Skip to main content
TrustRadius
VMware Horizon

VMware Horizon

Overview

What is VMware Horizon?

A VDI solution used for the secure delivery of virtual desktops and apps from on-premises to the cloud. It is used to deploy, manage, monitor and scale desktops and apps across private, hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructure using a cloud-based console…

Read more
Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Users of VMware Horizon View have praised the software for its ability to provide secure remote access without the need for VPN or remote …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing

Horizon Apps Standard

$4.67

Cloud
per month per user

Horizon Standard Plus

$5.79

Cloud
per month per user

Horizon Apps Universal

$6.00

Cloud
per month per user

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.vmware.com/products/horizon…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Return to navigation

Product Demos

VMware Horizon 7: Demo - Feature Walk-through

YouTube

Chrome Demo - VMware Horizon

YouTube

VMware Horizon 6 and AirWatch

YouTube

VMware Horizon 6 with View

YouTube

VMware Horizon 6 Hosted Applications Demo

YouTube

VMware Horizon 6 Tutorial | VMware Horizon 6 Training

YouTube
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is VMware Horizon?

A VDI solution used for the secure delivery of virtual desktops and apps from on-premises to the cloud. It is used to deploy, manage, monitor and scale desktops and apps across private, hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructure using a cloud-based console and SaaS management services.

The solution also provides secure remote access to corporate resources from any device and leverage intrinsic security built into the VMware infrastructure to protect from the device to the data center to the cloud.

The vendor's value proposition is that the solution drives cost savings and business value by enabling more flexible and reliable access to resources.

VMware Horizon Competitors

VMware Horizon Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

A VDI solution used for the secure delivery of virtual desktops and apps from on-premises to the cloud. It is used to deploy, manage, monitor and scale desktops and apps across private, hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructure using a cloud-based console and SaaS management services.

LISTEQ Cloud Desktop are common alternatives for VMware Horizon.

Reviewers rate Performance highest, with a score of 10.

The most common users of VMware Horizon are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(156)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Users of VMware Horizon View have praised the software for its ability to provide secure remote access without the need for VPN or remote desktop. This feature has allowed them to conveniently access internal web applications and legacy Windows XP applications from anywhere with an internet connection. IT staff utilize the software to connect to virtual desktops, while employees make use of thin clients to access email, file shares, and specific applications on the go. The software has been particularly valuable for organizations with multiple locations and remote workers, as it offers a cost-effective, hardware-independent solution with features like monitoring, resource utilization, and multi-factor authentication. Additionally, VMware Horizon View is widely used across various industries, including healthcare IT, where it improves end user productivity and user experience for clinical task users. However, some users have occasionally experienced connection issues and difficulties with setup. Despite these challenges, users find the software highly useful for accessing virtual desktops efficiently.

Administrative departments and clients also rely on VMware Horizon View to address hardware failures and crashes by providing access to virtual desktops. This flexible solution is used in various scenarios such as training environments, enabling external contractors' access, and providing workstations for IT staff. Moreover, towns benefit from VMware Horizon View by gaining access to shared applications for assessments, while healthcare professionals securely access internal network resources remotely. The software's reach extends even to Highway Patrol cars, ensuring complete access to internal network resources in areas with intermittent cellular data coverage.

VMware Horizon View has proven invaluable in saving time by virtualizing software and simplifying IT tasks like updates and upgrades. It has facilitated the efficient rollout of Windows 10 and provided a work-from-home solution. Additionally, VMware Horizon Mobile Manager aids with device restrictions, tracking, application deployment, email integration, and digital material delivery.

The flexibility and security offered by VMware Horizon View are highly appreciated by users as they can work from anywhere worldwide with an internet connection. The product serves as a standard platform for daily tasks requiring elevated permissions for IT administrators and developers. It finds value in providing a pool of secured desktops within backup networks, separate from standard production environments. Reviewers have commended the product for eliminating the need to ship laptops across the globe by providing VDI desktops.

VMware Horizon View has been described as a win-win situation for businesses, offering convenient solutions for remote work and data access. It also finds application in statistical analysis software like IBM SPSS. By organizing users into different groups called Pools, it efficiently manages PCs, ensuring desktops are always running or shut down when not in use. Loyola University Maryland relies on VMware Horizon as their enterprise application and VDI delivery system, providing easy access for all employees, faculty, and students across departments. Multiple departments in organizations leverage VMware Horizon View to tailor their IT experience, manage systems with less IT involvement, and ensure quick content delivery. This product has enabled a shift in the way employees work, allowing for centralized data, consolidation of offices, and remote work in different states and locales.

VMware Horizon is especially valuable for managing virtual machines and pools of virtual machines for remote classes and work, providing control over information, managing policies, and resolving problems remotely. In educational institutions, it offers dynamic management of computer and storage resources while reducing costs and complexity. Companies across industries such as operations, sales, and product teams use VMware Horizon View as a primary or remote desktop solution to provide a consistent desktop experience across locations and offices.

Overall, users find that VMware Horizon makes VDI easy with its fast and reliable connection options like VMWare Blast or PCoIP. It caters to the needs of remote agents and offsite workers by offering thin clients to connect remotely over VPN and providing a Windows application environment for Macintosh users. The product has been recommended by experts for clients in their data centers to provide standardized virtual desktops for critical groups within the company. By connecting users to Windows environments on the customer side, VMware Horizon offers a VPN-like experience for remote access.

With its wide range of use cases in various industries, VMware Horizon View continues to be a go-to solution for organizations seeking secure remote access, efficient management of desktops and resources, as well as flexible work arrangements.

Excellent Performance: Users have consistently praised VMware Horizon for its excellent performance. Many reviewers have stated that the software runs smoothly and efficiently, allowing them to access virtual desktops and applications with ease. Some users have mentioned that they experienced no lag or delay when working remotely, which has greatly enhanced their productivity.

Reliable and Efficient Virtualization Solution: Reviewers appreciate that VMware Horizon is a reliable and efficient virtualization solution. Numerous users have highlighted the stability of the software and its ability to provide stable and scalable virtual support. They find it to be a robust product that allows them to create new desktops easily and seamlessly integrate into the vSphere platform.

Easy Implementation and Use: The ease of implementation and use of VMware Horizon is another commonly mentioned positive aspect. Users appreciate the straightforward deployment process, finding it great for deploying new software quickly. They also find the user interface intuitive, making it easy for them to manage their catalogue of pools and devices.

Resource Consumption: Some users have reported that the software consumes more resources than expected, potentially leading to performance issues. This concern has been raised by multiple reviewers who have experienced slowdowns or lag while using the software.

Confusing User Interface: The user interface of the software has received criticism from several users. They describe it as confusing and not well integrated with the operating system. Users have mentioned difficulties in navigating through menus and finding specific features.

Expensive Licensing: Implementing VDI, including hardware and licensing, is seen as a constraint for small and medium-sized businesses. Users have expressed concerns about the high cost of licensing, which adds to the overall expense of adopting VDI solutions. Some users feel that more affordable options should be available for organizations with limited budgets.

User recommendations for using VMware Horizon include the following:

  • Talk with end-users to plan out application loading and day-to-day needs.
  • VMware Horizon is recommended for customer service in telecommunications due to its options for call listening and security.
  • VMware Horizon works well, gives good results, and is free.
  • Use VMware Horizon for testing purposes and to avoid losing information.
  • Ensure a stable internet connection for optimal performance and stability.
  • VMware Horizon is recommended for any company that needs to implement software and test different systems.
  • VMware Horizon provides solutions and the freedom to do anything with the virtual system.
  • VMware Horizon worked well for automating testing services.
  • VMware Horizon offers different features for configuring operating systems without adding dangerous software.
  • VMware Horizon is a good solution for central security management.
  • Understand use cases before deploying VMware Horizon and dedicate people to manage the environment.
  • VMware Horizon is a very accessible software with few glitches.
  • Set up server settings automatically to provide guidance to the vendor.
  • VMware Horizon is a lightweight solution for connecting to a virtual desktop infrastructure.
  • Using VMware Horizon improves productivity in the working environment.
  • Take advantage of the RSA generated token for extra security.
  • Design a solid backend infrastructure with enough storage for a smoother user experience.
  • Purchase enough resources for quick scalability.
  • Get solid state drives and provide extra training for help desk staff.
  • VMware Horizon is recommended for programs that require processing power or access to different operating systems.
  • Try VMware Horizon on other platforms to address bugs or issues.
  • VMware Horizon is a perfect solution for delivering virtual desktops and integrating with existing VMware vSphere environment.
  • Consider alternatives like oVirt, Spice, or Citrix XenServer if VMware Horizon is not suitable.
  • Look at all the options on the internet and choose the platform that best fits the interests, especially for medium and big size companies.
  • VMware Horizon is recommended for virtual desktop users experiencing performance issues.
  • Understand the current environment and define use cases during the testing phase.
  • Use the right infrastructure to scale the VDI solution and choose a VDI solution that meets the appropriate needs.

These recommendations emphasize the importance of user involvement in planning, the suitability of VMware Horizon for customer service and testing, stability considerations, and scalability planning.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 35)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
August 24, 2023

VMware Horizon Review

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As I have already explained that VMware Horizon is very attractive model for some organizations which are dependent on remote work and hardware management is problem for them. You have better performance because a server has more capacity compared to a laptop. from anywhere any time you can connect but off course internet connectivity is required.
M. Randy Harris, Jr. | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
VMware Horizon is well suited for both private, public, and hybrid cloud environments due to the fact the same tool is used across all three platforms, and the behavior across all three platforms is the same. It provides significant value in allowing for the management of virtual machines and virtual pools with a smaller staff.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Setting up remoting software to get into the specific company in which we support. It works a lot like a VPN, but it definitely has room to improve. There's nothing special that helps my job, it's a separate desktop that houses programs for me to remote into other computers and Linux systems.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is a robust solution with many functionalities, depending on the complexity of the company's environment, several versions of the software can be adapted, the price is not cheap since there are other cheaper solutions that allow virtualization of desktops, sales by subscription helps to solve the price. For a correct implementation, several virtual machines with sufficient hardware resources are required. An important point to consider is Microsoft's licensing, which initially makes a solution more expensive.
September 04, 2020

VMware Horizon Review

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
VMware is well suited to a business where there will be many remote users needing to connect to the companies desktop. The installation on a remote computer is simple and is easy to use remotely but can be complicated to set up on the back end on the office system. It may not be worth the effort for a company that has few people who need remote access.
Tim Enders | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Horizon is fantastic as a way to provide secure access to and control of sensitive data. You can deliver an application that is run on a server in your data center which you have full control over—all data and processing resides there and the user can access it securely from anywhere in the world. It's also fantastic as a replacement for more traditional VPN style remote access because it doesn't require you to trust the user's endpoint in the same way since you're not admitting any additional devices to your local network.
Gabriel Krahn | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We used VMWare Horizon to connect to a Windows environment set up on the customer side (overseas) by us. In my opinion, Horizon is the best option when you don't want to mess around with physical authentication methods like Smart Cards allied with Citrix or other complicated VPNs. With Horizon you just need to be on the same network as the target machine using any simple VPN (in our case, we use Cisco AnyConnect) and connect with an ID, password, and domain (the domain is set up on the target side).
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
In our situation, it has worked well for presenting a desktop that users can badge in and out of and launch our EMR, or use the Outlook web app, etc.
On the other hand, we have also used it as complete replacements for peoples' desktops. Several high-level users have made the switch, and they find it to be very convenient and easy to use.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I think for a situation where you would need a small number of images for users that need basic things out of their non-persistent linked clone. This becomes more and more difficult when you have a complicated environment when you have people who want one-offs for their machines. Then you are managing a ton of persistent machines which can be fairly difficult but even so when you need a new machine you can always spin a brand new one up quickly. All in all this product is useful from A-Z but when using the non-persistent make sure that your image is a very basic image and won't need a ton of fine-tuning or changes. That's where things get difficult.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Remote access enabling workforce mobility is where Horizon really shines. I can leave my session running at the office, then remotely access my machine from any other device at home, or otherwise, and pick up right where I left off without the need to keep my office laptop with me at all times.
Stefan Semo | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
The best scenario for VMware Horizon is in businesses where there is consistency needed for a platform. For example in education, healthcare and government. All these enterprises need a consistent platform and depend on having access to the same applications at the same version and build levels as well as the same databases. They all have cloud-based or datacenter-based resources that can be leveraged to deploy desktop virtualization.
As for less appropriate scenarios, any small organization that does not benefit from centralized resources (servers) would not be able to deploy desktop virtualization without initial investments in the infrastructure that would not be justified.
Ben Moore | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
There are very few scenarios where I would not recommend the use of VMware Horizon. That would be for "road warrior" type users that are commonly working from areas with little or no internet coverage available, as there aren't any good "offline access" solutions currently available.
September 28, 2019

A real business gamechanger

Dan Reynolds | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
You have to look at your user base - what kind of users are they and what do they do? From a very practical standpoint - can you buy PC's and keep these users up to date - does it make any financial sense to remove the hardware? What kind of work do they do? If everybody is editing video then maybe desktop virtualization is not for you. Another consideration - do you need or want your employees to work from home? Will this give you an advantage in attracting talent? Can you reduce your overhead by having a "distributed" workforce? Can your employees work out of rented "co-work" spaces with no dedicated physical presence?
February 07, 2019

Brief Overview of Horizon

Sam Majam | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Found it great for environments with many external users that need access to corporate environment. It provides great end user computing experience for such users in a secure fashion. Care must be taken, however, in deploying applications as not all applications are suited for virtualized environments.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Horizon View is well suited in larger organizations where there are needs to securely access applications and data from outside the internal network. It allows users a complete desktop experience remotely with access to all resources that are available on the local internal private network. It is fast and robust as data does not need to traverse the connection like a VPN connection and stays within the local internal network increasing data security. Cost for hardware and software is a high initial investment so smaller organizations will find it hard to justify the financial costs. In a diverse user environment, there are many uses for Horizon View. When faced with a need for a solution for users to access information or applications outside the internal network, having Horizon View is one of the best go to's to have available. Use your imagination and creativity to solve many business needs.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is great for universities and the large corporate world, as it has a lot of control while giving users access on their own machines (BYOD), but the small business would not benefit as the solution is pricey, and if you have small number of users, like 30-50, it would cost you more than getting 50 PCs, server, support, license...
Ho'omana Nathan Horton | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
In a situation like ours, where one hosts a server with software and wants to grant access (but not licenses) to others, this is a great solution. It's particularly nice in situations where the users may want to easily work with files on their local machines. It's also a little better in some cases than Microsoft's Remote Desktop because you don't have to worry about giving AD access to certain people. It can be a little clunky, so whenever you use it, it's probably best to give detailed walkthroughs, especially for less proficient computer users.
June 06, 2018

Virtual Success!!!!

Eric Krueger | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
VMWare Horizon View works great in both an SMB or enterprise setting when configured correctly. From a support standpoint and cost savings it can make an IT department more efficient as well as increase productivity. That being said it needs to be set up well and network infrastructure needs to be taken into account for the number of users running a VDI system.
Brad Daugherty | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Simple to install and manage the product.
  • Provides users with a great BYOD option to be able to use the desktop that they would like anywhere and on any device.
  • Great performance.
  • Can reduced overall costs after initial investment in the product and phase out of PC lifecycle.
  • Can reduce support tickets and calls if implemented properly.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
If you're a large company with enough budget to maintain infrastructure and pay the expensive professional partners, only then should you consider this solution. If you have a lot of folks on the move and need to remotely deploy the application Horizon Mobile Manager could be a great help. Another typical scenario where it is appropriate is when you allow BYOD and need to create an application bubble that contains the apps, secure content locker etc. preventing employees to share it or open the content in other apps
Kurt Ferguson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
VMWare Horizon View is really good for companies that invest in the VMWare Horizon environment. This is a fairly substantial investment since you have to have ESXi licenses and VMWare Horizon Server licenses, to have a functional VMWare Horizon environment. It's a fairly big upfront investment, so for very small companies with limited IT budgets, it may be a pretty tall order.

For an organization our size, we have benefited tremendously from using VMWare Horizon for VDI. It saves us quite a bit of money as we expand since we only really need to expand our ESX licensing to accommodate new ESX hosts or adding Horizon Connection/Security servers.

Return to navigation