Amazon WorkSpaces
Desktop as a service (DaaS) providers
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is Amazon WorkSpaces
Amazon WorkSpaces is a managed desktop-as-a-service offering that provides cloud-hosted Windows and Linux desktops to end users. It targets organizations that need to provision persistent virtual desktops for remote work, contractors, call centers, and regulated environments without operating their own VDI infrastructure. The service runs on AWS and is administered through AWS consoles and APIs, with options for directory integration, image management, and regional deployment. Access is provided through client applications and web access depending on configuration and OS.
Fully managed AWS desktop service
Amazon WorkSpaces offloads core VDI components such as brokering, gateway services, and control-plane operations to AWS. This reduces the need to deploy and maintain traditional VDI infrastructure and supporting services. It fits teams that prefer an AWS-native operational model with centralized provisioning and lifecycle management.
Flexible desktop bundles and scaling
WorkSpaces offers predefined bundles (compute/storage profiles) and supports scaling user counts up or down as staffing changes. It supports persistent desktops, which can simplify user experience for long-running roles that need a consistent environment. Billing options (e.g., monthly and usage-based models, where available) can align costs with usage patterns compared with fixed-capacity VDI deployments.
AWS ecosystem integration options
WorkSpaces integrates with AWS identity and networking constructs, including VPC design, security groups, and directory services (e.g., managed directories or AD integration). It can be paired with other AWS services for storage, monitoring, and security controls, depending on the customer’s architecture. This is beneficial for organizations already standardizing on AWS for infrastructure and governance.
AWS-centric administration and skills
WorkSpaces administration is tightly coupled to AWS concepts (accounts, regions, VPCs, IAM, directories), which can increase the learning curve for teams without AWS experience. Organizations with multi-cloud or non-AWS-first strategies may find operational alignment more complex. Some management tasks may require combining multiple AWS services and consoles for end-to-end workflows.
Protocol and UX tuning constraints
Because WorkSpaces is a managed service, customers have limited control over some underlying brokering and protocol-level components compared with self-managed VDI stacks. Advanced user-experience tuning and deep customization options can be more constrained than platforms designed primarily for extensive VDI policy and session optimization. Performance and experience can also vary by region, network path, and client device conditions.
Licensing and app delivery complexity
Windows application licensing, Microsoft 365/Office deployment choices, and third-party app delivery can require careful planning to remain compliant and cost-effective. Integrating enterprise app layering, profile management, and endpoint management tools may involve additional AWS services or third-party products. These dependencies can add architectural complexity relative to more integrated end-to-end virtual workspace suites.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan / Bundle (examples shown on AWS official pricing page) | Price (example) | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Value (WorkSpaces Personal) | $25 per machine/month (example) | Monthly fixed-price bundle (example shown for US West (Oregon)). Includes RDS SAL where applicable for Pools; prices vary by region. cite |
| Windows Standard (WorkSpaces Personal) | $44 per machine/month (example) | Monthly fixed-price bundle with larger root/user volumes (example shown for US West (Oregon)). Prices vary by region. cite |
| Ubuntu Power (AutoStop) | $7.25 per month + $0.66 per hour (example) | AutoStop (hourly metering) option: low monthly base access fee + hourly usage. Example from US West (Oregon). cite |
| WorkSpaces Pools (Standard, hourly) | $0.10 per hour (example) | Hourly metering for Pools (example shown for US West (Oregon)); additional RDS SAL fee ($4.19/user/month) applies for Windows license-included Pools. cite |
| Standby (Multi-Region Resilience, hourly) | $3.25 per month + $0.22 per hour (example) | Standby WorkSpaces (Multi-Region Resilience) have a small fixed monthly access fee + hourly usage. Example shown for US East (N. Virginia). cite |
| Microsoft RDS Subscriber Access License (SAL) | $4.19 per user/month | Monthly RDS SAL fee for Windows license-included bundles (WorkSpaces Pools). Charged per user who accesses a virtual desktop in the month. cite |
| Storage (data replication / volumes) | $0.08 per GB per month (example) | Data replication for standby WorkSpaces charged per GB/month; user and root volume storage pricing referenced in examples. cite |
| Stopped-instance fee (Pools) | $0.025 per hour (example) | When Pool instances are stopped (not connected) a lower stopped-instance hourly fee may apply (example shown). cite |
Seller details
Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Seattle, Washington, USA
2006
Subsidiary
https://aws.amazon.com/
https://x.com/awscloud
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amazon-web-services/
