WVD vs. RDS - a head-to-head comparison (when running in Azure)
Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) is the modern, Azure PaaS based solution for virtual desktops. RDS is the traditional, mature, good ole solution. Let's look at how these two compare to each other when running in Azure with Nerdio.
| WVD | RDS | |
| Desktop Operating System | Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session | Windows Server 2016 Desktop Experience with RDS |
| Licensing options | a. Microsoft 365 (E3, E5, A3, A5, Business) b. Windows 10 (E3, E5, A3, A5) c. Windows 10 Enterprise VDA |
a. Windows Server via Azure, CSP Software Subscriptions or SA b. SPLA RDS SAL c. CSP Software subscription 1- and 3-year RDS SAL d. RDS CALS with Software Assurance (SA) |
| Control plane (Connection infrastructure) |
Hosted in Azure as PaaS, managed by Microsoft | Hosted in Azure on VMs, managed by MSP/customer |
| Cost - OS license (approximate) | $7 per user per month (Windows 10 Enterprise) | $5 to $8 per user per month (RDS + Windows Server) |
|
Cost - control plane (approximate) |
$0 (included in OS license) | $2.50 per user for 100s of users, higher for small deployments |
| Desktop types | a. Personal - dedicated VM b. Pooled - shared VM |
a. VDI - dedicated VM b. RDS - shared VM |
| Profile management | FSLogix profile containers | a. RDS Collections: User Profile Disks (UPD) b. VDI & RDS: Native profiles |
| OneDrive installed client support | Yes, supported | a. RDS Collections: No b. VDI & RDS: Yes |
| Windows search indexing | Yes, supported | a. RDS Collections: No b. VDI & RDS: Yes |
| Skype & Teams | No, but expected soon | a. RDS Collections: No b. VDI & RDS: Yes |
| GPU desktops | Yes | Yes |
| Azure regions | Desktop VMs - all Control Plane - limited |
Desktop VMs - All Control Plane - All |
| Azure Hybrid Usage | Supported | Supported |
| Reserved instances | Yes | Yes |
| 32 bit apps | Supported | Supported |
| Time in market | New technology, GA fall of 2019 | Stable, widely used technology for over a decade |