
Virtualizations
Top 5 Application Virtualization Software Of 2024
By TechDogs Editorial Team

Overview
After accepting the confusion and the irritation, you finally go to Twitter (or X, whatever floats your boat!) to confirm your doubts and voila! It’s super random but one of our favorite internet moments is when a major vendor such as Meta goes down. We love watching brands and people come together to unleash their creative takes on social media platforms!
Just imagine what’s happening behind the scenes at the Meta offices. We can almost picture a stressed coder furiously working their fingers to have the platforms up and running. What if there was just one person with the expertise to fix the bug but he’s in Hawaii sipping on Pina Coladas?
Luckily, tech geeks already think 8437 steps ahead—enter Application Virtualization Software!
What’s this software about, how does it help businesses, how to choose the right software? Well, we answer this and more, so read on to discover the top 5 Application Virtualization Software of 2024!
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Application Virtualization Software essentially allows users to access and use applications from separate computers and devices from the one on which the software was built and installed. It enables IT admins to set up remote applications on a server and deliver apps to the end user’s device, with the exact same experience as the original one.
Virtualizing an application helps the organization’s employees access it from any device and location as long as it’s connected to the Internet. Users don’t need to physically install the application but they can still interact with it and use all its features.
Last year, we covered the Top 5 Application Virtualization Software in 2023. This year, we have updated the list to find the top 5 Application Virtualization Software of 2024. To know our latest picks this year, hop on!
Top 5 Application Virtualization Software Of 2024
Application Virtualization Software offers simplified application management, enhanced compatibility and efficient resource utilization by isolating applications from the underlying operating system. Here are the 5 best Application Virtualization Software of 2024 - in no particular order.
Azure Virtual Desktop![]() |
Parallels RAS![]() |
Citrix DaaS![]() |
VMware Horizon![]() |
Nutanix AHV![]() |
Tool 1: Azure Virtual Desktop
The first software on the list comes courtesy of SoftGrid in 2006, which was later acquired by Microsoft and renamed App-V. Microsoft Corporation is headquartered in Washington, USA, boasting a workforce of 220,000+ employees. Microsoft solutions are some of the most trusted ones in the world as various startups, governmental organizations and even 95% of the Fortune 500 businesses use Microsoft Cloud today. Pretty amazing, right?

Created by Microsoft, Azure Virtual Desktop is a cloud computing solution developed for building, testing, deploying and managing applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers. It provides software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS).
It also supports many different programming languages, tools and frameworks, including both Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems. What’s more, Azure Virtual Desktop has more than 100 services enabling the development and deployment of applications where you want. This makes it the one of most consistent hybrid cloud application solutions on the market!
Feature Ratings:
Ease Of Use: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Value For Money: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Startup Friendly: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Enterprise Friendly: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Customer Support: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Tool 2: Parallels RAS
Parallels was founded in 1999 in Bellevue, Washington, USA, specializing in virtualization products for the macOS X environment. The company employs more than 800 people and has offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Moreover, Parallels RAS received various recognitions, winning the TrustRadius Top Rated 2023 Awards for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Application Virtualization in 2023!

Parallels RAS is a product that allows Windows applications to be accessed via individual devices from a shared server or cloud system. They enable the delivery of centrally hosted Windows applications to local devices (even those using MacOS) without needing to install the applications. Pretty cool, right?
What makes Parallels RAS special is its applications on Windows, which can be used on devices that typically could not run such apps, including Macintosh computers, mobile devices and Google Chromebooks. Parallels RAS stands out as it provides Parallels Client on all devices to simplify the management of the deployed applications. The software can be delivered to devices from on-premises public, private or even hybrid clouds, making it a super-flexible choice.
Feature Ratings:
Ease Of Use: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Value For Money: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Startup Friendly: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Enterprise Friendly: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐
Customer Support: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐
Tool 3: Citrix DaaS
Citrix was founded in 1989 in Richardson, Texas, USA by Ed Iacobucci, who served as chairman until his departure in 2000. Its headquarters are in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, with a team of roughly 10,000 employees who serve 400,000 clients, including Cannon, Schiff Hardin LLP, Banco Santander, Discover Financial Services and Crossmark. Citrix was also awarded the prestigious “Best Hybrid Cloud Solution” Award in the 2023-2024 Cloud Awards!

Formerly known as Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, or XenDesktop, Citrix DaaS (Desktop-as-a-Service) is a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and application virtualization solution from Citrix. This Application Virtualization Software provides app and desktop virtualization features via on-premises or other cloud-hosted virtual machines, providing access for any device anywhere.
Citrix DaaS also allows businesses to manage on-premises data center and public cloud workloads together in a hybrid deployment. This means they can connect to public clouds such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud, as well as on-premises hypervisors such as XenServer, Microsoft Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV and VMware vSphere.
Feature Ratings:
Ease Of Use: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Value For Money: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Startup Friendly: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐
Enterprise Friendly: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐
Customer Support: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Tool 4: VMware Horizon
VMware LLC is an American cloud computing and virtualization technology company with headquarters in Palo Alto, California. It was founded in 1998, employs more than 38,000 people, with multiple offices all over North America, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Japan. VMWare was named a Leader in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for SD-WAN for the sixth year in a row. Impressive, right?
VMware was the first commercially successful company to virtualize the x86 architecture, giving them an edge in the virtualization game. VMware's app and desktop virtualization software runs on Microsoft Windows, Linux and macOS, as applications run in a self-contained virtual environment isolated from the underlying operating system and other applications.
What’s more, with VMware Horizon you can run each application on its own OS on the same physical server to make better use of the physical server's available CPU power. Thanks to more efficient use of energy and space, VMware Horizon lets you run more virtual applications using fewer physical servers, leading to efficiency and cost-cutting.
Feature Ratings:
Ease Of Use: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐
Value For Money: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Startup Friendly: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Enterprise Friendly: ⭐ ⭐⭐
Customer Support: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Tool 5: Nutanix AHV
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Jose, California, USA, Nutanix was founded by Dheeraj Pandey, Mohit Aron and Ajeet Singh. Today, they employ more than 6000 members and Nutanix was ranked 35th on Fortune’s Best Workplaces in 2021

Nutanix AHV is an enterprise-ready hypervisor that comes without any additional cost with every Nutanix deployment. As a hypervisor designed for the Enterprise Cloud, Nutanix AHV provides the option to lower software licensing costs without compromising on features and functionality.
Nutanix AHV also has multiple USPs that help it stand out - including backup for virtual machines with an option to perform application-aware backups. This helps businesses restore guest files and folders or deploy entire virtual machines to a different virtualization platform. Businesses can also configure their Nutanix AHV hypervisor to perform IntelliSnap backups, which merges storage hardware snapshots directly into the virtualization process to enhance data protection.
Feature Ratings:
Ease Of Use: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐
Value For Money: ⭐ ⭐
Startup Friendly: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Enterprise Friendly: ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
Customer Support: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Summing It Up
With technology at the pinnacle of innovation today, Application Virtualization Software is becoming highly critical. It allows users to access, edit and use applications from a separate device than the one they are using, leading to savings and higher efficiency of IT resources.
Choosing the right application will require you to identify your business needs, goals, team size and many variables. Make sure you choose one that suits your needs!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Top 5 Application Virtualization Software Of 2024?
The top 5 application virtualization software of 2024 are Azure Virtual Desktop, Parallels RAS, Citrix DaaS, VMware Horizon and Nutanix AHV. These software solutions offer simplified application management, enhanced compatibility and efficient resource utilization by isolating applications from the underlying operating system.
How Does Application Virtualization Benefit Businesses?
Application virtualization benefits businesses by allowing employees to access applications from any device and location connected to the Internet without the need for physical installation. This leads to increased flexibility, productivity and efficiency of IT resources, as well as enhanced security and centralized management of applications.
What Are Some Key Features Of Azure Virtual Desktop?
Azure Virtual Desktop, developed by Microsoft, offers cloud computing solutions for building, testing, deploying and managing applications and services. It supports various programming languages, tools and frameworks, providing software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) options. With over 100 services enabling development and deployment, Azure Virtual Desktop stands out as one of the most consistent hybrid cloud application solutions on the market.
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