Hydra vs Ravada VDI
Hydra
loginvsi.comRavada VDI
ravada.upc.eduSide by side
| Figure | Hydra | Ravada VDI |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Spec score · Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software | 9.1 (#2) | 7.4 (#17) |
| Deployment | Hydra can be deployed from the Azure Marketplace into an Azure resource group and accessed through a web portal. | Ravada works on Linux distributions, with packages supported for Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora servers, and it can also be installed with Docker. |
| Support | The free Community Edition includes knowledge base and support forum access; paid AVD and Windows 365 plans include dedicated email support, a knowledge base, and a support forum. | The project directs users to documentation, GitHub issues, a Google group, and a public Telegram group, and says its developers are unpaid volunteers rather than a personal support hotline. |
| What it does | Hydra provides a management layer for Azure Virtual Desktop in cloud, on-premises and hybrid deployments plus Windows 365 Cloud PCs. | Ravada is an open-source VDI broker that lets users connect to virtual desktops. |
Plans
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
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.
Ravada VDI
Ravada VDI is a free, open-source broker that lets users connect to virtual desktops. Its web frontend provides machine access and settings for users, while administrators manage virtual-machine pools and templates. The backend currently supports KVM and is designed for additional hypervisors later. Users need a web browser and a remote viewer supporting SPICE. Ravada runs on Linux distributions, with server packages supported for Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora, and Docker installation is also documented. SPICE viewer client guidance covers Linux and Windows, with macOS setup pages. SQL and LDAP authentication are supported, and the production guide includes SPICE-TLS configuration. The project identifies GPU support and identity integration. Ravada is licensed under AGPL and intended for sysadmins deploying on-premise virtual desktops; basic GNU/Linux administration knowledge is advised. Help is directed to documentation, GitHub issues, a Google group, and a public Telegram group rather than a personal support hotline.