Azure Virtual Desktop vs Windows 365 Cloud PC

Two ways to deliver the desktop from the cloud

Hybrid work, contractors, mergers, and the need to protect data off the device led many companies to deliver the desktop through the cloud. Microsoft offers two products for this, and the confusion between them is common: Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 Cloud PC. Both deliver a full Windows from the cloud, but they solve different problems.

As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, RHC helps choose — and often combine — the two solutions according to each user group's profile.

What each one is

Azure Virtual Desktop is a desktop and application virtualization platform (VDI) running on Azure. You control sizing, can use multi-session (several users on the same Windows VM), and pay for Azure compute and storage consumption. It is flexible and optimizable but requires infrastructure management.

Windows 365 delivers a Cloud PC: a dedicated machine per user, at a fixed price per user/month. It is as simple as a subscription service — Microsoft manages the infrastructure, and the PC appears to the user as if it were their own. Fewer optimization levers, much more simplicity.

Direct comparison

How to choose

The decision revolves around three questions.

1. Do you want predictability or optimization?

If finance prefers a fixed cost per user and IT wants simplicity, Windows 365 wins. If you have many users and a team able to optimize consumption with autoscale and shutdown, AVD is usually cheaper at scale, especially with multi-session.

2. What is the usage profile?

• Heavy, continuous use (developers, engineering, CAD): dedicated Cloud PC or personal AVD with GPU.
• Light, standardized use (support, call center, admin tasks): AVD multi-session maximizes density and reduces cost per user.
• Intermittent / seasonal use: AVD with autoscale turns on and off with demand.

3. How mature is IT?

AVD gives more control but requires managing images, hosts, scaling, and optimization. Windows 365 abstracts all of that. Lean teams tend to prefer the Cloud PC; teams with Azure experience get more out of AVD.

What they share

Regardless of the choice, both share important fundamentals:

• Microsoft Entra ID integration and conditional access policies.
• Management via Microsoft Intune, treating the Cloud PC like any endpoint.
• Data off the device — if a laptop is lost, nothing sensitive goes with it.
• Windows multi-session support and optimized Microsoft 365 apps.
• Access via browser or app from any device.

Combined strategy

In practice, many companies use both. A common example:

1. Windows 365 for fixed employees who need a predictable, always-available PC.
2. AVD multi-session for large groups of standardized tasks, optimizing cost.
3. Personal AVD with GPU for specific graphics workloads.

RHC designs this mix, defines images, integrates with Intune and Entra ID, and applies cost governance — so the cloud desktop is secure, simple for users, and efficient for the business.

Checklist / Key takeaways

• AVD is flexible VDI with variable cost and high optimization; requires mature IT.
• Windows 365 is a dedicated Cloud PC with fixed per-user price and simple management.
• Use AVD multi-session for large-scale standardized tasks.
• Use Windows 365 when predictability and simplicity matter more.
• Both integrate Entra ID and Intune and keep data off the device.
• Combining the two is often the best answer for different profiles.

There is no absolute winner — there is the right choice for each user group. RHC helps run this math and deploy the solution securely.