An Azure Virtual Desktop alternative
for apps, not desktops.
Azure Virtual Desktop delivers Windows desktops and apps from the Microsoft cloud, and it is a strong choice if your estate already lives in Azure. This page is for teams who mostly need a few applications reachable from a browser, and are asking whether there is a lighter way that does not depend on Azure or on a licence per user.
What a replacement has to do
- Publish a specific application, and not make people log into a whole desktop to use it.
- Work for contractors and other outside users, with roles and viewer-only sharing.
- Put clipboard, file transfer, a watermark and recording under policy.
- Run without tying the application to one cloud provider.
- Put your own name and domain on the front door.
Moving an application over
- 01
List what people actually open
If most of your users open one or two applications, per-app access may be a closer fit than desktops for everyone. If they work in a full desktop all day, keep it.
- 02
Enroll a host
Hosts are Windows machines running the Onscryn agent. A virtual machine in your Azure subscription can be one, so you do not have to leave Azure to try it.
- 03
Register the application and share the link
Add the application on the host, invite people by email or through single sign-on, and give them the link.
- 04
Set data controls and recording
Choose clipboard, file transfer and watermark for the application. Recording is Beta and plan-dependent.
- 05
Compare the licensing, in writing
Work through Windows and application licensing for both routes with your Microsoft agreements in hand, before you compare cost.
The step-by-step setup is in the quick start.
Stay on Azure Virtual Desktop if
- Your estate is already in Azure and Microsoft 365, and you want to reuse those licences and identity.
- You need full managed desktops at scale, with Microsoft's tooling for images and profiles.
- Your team is comfortable running Azure infrastructure.
Know the limits
- Per-app streaming suits classic Windows interfaces. GPU-heavy apps may need a full desktop session.
- Windows hosting under Onscryn still carries Microsoft licensing obligations that depend on your agreements.
- Onscryn does not manage desktop images and profiles the way Microsoft's tooling does. It is aimed at apps.
Want the side-by-side? Read the full comparison.
Sources, reviewed November 2026
We make Onscryn. Vendors change products and terms, so check their documentation before you decide. Spot something out of date? Tell us at [email protected].
Questions.
For per-app access from a browser, it can be. For managed full desktops at scale inside Azure, AVD may be the better fit. It depends on what your people open.