Amazon WorkSpaces vs Shadow PC
Amazon WorkSpaces
aws.amazon.comShadow PC
shadow.techSide by side
| Figure | Amazon WorkSpaces | Shadow PC |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $3.25/mo | $29.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 8 | 6 |
| Spec score · Cloud PC Services | 9.4 (#1) | 7.6 (#19) |
| Spec score · Desktop as a Service (DaaS) Providers | 9.4 (#1) | 7.6 (#9) |
| Security | WorkSpaces requires TLS 1.2 and recommends TLS 1.3, with cipher suites that support perfect forward secrecy. | Shadow says account protections include IP address filtering, proprietary protocols, and other security methods. |
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
Shadow PC
- Neo Lite$29.99 a month
- Neo$37.99 a month
- Power Lite$43.99 a month
- Neo Pro$44.99 a month
- Power$54.99 a month
- Power Pro$59.99 a month
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.
Shadow PC
Shadow PC streams a Windows PC hosted in data centers to a user's device. Access is available on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows, with persistent sessions. Users can install games and mods from Steam, Epic, Battle.net, and Nexus Mods, although some games may be incompatible. Shadow also describes its RTX-powered PCs as able to run creative software, CUDA and RTX workflows, and local AI models. Streaming supports multiple monitors and ultrawide displays, with plan limits of one, two, or three monitors. Plans vary in monthly hours, session lengths, display limits, and storage: listed options include 256 GB or 512 GB SSDs, and some include 28 GB RAM and 20 GB VRAM. Prices start at $29.99/mo, and there is no free plan. Shadow recommends at least 15 Mb/s download and 5 Mb/s upload speeds. It does not back up Shadow PC data, so users should back up their files before changing offers. Pro plans include priority access, longer sessions, faster support response, and user and subscription management.