Microsoft offers two ways to put Windows desktops in the cloud: Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 Cloud PCs. Both let staff sign in from any device and get a full Windows desktop. They're priced and managed very differently.
Windows 365 in brief
- One dedicated Cloud PC per user, with a fixed monthly price per size.
- Managed through Intune like a physical laptop.
- Simple to buy and predictable to budget.
- You pay the same whether the Cloud PC is used one hour a week or all day.
Azure Virtual Desktop in brief
- Desktops run on Azure virtual machines that you size and control.
- Multiple users can share one virtual machine (multi-session Windows), which cuts cost for larger teams.
- Machines can be scaled down or switched off outside working hours.
- More to design and run: networking, profiles, images and scaling.
Side by side
| Windows 365 | Azure Virtual Desktop | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Fixed per user per month | Pay for Azure compute and storage used |
| Best team size | Small teams, individual users | Teams of 10+ with similar needs |
| Shared desktops | No | Yes |
| Management effort | Low | Moderate; usually managed by a provider |
| GPU options | Limited | Wide range |
Line-of-business applications
If your desktops need to reach a database server, such as accounting, ERP or practice-management software, put the desktops and the server close together. With AVD, both can sit in the same Azure region or virtual network. With a private cloud, desktops and servers can share the same data center. Either way, the app runs at local speed.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Windows 365 for a few remote or contract users who need their own PC with minimal setup.
- Choose Azure Virtual Desktop for a larger team, shared desktops, GPU workloads or tight cost control.
- Consider a private-cloud desktop when your key app server is already hosted there.