Azure Virtual Desktop vs Windows 365

Comparing Azure Virtual Desktop vs Windows 365 there lots of similarities, and that’s because they are both powered by Azure Virtual Desktop. Here’s what Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 share:

• Hosted in Azure and powered by Azure Virtual Desktop technology
• End user client experience, supported on:
  • Windows, MacOS and Linux PC’s
  • Android and iOS
  • Web Browser
• Windows OS licencing (either of the following options):
  • A per user subscription that includes Windows 10 Enterprise + Primary user’s primary work device must be licensed for Windows 7/8/8.1/10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education
  • Windows VDA per user subscription

• Fully managed in the Azure Portal within your own subscription
• Supports custom gold/base images
•  Supports both user dedicated desktops and/or Windows 10 multi-session (get economies of scale out of your virtual desktops)
• Active Directory support:
  –  Azure AD Domain Services or Windows Server AD Domain Services
  –  Azure AD – coming soon

• Applications management:
  –  Microsoft Endpoint Manager (currently requires Hybrid Join)
  – MSIX App Attach
  – Updating your gold images
• Licensing requirements (in addition to Windows OS licensing):
  –  Azure subscription (consumption-based pricing)
  – Microsoft Office requires a subscription with SCA (Shared Computer Activation) rights for multi-session desktops

• Network access is plumbed into your ownAzure tenant. This allows your Windows 365 virtual desktops to access resources in your own Azure tenancy and gives you the ability to apply network security or access into other networks
• Managed by Microsoft Endpoint Manager
• Supports custom gold/base images
• User dedicated desktop (no support for Windows 10 multi-session)
• Fixed per user per month cost for the desktop, consumption based for networking
• AD support:
  • Azure Hybrid Join (on-prem AD Domain Services in Hybrid with Azure)
  • Azure AD – coming soon
• Application management:
  • Microsoft Endpoint Manager (currently requires Hybrid Join)
• Licencingrequirements (in addition to Windows OS licencing):
  • Windows 365 per user licence (licence tears dependant on virtual desktop spec)
  • Microsoft Endpoint Manager
  • Any Office subscription is supported

Windows 365 Business is fully managed by the end user and is much like a virtual version of a personal computer.

• There is no network management – Microsoft provides access to the internet
• No built-in management tools
• No custom gold/base image support
• User dedicated desktop (no support for Windows 10 multi-session)
• Fixed per user per month cost for the desktop
• AD support:
  • Azure AD only
• Application management:
  • Managed by the end-user or other 3rd party tool (e.g. RMM)
• Licencingrequirements (in addition to Windows OS licencing):
  • Windows 365 per user licence (licence tears dependant on virtual desktop spec)
  • Any Office subscription is supported