Best Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software in 2026
Updated
In short: QVD is ranked #1 of 22 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of Hive Fabric and Ravada VDI. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Hive Fabric. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Inuvika OVD Enterprise at $0.63/mo.
Virtual desktop infrastructure software is used to provide desktop environments to users across supported client platforms. Compared on desktop types, deployment model and application virtualization, the entries also offer points of distinction in identity integration and profile management. GPU support may matter for workloads that call for it; check free-plan availability and the listed paid-from price as well. QVD, Hive Fabric and Hydra are among the options to consider. Think about which devices and desktop environments your users need, how you plan to deploy them, and which management capabilities suit your setup.
22 virtual desktop infrastructure software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
6 of the 22 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QVDWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 2 | Hive FabricWeb · Windows · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 3 | Ravada VDIWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 4 | HydraWeb · Windows | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $1/mo | 6.4 | |
| 5 | Kasm WorkspacesWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | ThinLincWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $10.17/mo | 6.4 | |
| 7 | Amazon WorkSpacesWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | $4.19/mo | 5.7 |
| 8 | Citrix WorkspaceWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Extension | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 9 | IsardVDIWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 10 | Leostream PlatformWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 11 | UDS EnterpriseWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | €6.50/mo | 5.4 |
| 12 | Citrix Secure Private AccessWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 13 | Inuvika OVD EnterpriseWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | $0.63/mo | 5.3 |
| 14 | Workspace ONE BoxerWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | $5.40/mo | 5.3 |
| 15 | Workspot Enterprise VDI PlatformWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 16 | Parallels DesktopWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | eG EnterpriseWeb · Windows · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $100/mo | 5.1 |
| 18 | HP AnywareWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 19 | SyncHPCWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 20 | ControlUp for VDIWeb · Windows | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 21 | NComputing VERDE VDIWindows · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 22 | Nerdio Manager for EnterpriseWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
Compare all 22 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | Desktop types |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QVD | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | both |
| 2 | Hive Fabric | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | both |
| 3 | Ravada VDI | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | private | both |
| 4 | Hydra | 6.4 | Free plan | $1/mo | Yes | 1 /user/mo | hybrid | both |
| 5 | Kasm Workspaces | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | both |
| 6 | ThinLinc | 6.4 | Free plan | $10.17/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | Amazon WorkSpaces | 5.7 | No | $4.19/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 8 | Citrix Workspace | 5.7 | No | — | — | — | — | both |
| 9 | IsardVDI | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | both |
| 10 | Leostream Platform | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | both |
| 11 | UDS Enterprise | 5.4 | No | €6.50/mo | No | — | — | both |
| 12 | Citrix Secure Private Access | 5.3 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | both |
| 13 | Inuvika OVD Enterprise | 5.3 | No | $0.63/mo | No | 7.5 /user/mo | hybrid | both |
| 14 | Workspace ONE Boxer | 5.3 | No | $5.40/mo | — | — | — | both |
| 15 | Workspot Enterprise VDI Platform | 5.3 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | both |
| 16 | Parallels Desktop | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | both |
| 17 | eG Enterprise | 5.1 | No | $100/mo | No | — | hybrid | — |
| 18 | HP Anyware | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | — |
| 19 | SyncHPC | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | — |
| 20 | ControlUp for VDI | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | — |
| 21 | NComputing VERDE VDI | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | both |
| 22 | Nerdio Manager for Enterprise | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | both |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which virtual desktop infrastructure software is ranked first on Freedom251?
QVD is ranked #1 of 22 with a score of 6.7. Hive Fabric is second and Ravada VDI third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 22 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Inuvika OVD Enterprise has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.63/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.