Onscryn vs
Omnissa Horizon.
Omnissa Horizon, formerly VMware Horizon, is an enterprise platform for delivering virtual desktops and applications. It has a browser client alongside its native one. Onscryn is smaller and browser-first: publish a Windows app and share a link. They solve a similar problem at very different scales.
| Onscryn | Omnissa Horizon | |
|---|---|---|
| Browser access | The only way in: a link in a browser tab | A web client (formerly HTML Access) alongside the native Horizon Client |
| Client in the browser | Nothing to install or configure per user | Per Omnissa's documentation, a supported browser, with the Blast display protocol over HTTPS |
| On the Windows side | A host that runs the Onscryn agent | Per Omnissa's documentation, each desktop runs the Horizon Agent |
| Browser versus native | Browser only, one experience | Omnissa's documentation says Horizon Client offers more features and better performance than HTML Access |
| What you publish | A single app or a full desktop (plan-dependent) | Virtual desktops and published applications |
| Data controls | Clipboard and file policy at the broker, watermark, recording | Available in the Horizon platform. Check their documentation for specifics and editions |
| Automation | UI-tree workflows and a Copilot (preview) built in | Not the core of the product. Check their documentation |
| Scale of the product | Focused on apps in a browser | A broad platform for large, varied estates |
Choose Omnissa Horizon if
- You already run Horizon, with people and processes built around it.
- You need its breadth: virtual desktops at scale, native clients and large enterprise integrations.
- Your needs go beyond streaming apps to a browser.
Choose Onscryn if
- You want a small, focused way to put a few Windows apps in front of people without a client.
- You would like less infrastructure to run and fewer moving parts.
- You want recording, data controls and automation without assembling them separately.
- You are starting fresh and do not want a platform built for a much larger estate.
The browser path, as Omnissa documents it
Omnissa's documentation describes the Horizon web client, formerly called HTML Access, as needing only a supported browser on the user's device. The remote desktops it connects to run the Horizon Agent, and the connection uses the Blast display protocol over HTTPS rather than PCoIP or Microsoft RDP.
That is a reasonable design for an enterprise that already runs Horizon. For a team that does not, it comes with a platform to stand up before anyone opens an app.
Cost and effort
We do not publish Horizon prices because we cannot verify them, and they vary by edition and contract. Compare total cost honestly: licences, infrastructure, and the people-time needed to run each option. A pilot on one application usually tells you more than a feature list.
Sources, reviewed October 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.
Yes. Omnissa documents a web client, formerly HTML Access, that needs a supported browser. Its documentation notes the native Horizon Client has more features and better performance.
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