App Layering comparison & reviews

Summary
Rank
1st 3rd 2nd
Score
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Analysis expand by AppVirt Guru by AppVirt Guru Rory Monaghan
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General expand
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  • Fully Supported
  • Limitation
  • Not Supported
  • Information Only
Pros
  • + Rapid innovation and rich feature set
  • + Isolation capabilities through session layers
  • + Can output directly to VHD or VMDK
  • + High success rate for real time\hot add application layers
  • + Relatively lightweight infrastructure setup
  • + Simple provisioning workflow
  • + Features image management which helps move your image from one platform to another including from on-premises to the cloud
  • + High rate of success with app layers in published shared image
  • + Most mature layering product on the market
Cons
  • - Can license standalone but still requires ProfileUnity install
  • - Recommended to limit number of AppStacks on RDSH to 10-12
  • - Can be setup to output as in-guest VHD or VMDK but not both at the same time in a single setup
  • - Must modify config file in order to capture COM+ Component Services
  • - User layers currently not in production
  • - Currently restricted to deploying app layers to source OS Layer
  • - Lacks automation capabilities
  Support Status  
  •  
Product is supported (Not End Of Life )
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Under active development
Yes
Yes
Yes
  Maturity  
  •  
Public enterprise references in Europe
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Public enterprise references in US
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Official training classes available
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Official Certification program
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Large community resource
No
No
Some recipes available & community scripts
  Solution licensing  
  •  
Concurrent licensing
Available
Available
Available
  •  
Device licensing
Not Available
Available
Available
  •  
Per named user licensing
Available
Not Available
Not Available
  •  
Free for personal use
Not Available
Limited time free for 25 users
Not Available
  •  
Services Provider License Agreement
Yes
Not Available
Yes
Layer Characteristics expand
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  Packaging  
  •  
Pre-launch scripting
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Deploy One Layer to Many Operating Systems
Yes
Yes
Currently in Labs
  •  
Layer can override GPO
No
Yes with Micro Isolation Feature
No
  •  
Public layering recipes (10+ available)
No
No
Yes
  •  
Optional compression of layers
Yes
Yes
No
  •  
User Writeable Layer
Yes
Yes
Currently only for Desktop OS
  •  
Reboot during packaging supported
Yes
No, reboot is not simulated
Yes
  •  
No limit on package file size
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Unattended application packaging
No
No
No
  •  
Import of MSI packages for conversion
No
No
No
  •  
Quick edit of layers
Yes
No
No
  •  
User can layer their own apps
Yes
Can change supported OS and some capabilities but not contents
No
  •  
MSIX Support
Converts MSIX to FlexApp
Not Supported
Not Supported
  •  
No need for clean OS during packaging
No
No
No
  •  
Layer format is open source
Virtual Disk can be mounted
Virtual Disk can be mounted
Virtual Disk can be mounted
  •  
Built-in package encryption
No
No
No
  •  
Clone layers
Available
Available
Available
  •  
Clone Layers while still in use
Supported
Not Supported
Not Supported
  •  
Show custom message at app launch
Only through scripting
Only through scripting
Only through scripting
  •  
Printer Management
Yes
No
No
  User Experience  
  •  
Windows Explorer context menu integration
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
User driven application repair
No
No
No
  •  
Registry Pre-staging / optimization
Can be configured
Can be configured
Out of the box handles registry relatively efficiently
  •  
Publish shortcut and mount app on demand
Click to Layer Available
No
No
  Upgrade  
  •  
Simple app rollback
Unassign removes app layer cleanly
Unassign removes app layer cleanly
Unassign removes app layer cleanly
  •  
App upgrade while in use
Yes
No
No
  •  
App upgrade using deltas
No
Yes, through differencing disk
No
  Compatibility  
  •  
Support for protocol handlers
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supports use of roaming user profiles
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Compatible with DRM solution
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Package apps with kernel mode drivers
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
User mode services
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Boot time services
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Virtualization of services that require privilege
Some interdependent services may not work
Some interdependent services may not work
Yes
  •  
COM components
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
COM+ components
Yes
Requires config of snapvol.cfg
Yes
  •  
DCOM components
Yes, in most cases
Yes
Yes, in most cases
  •  
Named pipes isolation
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Support for WinSxS
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Fonts
As FlexDisk
Yes
Not as an Elastic Layer
  •  
User based install e.g apps which install in user profile
FlexApp personal option
No
No
  •  
Compatible with Windows UAC
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Support for Windows long filenames
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Win16 application on x32 platform
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Win16 application on x64 platform*
Not Supported
Not Supported
Not Supported
  •  
Win32 application on x64 platform
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Win64 application on x64 platform
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Support for virtual printer drivers
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Application isolation
Some isolation options available
Not Supported
No
  •  
Run multiple versions of apps in unsupport scenarios
No
Yes
No
  •  
Mitigation for legacy applications
No
Yes
No
  •  
Layer Internet Explorer
No
Only when coupled with ThinApp
No
  •  
Run app in Windows compatibility mode
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Windows 10 Store Apps
Issues with shortcuts and FTAs for some apps
No
Yes
  •  
Office
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Office 365
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supported in combination with AppLocker
Yes
Yes
Yes
Architecture expand
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  General  
  •  
Create a High Available platform
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
SMB Cache for layers
Yes
No
No
  •  
Encrypted management service communication
Yes
Yes
Yes
  Deployment  
  •  
Supports Layering Operating System
No
No
Yes
  •  
Application Layering standalone from other features
Yes
Yes
No
  •  
Real time app deployment
Yes
Yes
Elastic Layers
  •  
On Demand Deployment
Click to Layer Available
Not Available
Not Available
  •  
Deliver at boot or login
Yes
Yes
As part of Layered Image
  •  
Pre-caching (launch optimization)
Yes
No
No
  •  
Solution is client- or agentless
No
No
No
  Infrastructure  
  •  
Supports RDSH
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supports VMware Horizon
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supports Citrix XenApp & XenDesktop
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supports ESXi
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supports Hyper-V
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supports XenServer
Yes
No
Yes
  •  
Supports Acropolis
Yes
No
Yes
  •  
Supports VHD
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supports VMDK
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supports native VHD to VHDX Conversion
No
No
Yes
  •  
Supports virtual machines
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Supports physical machines
Yes
Yes
No
  •  
Supported in Novell eDirectory environment
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
No need for license service
No
Yes
Yes
  •  
No need for file share
SMB Share for App Layers
SMB Share for App Layers
SMB Share for App Layers
  •  
No need for dedicated server
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Enterprise scalable deployment platform included
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Data store supports: No DB Setup Required
No
No
Not Applicable
  Client platform  
  •  
Support for EN localized operating systems
Supported
Supported
Yes
  •  
Support for EN/DE/FR/ES localized operating systems
Supported
Supported
Yes
  •  
Support for JP/Simple Chinese localized operating systems
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows Server 2008R2
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows Server 2012
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows Server 2012R2
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows Server 2016
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows Server 2019
Not Supported
Not Supported
Not Supported
  •  
Windows 7
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows 7 x64
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows 8 RT
Not Supported
Not Supported
Not Supported
  •  
Windows 8.0 x86
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows 8.0 x64
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows 8.1 x86
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows 8.1 x64
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows 10 x86
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
Windows 10 x64
Supported
Supported
Supported
  •  
macOS, run virtual app native on MacOS
No
No
No
  •  
Linux, run virtual app native on Linux
No
No
No
  Cloud  
  •  
Vendor offers cloud hosted service
No
Yes
Yes
  •  
Native integration with cloud hosted storage product(s)
Multiple
AWS
Azure Storage
  •  
Azure
Yes
No
Yes
  •  
AWS
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Google Cloud Platform
Yes
No
Yes
  •  
Layers on Object Based Cloud Storage
Yes
No
No
  •  
Failover to cloud
Yes, with FlexApp Caching
No
No
Management expand
0%
0%
0%
  General  
  •  
Central management platform
Yes
Yes
ELM
  •  
File type associations centrally managed
Yes
No
No
  •  
File type association managed by user
Yes with ProfileUnity
No
Yes
  •  
Hide layers from other users on shared machines
Session Layers
Not Available
Not Available
  •  
Integrate with Programs and features
Yes
Yes
No
  •  
User created shortcut cleanup
Yes
No
No
  •  
Management platform is included
Yes
Yes
Yes
  Access Control  
  •  
Role based administration
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Limit application usage by AD security groups
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Limit application usage by AD computer objects
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Limit application usage by AD OU
Yes
Yes
Yes
  •  
Machine targeting, centrally managed
Yes
Yes
Yes
  Audit  
  •  
App license metering
No
No
No
  •  
App usage tracking
Yes
Yes
Through Studio
  •  
Event logging on client
Yes
Yes
No
  •  
Pre-packaging diagnostics
No
No
No
  •  
Post-packaging diagnostics
No
No
Yes
  Scripting and Automation  
  •  
Manage with command line
REST API can be executed via cmd
REST API from commandline
No
  •  
Manage with API/WMI
No
REST API
No
  •  
Manage client with PowerShell
REST API can be executed with PowerShell
Community Module
No
  •  
Manage server with PowerShell
REST API can be executed with PowerShell
Community Module
No
  •  
Repository of available layers
Yes
No
No
  •  
SDK available
Yes
No
Yes

Matrix Score

  •  
  •  
  • Liquidware
  • VMware
  • Citrix
  •  
  • 1 st
  • 3 rd
  • 2 nd
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