Knowledge Article

Desktop as a Service Pricing Models and 4 Pricing Examples in 2026

Ronnie Shvueli

What Is Desktop as a Service (DaaS)?

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) pricing varies widely, typically from $20 to over $100 per user per month, depending on the provider, included features, and resource allocation (CPU, RAM, storage).

Common pricing models include fixed monthly fees for bundles, hourly usage rates (especially for part-time users), or a hybrid approach, with major cloud players (AWS, Azure) charging for both the service and underlying infrastructure, while niche providers often offer all-inclusive, predictable bundles.

Common pricing models and examples:

Fixed monthly bundles: Predictable costs, ideal for consistent user bases. AWS WorkSpaces: Around $44/month for a Windows standard bundle (100 users example). Niche Providers: $30 – $45/user/month with support included.
Pay-as-you-go/hourly: Good for shift workers or unpredictable usage.
Hybrid/usage-based: Pay for the service (e.g., Citrix) plus underlying cloud resources (VMs, storage, networking).

Factors influencing cost:

Resource allocation: More vCPU, RAM, and storage increase costs.
Usage model: Always-on vs. auto-stop/hourly.
Licensing: Windows/Office licenses bundled in or separate.
Provider: Hyperscalers (AWS, Azure, Google) vs. specialized DaaS vendors.
Commitment: Reserved instances or annual contracts offer discounts.

Looking for a DaaS alternative?

Unlock best practices for securing remote access on unmanaged laptops – without any remote hosting or latency.

Common DaaS Pricing Models

Fixed Monthly Bundles

Fixed monthly bundles offer a predictable, flat-rate pricing structure based on predefined user profiles or resource bundles. Typically, each bundle includes a set amount of compute power (such as CPU, RAM, and storage), along with software licensing and support. Companies opt for this model to simplify budgeting, as costs remain consistent regardless of changes in user activity or utilization throughout the month.

This approach is well-suited to organizations with stable workforces and predictable desktop requirements, where usage does not vary greatly month to month. However, fixed bundles can lead to inefficiencies if actual usage falls significantly below the included capacity, resulting in paying for unused resources. If users need more resources than the bundle provides, performance and user satisfaction may decline unless the company upgrades.

Pay-as-You-Go/Hourly

With pay-as-you-go or hourly pricing, businesses are billed only for the time and resources consumed. This model resembles metered cloud computing, where virtual desktops are charged by the hour or by the minute, depending on how long they are active. Such granular billing is suitable for organizations with changing usage patterns, such as project-based teams, seasonal workers, or remote access scenarios.

The main advantage of pay-as-you-go is cost efficiency during periods of low usage, as companies avoid paying for idle resources. It enables rapid scaling up or down in response to immediate needs. On the downside, costs may be unpredictable, especially in cases of unplanned spikes in demand or lack of strict usage controls, making budgeting more complex compared to fixed monthly bundles.

Hybrid/Usage-Based

Hybrid or usage-based pricing models combine base monthly charges with variable costs tied to resource consumption. A minimum subscription fee provides access to a baseline level of service, while additional usage (such as bursts of CPU or storage) incurs supplemental charges. This model aims to balance fixed budgeting with the flexibility to scale and pay for extra capacity as needed.

Usage-based models suit organizations with a mix of predictable and variable workloads. They allow businesses to maintain a consistent core set of resources for daily operations, while adjusting expenses when new projects or temporary users require more compute. Although more complex to track and understand, hybrid pricing can result in overall savings.

Factors Influencing DaaS Costs

Resource Allocation

Resource allocation in DaaS involves the amount and type of computing resources assigned to each virtual desktop. This typically includes CPU cores, RAM, storage capacity, and sometimes GPU acceleration for graphics-intensive workloads. The more resources a desktop requires, the higher the cost per user. Providers offer various tiers or configuration options to match the performance needs of different user segments, from basic office applications to high-end design workloads.

Selecting the right resource allocation is critical to both user satisfaction and cost optimization. Over-provisioning wastes money on unnecessary capacity, while under-provisioning can result in sluggish performance and user complaints. Many providers enable administrators to monitor usage and adjust configurations as business needs change.

Usage Model

The chosen usage model greatly affects overall DaaS expenses. As described earlier, fixed monthly bundles, pay-as-you-go, and hybrid models each produce different billing patterns. Fixed models provide budget stability but little flexibility, while usage-based models are better for environments with highly variable or unpredictable desktop activity. The right choice depends on how and when users need access to their virtual desktops.

For some organizations, a hybrid approach that combines baseline access with elastic scaling for peak periods will produce the best alignment of costs and operational agility. Administrators should carefully analyze historical usage, forecast future demand, and consider user behavior patterns when selecting a pricing model to avoid cost overruns or underutilization.

Licensing

Licensing costs include operating systems, productivity suites, and any application virtualization add-ons required for virtual desktops. DaaS providers may bundle licensing into their offerings or require customers to bring their own licenses (BYOL). The chosen model impacts the total cost of ownership and administrative complexity, as bundled licenses are simpler but may increase recurring expenses.

Understanding software licensing is critical when comparing DaaS providers. For example, using Microsoft Windows or Office in a virtual environment can have different costs or licensing implications compared to traditional deployments. Missteps in licensing can lead to unexpected fees or compliance issues, so close review of terms and compatibility is essential when.

Type of Provider

DaaS pricing and service quality are also shaped by the type of provider companies choose. Major public cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud offer DaaS as self-service platforms with broad scalability, global reach, and integration with other cloud services. Managed service providers (MSPs) and niche vendors may add value through hands-on customer support, custom configurations, and industry-specific solutions.

The level of included services, such as user support, data backup, monitoring, and security features, will affect both the sticker price and the total operational cost of running DaaS. Organizations should closely evaluate what is included in a provider’s base package and what incurs additional fees, as well as their reputation for reliability and customer service.

Commitment

Commitment length, such as month-to-month, annual, or multi-year agreements, can significantly affect DaaS pricing. Providers often incentivize longer commitments with discounted rates, offering lower per-user pricing in exchange for contractual lock-in. This is common for organizations able to forecast their needs and willing to trade some flexibility for cost savings.

Short-term or flexible commitments may appeal to businesses with uncertain or fast-changing requirements. While the per-user cost is higher in these cases, the ability to adapt quickly may justify the premium. Decision-makers need to balance the projected stability of their workforce and budgets with the desire or need for operational agility when choosing a term length.

Examples of DaaS Pricing

Amazon Workspace Pricing

Amazon WorkSpaces offers two main DaaS deployment models: WorkSpaces Personal and WorkSpaces Pools, each with distinct pricing options to support persistent and nonpersistent virtual desktop use cases.

WorkSpaces Personal

This model delivers persistent desktops, where users always return to the same virtual environment. Pricing is based on two billing options:

AlwaysOn: A flat monthly fee that supports unlimited use and provides instant access. This is best for full-time users who rely on their virtual desktop throughout the workday.
AutoStop: A metered model with a lower monthly base fee and an additional hourly charge when the desktop is active. It pauses billing when the desktop is idle, making it more cost-effective for part-time or occasional users.

Prices vary by instance type. For example, in the US East (N. Virginia) region:

A Standard desktop with 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, and 80 GB root volume costs $33/month (AlwaysOn) or $9.75/month + $0.28/hour (AutoStop).
A high-end PowerPro desktop with 8 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, and 80 GB root volume is $132/month or $13.00/month + $1.51/hour.

For GPU-intensive workloads, Graphics.g4dn bundles are available starting at $535/month or $22.00/month + $1.52/hour.

WorkSpaces Pools

Pools provide nonpersistent desktops, suitable for shift-based or task-focused workers. Users receive a fresh environment at each login, with optional storage for files and settings via services like Amazon S3.

Two pricing options are offered:

AlwaysOn Pools: Instances run continuously and are billed hourly, even when not in use.
AutoStop Pools: Billed hourly only while the desktop is connected; stopped instances incur a lower hourly charge ($0.025/hour).

Example pricing for AutoStop in US East (N. Virginia):

Standard pool with 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM: $4.19/month (for Windows RDS SAL) + $0.10/hour
GraphicsPro.g4dn pool with 16 vCPU, 64 GB RAM, and 1 GPU: $4.19/month + $2.73/hour

Each pool bundle includes a Microsoft RDS Subscriber Access License (SAL) fee of $4.19/month unless the customer uses a BYOL option, in which case the fee is waived.

Azure Virtual Desktop Pricing

Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) pricing is structured around two primary components: user access rights and Azure infrastructure costs. Additional pricing models are available for specific use cases such as Remote App Streaming and on-premises deployments through Azure Local.

Standard AVD Deployments

For typical AVD scenarios, the cost breakdown is:

User access rights: Most organizations can leverage a bring-your-own-license (BYOL) model. Users licensed with Microsoft 365 E3/E5, Business Premium, or Windows Enterprise E3/E5 can access Windows 10/11 multi-session or single-session desktops at no extra cost. Similarly, organizations with valid RDS CALs or subscriptions can run Windows Server desktops without additional license fees.
Azure infrastructure charges: These include costs for the underlying compute, storage, and networking resources. Charges apply to:
Virtual machines used to host desktops and apps.
Storage for OS images, user profiles, and application data.
Networking to support remote connectivity.

Infrastructure charges follow Azure’s pay-as-you-go rates, but customers can reduce costs through reserved instances by committing to one- or three-year terms.

Remote App Streaming

For organizations delivering applications to external users, AVD’s Remote App Streaming model adds per-user access fees on top of standard infrastructure charges:

Desktops and apps: $10 per user per month.
Apps only: $5.50 per user per month.

As with standard deployments, infrastructure costs are billed separately based on VM, storage, and networking usage. These can be optimized through reserved instances for long-term savings.

Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Local

This model supports hybrid environments by enabling AVD management on on-premises infrastructure, with pricing split into three parts:

User access rights: BYOL options apply as in the standard model, using existing Microsoft 365 or RDS licenses.
Azure local service fee: Billed monthly at $10 per physical core used to run the Azure Local environment on-premises.
AVD service fee: Charged at $0.01 per virtual core per hour for the right to use AVD capabilities (like brokering and management) within the Azure Local deployment.

Omnissa Workspace ONE Pricing

Workspace ONE pricing varies by product component and deployment model, allowing organizations to select the level of experience management and endpoint control they need. VMware offers standalone pricing for experience management, Horizon integrations, and broader enterprise use.

Workspace ONE Experience Management

This module focuses on full-lifecycle digital experience monitoring across mobile devices, desktops, virtual desktops, and applications. It provides real-time telemetry, user sentiment analytics, anomaly detection, and automated remediation workflows.

Pricing starts at $4.00 per user per month.

This tier is suitable for organizations looking to measure and improve employee experience, automate issue resolution, and gain visibility across physical and virtual endpoints.

Horizon Experience Management

For environments using VMware Horizon virtual desktops, this add-on provides experience scoring, root cause analysis, and automated remediation workflows for Horizon sessions.

Pricing starts at $4.00 per concurrent user (CCU) per month or $2.50 per named user (NU) per month.

This option is optimized for IT teams managing large-scale virtual desktop infrastructures and seeking to minimize support tickets while improving session performance and reliability.

Workspace ONE Enterprise

This is a more comprehensive plan that includes device management and broader Workspace ONE platform capabilities.

Pricing starts at $10.00 per device per month.

This tier is aimed at organizations that need unified endpoint management (UEM) across their device fleet, combined with experience management, access control, and application lifecycle capabilities.

Dizzion Pricing

Dizzion offers two main virtual desktop pricing models (Cloud PC and DaaS) with flexible configuration tiers to support a range of user types and deployment strategies. All plans require a 12-month minimum commitment.

Cloud PC

Cloud PC is designed for teams that want fast deployment with minimal administrative overhead. Pricing starts at $45 per VM per month and scales based on performance needs. Customers can bring their own licenses or purchase them through Dizzion.

Tiers include:

Core Lite – $45/month

2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 90 GB storage
Suitable for task workers

Core Standard – $63/month

4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 90 GB storage
Suited for task and knowledge workers

Core Power – $99/month

8 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, 90 GB storage
Built for power users and developers

Core Pro-GPU – $370/month

4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA Tesla T4 GPU, 200 GB storage
For designers and content creators

Core Max-GPU – $648/month

16 vCPU, 64 GB RAM, NVIDIA Tesla T4 GPU, 200 GB storage
Supports high-end workloads like AI/ML and advanced visualization

These Cloud PC offerings are customer-managed and support domain joining via Active Directory, Entra ID, or no directory service.

DaaS

DaaS is a more flexible and scalable model, starting at $18 per user per month, supporting both dedicated and pooled virtual desktops or virtual apps. It accommodates a wider variety of hosting environments, including AWS, Azure, GCP, IBM Cloud, and Nutanix.

Key features include:

Flexible pricing via per-user, per-VM, or credit-based models.
BYO cloud or Dizzion-hosted infrastructure.
Licensing options via BYOL or Dizzion-provided licenses.
Best suited for broad use cases requiring cost optimization and flexible deployment.

Limitations of DaaS

While Desktop as a Service offers flexibility and simplified management, it comes with several technical and operational drawbacks that organizations must consider before adopting it:

Latency and performance issues: DaaS relies heavily on network quality. Users in regions with poor connectivity may experience high latency, lag, or degraded performance, especially with graphics-intensive applications or real-time collaboration tools.
Limited customization: Compared to traditional desktops or VDI, many DaaS platforms restrict the level of system customization. Some providers may not support legacy applications or specific OS configurations, which can limit deployment flexibility.
Ongoing operational costs: While DaaS reduces capital expenditure, it introduces continuous operational expenses. Long-term usage may become costlier than in-house VDI or traditional desktop infrastructure, especially in environments with stable, predictable workloads.
Vendor lock-in: Migrating between DaaS providers can be complex and time-consuming due to differences in platforms, configurations, and data storage formats. Organizations may find themselves tied to a provider’s ecosystem, limiting future flexibility.
Security and compliance challenges: Although providers offer built-in security features, DaaS still introduces data governance risks. Ensuring compliance with industry regulations (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR) can be more difficult when desktops and data reside on third-party infrastructure.
Dependency on provider availability: Service outages or disruptions at the provider level can cause widespread loss of access to desktops and business-critical applications. Unlike on-prem solutions, customers have limited control over the resolution of such incidents.

Venn: Cost-Effective DaaS Alternative for BYOD Environments

Unlike DaaS, Venn takes a fundamentally different approach to securing remote and BYOD workforces. Instead of hosting desktops in the cloud, Venn secures company data and applications locally on unmanaged computers used by contractors and remote employees.

Similar to an MDM solution but for laptops, work lives in a company-controlled Secure Enclave installed on the user’s PC or Mac, where all data is encrypted and access is managed. Work applications run locally within the Enclave – visually indicated by Venn’s Blue Border™ – protecting and isolating business activity while ensuring end-user privacy.

With Venn, you can eliminate the downsides of dealing with DaaS. Unlike virtual desktops, Venn keeps users working locally on natively installed applications without latency – all while extending corporate firewall protection to business activity only.