Comparison
MyWorkspace vs Citrix: Simpler Browser-Based Workspace Access
Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is an enterprise-grade platform built for large-scale application and desktop virtualization. MyWorkspace solves a narrower problem — giving users browser-based access to their assigned machines — with a fraction of the infrastructure. Different scale, different complexity, different trade-offs.
Feature comparison
Scope and infrastructure differences
| Feature | MyWorkspace | Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure components | Agent + cloud portal | Controllers, StoreFront, ADC, DB, licensing |
| Deployment time | Hours | Weeks to months |
| Specialized IT staff required | ||
| Browser-native access (no Receiver/Workspace app) | Partial (HTML5 mode) | |
| Application virtualization | ||
| Multi-session host support | ||
| Per-user pricing transparency | Complex licensing tiers | |
| Ongoing infrastructure maintenance | Managed by Intryl | Customer-managed |
| Built-in 2FA | Requires ADC/third-party | |
| Time to onboard first user | Under 30 minutes | Days (after infrastructure ready) |
Architecture
Enterprise VDI stack vs lightweight access layer
Citrix: full virtualization platform
Citrix provides a complete virtualization ecosystem: Delivery Controllers broker sessions, StoreFront presents available resources, NetScaler/ADC handles external access and load balancing, and Provisioning Services can stream OS images to pooled machines. This architecture supports thousands of concurrent users, published applications, and complex multi-tenant environments. It requires dedicated infrastructure, database servers, and specialized administration knowledge.
MyWorkspace: direct machine access without the stack
MyWorkspace installs a lightweight agent on each target machine. That agent connects outbound to Intryl's relay infrastructure. Users access their assigned machine through a browser portal. There are no intermediary servers to deploy on your network — no StoreFront, no ADC, no SQL databases, no Delivery Controllers. The trade-off is scope: MyWorkspace provides desktop access to specific machines, not application virtualization or pooled multi-session environments.
Where Citrix remains the right choice
Organizations with thousands of users, complex application publishing requirements, shared multi-session hosts, or regulatory environments that demand on-premises control of every component will find Citrix's depth justified. Citrix has decades of enterprise deployment history, a mature partner ecosystem, and capabilities (like HDX protocol optimization, app layering, and profile management) that address enterprise-scale challenges MyWorkspace does not attempt to solve.
Security model
Simpler infrastructure, smaller attack surface
Citrix's multi-component architecture means more servers to patch, more certificates to manage, and more potential entry points. Each component (StoreFront, ADC, Controllers) requires security hardening and monitoring. MyWorkspace reduces the on-premises footprint to a single agent per machine.
- ✓No on-premises servers to patch — relay infrastructure is maintained by Intryl
- ✓2FA is built in — no need to configure ADC or third-party MFA integration
- ✓Fewer components means fewer CVEs to track and fewer emergency patches
- ✓Agent-to-relay connection is outbound only — no inbound port exposure on your network
Administration
Operational simplicity for smaller teams
Citrix environments typically require dedicated administrators with certification-level knowledge. Upgrades, certificate renewals, database maintenance, and policy configuration are ongoing tasks. MyWorkspace consolidates administration into a web-based dashboard accessible to any IT staff member.
No specialized training
The admin portal is a standard web application. Adding machines, assigning users, and reviewing sessions does not require Citrix-specific expertise.
No upgrade projects
Platform updates are applied by Intryl. You do not plan, test, or execute multi-component upgrade cycles across Controllers, StoreFront, and ADC.
Predictable costs
Per-user pricing without infrastructure licensing tiers, concurrent-user calculations, or separate charges for ADC, provisioning, and support contracts.
FAQ
Common questions about Citrix vs MyWorkspace
For teams that use Citrix primarily to give users remote access to their desktops or specific machines, MyWorkspace can serve the same purpose with significantly less infrastructure. However, if you rely on Citrix for application virtualization (publishing individual apps), multi-session Windows hosts, or complex load balancing across hundreds of hosts, Citrix offers capabilities that MyWorkspace does not replicate.
A typical Citrix deployment involves Delivery Controllers, StoreFront, NetScaler/ADC, licensing servers, SQL databases, and often Provisioning Services. MyWorkspace requires installing an agent on target machines and configuring the admin portal. There is no additional infrastructure to deploy or maintain on your side.
MyWorkspace provides access to full desktop sessions — users connect to their assigned machine and use applications installed on it. It does not offer application-level virtualization (streaming individual apps into a container). If your organization publishes isolated applications via Citrix Virtual Apps, that specific capability is not part of MyWorkspace's scope.
MyWorkspace is designed for small-to-medium teams where each user connects to an assigned machine. Citrix is architected for large-scale pooled/shared environments with thousands of concurrent sessions on shared hosts. If your use case involves hundreds of concurrent users on shared infrastructure, Citrix's multi-session architecture is purpose-built for that scale.
Migration can be gradual. MyWorkspace can run alongside Citrix — you can move specific user groups or use cases to MyWorkspace while keeping Citrix for workflows that require its unique capabilities. There is no requirement to decommission Citrix infrastructure all at once.
Desktop access without the Citrix stack
If your team needs remote access to assigned machines without deploying a full VDI infrastructure, MyWorkspace may be a simpler path. Book a demo to see the deployment process and admin experience.