops, servers, and other devices remotely from various operating systems like Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
While it doesn’t provide the full-scale Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) features of Citrix, AnyDesk is popular for smaller businesses and individuals who need an easy-to-use, cost-effective remote access tool. With features such as file transfer, remote printing, and robust security, AnyDesk offers many of the necessary tools for remote work at a much lower cost than other VDI solutions.
As AnyDesk is more suitable for smaller businesses, it doesn’t feature advanced VDI capabilities like complex desktop virtualization and full-scale enterprise solutions.
Lastly, while AnyDesk is known for its high-speed and smooth connections, users have reported connection issues such as connection completely dropping seemingly for no reason and slow connection speeds when transferring large files.
Chrome Remote Desktop: Best Free Citrix Alternative
For personal and light business use, I recommend Chrome Remote Desktop, a free, browser-based Citrix alternative. Chrome Remote Desktop features cross-platform remote access, providing basic desktop virtualization functionality.
Chrome Remote Desktop supports multiple platforms, such as Windows, Linux, and Mac, and can be set up easily in no time. Your connection will also be secured through Google Chrome.
Understandably, a free remote desktop service like this doesn’t offer much in terms of features and lacks advanced functions like file transfer and remote printing.
Inuvika: Best Open-Source Citrix Alternative
Since Inuvika is built on Linux, you no longer need Windows licensing and less than half of the infrastructure necessary for other Citrix alternatives, thereby cutting expenses by up to 60%. It offers Windows and Linux virtual apps and desktops and works with any device.
Inuvika’s compatibility extends even further as it can be deployed on any hypervisor, such as KVM, vSphere, Proxmox, etc, and can be installed on public or private clouds and on-premise data centers.
Additionally, Inuvika is available in over 50 countries and is employed in a wide range of industries like enterprise and government organizations. That said, Inuvika doesn’t offer a full VDI solution meaning it relies on session-based environments, which limits customization and isolation, has limited resources causing lags, and is less secure than full VDIs.
Lastly, as an open-source solution, it may lack the extensive support documentation that proprietary solutions like Citrix, VMware, or Microsoft AVD offer.
Cloudzy RDP VPS – An Alternative of Another Kind
It can be difficult to decide between all the Citrix alternatives mentioned above, as you might want to save money while also getting a reliable, high-performance remote desktop solution. That’s where we step in.
If you need a remote desktop solution that is compatible with all operating systems, Cloudzy’s RDP VPS is one of the most affordable and powerful RDP services available.
Our RDP service features full admin access and DDoS protection in over 15 locations globally, covering three continents. You can choose any Windows server version you like, and it will be pre-installed on your Cloudzy RDP VPS.
You can expect top performance and reliability with our RDP VPS as they are backed with top-of-the-line hardware like NVME SSD storage and DDR4 RAM and boasts a 10 Gbps network connection with 99.95% uptime guarantee.
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Get an RDP ServerFinal Thoughts
Citrix has been a longstanding pillar in the desktop virtualization industry and has significantly helped push the tech in this sector to new horizons. However, with mounting security breaches and the emergence of cheaper alternatives with newer, more up-to-date hardware and infrastructure, it may just be time to switch to a better, more modern Citrix alternative.
FAQs
What is Citrix used for?
Citrix Systems is one of the most long-standing companies in the cloud computing and desktop virtualization industries. It offers a wide range of services, from desktop virtualization and software as a service (SaaS) to cloud computing and networking products for platforms like Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Are there any Citrix open-source alternatives?
Inuvika is an excellent alternative to Citrix, and not just in terms of being open-source. Inuvika has fantastic compatibility as it can be deployed on any hypervisor, and can be installed on public or private clouds and on-premise data centers.
What is the best alternative to Citrix?
Choosing the best alternative to Citrix heavily depends on your needs and varies from case to case; however, here are some of the best Citrix alternatives depending on your needs:
| Best for Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem | Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop |
| Best for Cost-Efficiency | Amazon WorkSpaces |
| Best for Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Deployments | VMware Horizon |
| Best for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses | AnyDesk |
| Best Free Citrix Alternative | Chrome Remote Desktop |
| Best Open-Source Citrix Alternative | Inuvika |
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