Amazon WorkSpaces vs Hydra
Amazon WorkSpaces
aws.amazon.com
Hydra
loginvsi.comSide by side
| Figure | Amazon WorkSpaces | Hydra |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $3.25/mo | $1/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 6 |
| Spec score · Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software | 9.5 (#1) | 9.1 (#2) |
| API limitation | Some console operations, including troubleshooting and personalization functions, are not public APIs and are unavailable through SDKs. | The REST API requires a self-defined URL-encoded secret of at least 32 characters and an application-service restart after changes. |
| Company facts | LinkedIn lists Amazon Web Services as founded in 2006, headquartered in Seattle, and employing more than 10,001 people. | LinkedIn lists Login VSI as privately held, founded in 2012, headquartered in Boston, with 51–200 employees. |
| Public API | The WorkSpaces API reference documents service actions, data types, parameters and errors, and resources can also be managed through the console, AWS CLI and SDKs. | Hydra exposes a limited REST API for session-host, script and image management, authenticated with a shared key stored in Azure Key Vault. |
| Rating on Capterra | 4.3 out of 5 from 32 reviews | 0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviews. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.2 out of 5 from 110 reviews | 4.5 out of 5 from 3 reviews. |
| Rating on Gartner Peer Insights | 4.3 out of 5 from 523 ratings | 4.6 out of 5 from 47 reviews for Login Enterprise, the maker's other listed product. |
| Rating on GetApp | 4.3 out of 5 from 32 reviews | 0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviews. |
| Rating on TrustRadius | 8.7 out of 10 from 39 reviews and ratings | 8.2 out of 10 from 2 reviews for Login Enterprise, the maker's other listed product. |
| Security controls | Administrators can require MFA, encrypt volumes with AWS KMS, and restrict permitted client IP addresses. | Documentation supports private endpoints and disabling public network access for the SQL Server and Key Vault components. |
| What it does | Amazon WorkSpaces provisions managed cloud virtual desktops that users can reach from devices or browsers. | Hydra provides a management layer for Azure Virtual Desktop in cloud, on-premises and hybrid deployments plus Windows 365 Cloud PCs. |
Plans
Amazon WorkSpaces
- WorkSpaces free tierFree
- Standby WorkSpace$3.25 a month
- WorkSpaces applications — Windows single-session user fee$4.19 a month
- WorkSpaces secure browser — standard.regular (US East/Northern Virginia)$7 a month
- Ubuntu Power hourly$7.25 a month
- WorkSpaces Personal AutoStop — Ubuntu Linux Power example (US West/Oregon)$7.25 a month
- Windows Value monthly$25 a month
- WorkSpaces Personal AlwaysOn — Windows Standard example (US West/Oregon)$44 a month
Hydra
- Hydra Community EditionPriced on request
- Hydra Annual Enterprise PlanPriced on request
- Hydra Community EditionFree
- Hydra for Windows 365$1 a month
- Hydra for AVD$5 a month
- Hydra Annual Enterprise PlanPrice not published
In their own words
Amazon WorkSpaces
Amazon WorkSpaces delivers managed cloud desktops and applications for remote and hybrid users. WorkSpaces Personal provides a persistent virtual desktop that retains installed applications, files, and settings between sign-ins. Customers can choose AlwaysOn monthly subscriptions or AutoStop hourly metering with a monthly base fee. The listed Free Tier runs for up to three months: it includes either two Standard AutoStop desktops with 40 combined monthly hours or five Performance AutoStop Ubuntu desktops with 100 combined monthly hours. WorkSpaces applications supports image building and streaming on general-purpose, compute-optimized, memory-optimized, and GPU instance families. WorkSpaces DaaS includes persistent SSD-based storage and automatic backups; Amazon S3 or Amazon FSx can retain selected settings and files between sessions. Clients are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad, Android, Chromebook, and supported browsers. WorkSpaces Pools stopped accepting new customers on July 31, 2026, while existing customers can use it until December 31, 2027. Support for PCoIP-based WorkSpaces Personal ends October 31, 2027. The pricing note starts at $25/mo, and plan examples include additional hourly or instance charges.
Hydra
Hydra provides a management layer for Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 environments. For AVD, it can scale capacity and manage power according to usage, helping reduce idle compute costs; image lifecycle management includes one-click rollback. An optional Hydra Agent measures session-host performance and shows user processes on a session or host. Documented integrations include FSLogix, Hybrid Active Directory, Microsoft Entra and Intune. Hydra can be deployed from the Azure Marketplace into an Azure resource group and accessed through a web portal. It can use a least-privilege Azure service principal, with activity auditable through Azure Activity Logs and Microsoft Graph. Tenant isolation uses Azure RBAC boundaries and tenant-specific credentials. The free Community Edition has limited tenants and host pools. Hydra for Windows 365 is listed at $1 a month, and Hydra for AVD at $5 a month, both billed month-to-month. Login VSI states that it is ISO 27001 certified and GDPR compliant.