Azure Virtual Desktop
Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session on Azure — the flagship for the Microsoft 365 world. Choose your add-ons below to see the feature set of your particular AVD configuration.
As at September 2026
Assemble your AVD configuration
Choose the add-ons and management layers that belong to your AVD environment. The puzzle and the module descriptions below react live — you see exactly which module changes through which add-on, and why.
The feature set at a glance
Which of the twelve core capabilities of a modern workplace stack does your configuration cover natively — and where are extensions needed? Each puzzle piece shows the maturity.
The twelve modules — what is in, what is missing?
Each module describes one core capability of the workplace stack. The colour shows its current status in your configuration. Select add-ons in the configurator above and you will see here which module improves and why.
Endpoint platform (outside the puzzle)
The thirteenth module is optional but strategically important: which operating system do your people use to connect to the AVD session? AVD sessions run on any client — but dedicated thin client operating systems such as IGEL OS or UniconOS (formerly Unicon eLux) lower TCO and raise security, because they are hardened, centrally managed and carry no local Windows overhead.
IGEL OS · IGEL Technology
A Linux-based thin client operating system, managed centrally through IGEL UMS. Read-only, chain-of-trust boot, preventive security model. Listed by Microsoft as an approved thin client partner for AVD; boots from a USB stick on almost any old hardware. Ideal for Zero Trust endpoints and reusing legacy devices.
UniconOS (formerly eLux) · Citrix (Unicon GmbH)
A German Linux-based thin client operating system, managed centrally through UniconOS Management (formerly Scout Enterprise Management). Recommended by the BSI and widely used in public bodies and the financial sector. Supports AVD through an RDP-capable client, with built-in smartcard support. Microsoft retired the Remote Desktop client for Windows on 27 March 2026; whether UniconOS ships Windows App should be checked with Unicon. European data sovereignty.
Windows App · Microsoft (official client)
The official Microsoft client for AVD and Windows 365, replacing the old Remote Desktop client. Available for Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android/Chrome OS, web browsers and Meta Quest. The feature set differs by platform: multimedia redirection is available on Windows only, Teams media optimisation not in the browser.
Chrome Enterprise / Browser · BYOD scenarios
AVD is reachable from any browser through Windows App; the former Remote Desktop web client has not been supported since 27 March 2026. Functionality is reduced compared with the installed apps: in the browser there are no multiple monitors, no Teams media optimisation, no multimedia redirection and no USB or smartcard redirection. Indispensable for BYOD setups with Mac developers, iPad sales teams or Chromebook schools.
All sensible AVD combinations compared
This matrix shows the most common AVD setups in the DACH region — each with its maturity, target group and the specific difference from the base setup. Actual licence and infrastructure costs depend heavily on the contract model (EA, CSP, Azure Reserved Instances) and on how intensively the environment is used. For a reliable cost calculation, current terms should be obtained directly from Microsoft and the respective add-on vendor.
| Setup | Modules native | Target group | What changes compared with “AVD on its own” |
|---|---|---|---|
| AVD on its ownBase setup without add-ons | 7 / 12 | Lab and test environments, training, proofs of concept, small to medium production environments with predictable usage | The baseline — considerably more capable since June 2026: Dynamic Autoscaling, Automated Host Pools and ephemeral OS disks are available; dynamic autoscaling and automated host pools, however, only for pooled host pools with a session host configuration. Screen shadowing for the help desk is covered by Intune Remote Help, in desktop sessions and since July 2026 also in RemoteApp sessions, included in Microsoft 365 E3/E5 since July 2026. Still open: user experience measurement and multi-cloud. |
| AVD + FSLogixThe Microsoft standard setup | 7 / 12 | Every production environment using Office — in practice the starting point of any serious rollout | Profile management is added: the Outlook cache and OneDrive data run smoothly. It costs nothing extra — FSLogix is included in Microsoft 365. |
| AVD + infrastructure as codeBicep, Terraform, Azure DevOps | 8 / 12 | Development and test environments, repeatable training rooms, environments with a limited lifespan | The entire environment becomes reproducible from a template — host pools, networking and assignments come from code rather than clicks. For lab, development and training scenarios this is often the better answer than a management tool: build it, use it, throw it away. One limitation: for development teams that need Linux, AVD remains unsuitable. |
| AVD + NerdioA common enterprise setup | 10 / 12 | Mid-market to large group, several host pools, an in-house help desk team | Adds above all convenience and fine control: screen shadowing also by selected non-administrators (with user consent, according to Nerdio), cost allocation per user, automatic repair of unhealthy hosts, an image pipeline with WinGet, an AI assistant. Basic scaling is something AVD now handles itself. |
| AVD + Hydra (Login VSI)For shift work and peak loads | 8 / 12 | Shift work, production, call centres, service providers with several tenants | Billing by concurrent users instead of by named users — structurally cheaper where usage fluctuates strongly. Plus tenant separation at no extra charge, WinGet images and a free entry-level version. |
| AVD + ControlUpFor measurable user satisfaction | 8 / 12 | Organisations with binding service commitments, help desk-intensive environments | Delivers the user experience measurement that AVD lacks: a score per session, automatic remediation, screen shadowing without a consent prompt and tied into monitoring — and it includes physical devices. |
| AVD + Nerdio + ControlUpFull build for regulated industries | 10 / 12 | Finance, insurance, pharmaceuticals, the public sector | Combines Nerdio’s operational functions with ControlUp’s measurement. Note: the integration between the two products has been end of maintenance since Nerdio v8.1.1 (4 August 2026) and is no longer available in new installations — they then run side by side rather than interlocked. Nearly complete coverage — the gaps left are multi-cloud and Linux, because AVD is tied to Azure and does not support Linux session hosts. |
AVD’s strengths
- Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session (exclusive to Azure Virtual Desktop) — several users share one VM, which lowers the compute share per user; by how much depends on session density
- Native Microsoft Teams optimisation through the SlimCore media engine (VDI 2.0) — audio and video run on the device instead of in the VM
- App Attach (available since June 2024, replacing MSIX App Attach), RemoteApp and Screen Capture Protection natively
- Watermarking generally available since July 2023 and configurable via Intune policy since 2024; confidential VMs for AVD generally available since July 2023
- Full Azure control: VNet, Private Link, ExpressRoute, Azure Firewall, multi-region
- Available since June 2026: dynamic autoscaling (hosts are created and deleted automatically) and automated host pools with session host configuration to prevent configuration drift — both only for pooled host pools with a session host configuration. Plus ephemeral OS disks
- Session hosts can also run in your own data centre — through Azure Local or Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid via Azure Arc on a hypervisor of your choice or dedicated physical servers (generally available since September 2026; without VM provisioning, power management and autoscale, and without multi-session), still controlled from the Azure portal
- Since autumn 2025 external partners can sign in with their own company account (B2B guest access) — without you having to create a second account for them
- Connection stability much improved in 2026: RDP Multipath (several network paths) has been generally available since July 2025, and Modern Auto-Reconnect has been rolling out in stages since August 2026 (also in public preview) and often resumes interrupted sessions almost immediately once connectivity returns
- Entra ID join, Conditional Access and Intune device compliance out of the box; remote assistance through Intune Remote Help inside AVD desktop sessions and, since July 2026, also inside RemoteApp sessions, at no extra cost with M365 E3/E5 since July 2026
Gaps & what to add
- For fine control of scaling (combining several triggers, switching storage tier on shutdown) additional tools such as Nerdio or Hydra still make sense — the basic function is covered by AVD itself (autoscale generally available for pooled host pools since August 2022 and for personal host pools since November 2023; dynamic autoscaling since June 2026 for pooled host pools with a session host configuration)
- No native workspace environment management — FSLogix and Intune policies have to be orchestrated yourself
- No multi-cloud support (Azure, Azure Local and, since September 2026, Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid in your own data centre)
- Silent migration and geo-failover are not seamless (a session reconnect is needed)
- 3D SpaceMouse and USB HID only generically over RDP — optimised only with Citrix HDX or Omnissa Blast
- Versioned image rollout across several host pools is laborious without Nerdio (Custom Image Templates build the image; session host update rolls it out in batches, but per host pool and only in pooled host pools with a session host configuration)
- No Linux as a session host — AVD supports Windows only
The assessment in one sentence
AVD is a solid foundation for organisations already committed to Microsoft 365 — and considerably more self-sufficient since June 2026 than a year ago. Dynamic autoscaling, uniform host configuration and ephemeral OS disks have been available since June 2026, the first two only in pooled host pools with a session host configuration; schedule- and load-based scaling itself has been generally available for pooled host pools since August 2022, and FSLogix is included in Microsoft 365. For small and mid-sized environments with predictable usage, AVD is therefore enough on its own. Additional tools such as Nerdio, Hydra or ControlUp pay off where convenience and fine control matter: cost allocation per user, tenant separation, automatic repair of unhealthy hosts. The question today is therefore no longer “AVD or Nerdio” but “is AVD alone enough — or do the size of the estate and the level of ambition justify an extra tool?”
Technical deep dive
Architectural basis: AVD uses session hosts as ordinary Azure VMs in a host pool. The control plane (broker, gateway, diagnostics) is hosted by Microsoft — the control plane costs nothing extra — Azure consumption is billed (compute, storage, network egress). Access itself requires a qualifying licence such as Microsoft 365 E3/E5; organisations delivering desktops to external users for commercial purposes bill through per-user access pricing instead, which applies on top of the Azure costs. That makes AVD structurally cheaper than Citrix DaaS or Omnissa Horizon, but the management layer is largely something you build yourself or buy as an add-on.
Multi-session as the differentiator: Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session is tied to Azure Virtual Desktop — Azure regions and Azure Local, not Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid — and is the platform’s real contribution. Several users share one VM, without Windows Server RDSH and without server CALs. With typical knowledge worker profiles, around 16 users per E8s v5 (8 vCPU, 64 GB) is a sound planning figure — the binding constraint is usually memory at 3 to 4 GB per user, not CPU. The compute share per user falls considerably. That is the argument which often decides TCO calculations against Citrix or Horizon.
When an additional tool becomes worthwhile: Since June 2026 AVD covers the basics itself — scaling including creating and deleting hosts, uniform host configuration and ephemeral OS disks. Creating and deleting hosts and uniform host configuration require a pooled host pool with a session host configuration; scheduled starting and stopping has been generally available since 2022 (pooled) and 2023 (personal). For manageable environments with predictable usage that is sufficient. A tool such as Nerdio, Hydra or ControlUp pays off where convenience and fine control tip the balance: cost allocation per user, several tenants from one interface, automatic repair of unhealthy hosts, switching storage tier on shutdown, and comfortable image pipelines. As a rough guide: from several host pools, an in-house help desk team or service provider scenarios with multiple customers, the extra effort usually pays off — below that, rarely.
New developments in 2026: Azure Virtual Desktop Hybrid has been generally available since September 2026 and runs session hosts on your own hypervisors or on physical Windows Server devices in your own data centre. Since June 2026 there have been dynamic autoscaling and automated host pools, both only for pooled host pools with a session host configuration; the autoscale pages still list dynamic autoscaling as a preview. Modern Auto-Reconnect has been rolling out in phases since August 2026 and restores the connection faster after brief network interruptions. Display Protection secures the display path from the session host to the endpoint and has been in public preview since September 2026.
Which AVD configuration fits your organisation?
The feature set is one side of the coin — the fit with personas, compliance and the existing IT estate is the other. Compare directly in DaaS Maps, or discuss it on LinkedIn.
The terminology behind Azure Virtual Desktop.
Host pool, session host, FSLogix — assessing the feature set means knowing the terms behind it. Each one is explained in a few sentences in the glossary.
Trademarks: Microsoft®, Azure®, Windows®, Azure Virtual Desktop®, Windows 365® · Nerdio® · Login VSI®, Hydra™ · ControlUp® · IGEL® · Unicon® · and all other product and company names mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective owners and are named here solely for factual comparison, as nominative use.