On-Premises vs. VDI/Azure Virtual Desktop Calculator

Compare the true cost of on-premises infrastructure versus cloud VDI solutions

Moving from on-premises infrastructure to Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) like Azure Virtual Desktop isn't just about monthly subscription costs. This calculator reveals the complete financial picture, including hidden on-premises expenses like hardware refresh cycles, IT staff overhead, power and cooling, security infrastructure, and disaster recovery. Many organizations discover that cloud VDI solutions provide enterprise-grade capabilities at a fraction of the total cost of ownership while eliminating capital expenditures and reducing operational complexity.

Organization Information

Number of Users

Industry Sector

Current Infrastructure Age (Years) How old is your current server/desktop infrastructure?

Dedicated IT Staff Count Full-time IT personnel managing infrastructure

Average IT Staff Salary ($) Include benefits (typically 1.3x base salary)

Primary Workload Type

Compliance Requirements

Power & Cooling Cost per kWh ($)

Power & Cooling Costs Include:
• Electricity for servers, storage, and networking equipment
• HVAC cooling systems to maintain optimal temperatures
• UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems
• Power distribution units and infrastructure
• Redundancy systems for high availability

On-premises infrastructure typically requires 2-3x the power consumption due to cooling and redundancy requirements. Cloud providers achieve much better power efficiency through scale and optimization.

Note: This calculator includes total cost of ownership factors often overlooked in simple comparisons, such as hardware refresh cycles, security infrastructure, backup systems, and opportunity costs.

Cost Comparison Results

Annual Savings with VDI

On-Premises

Hardware (Annual) $0

Software Licensing $0

IT Staff $0

Power & Cooling $0

Security & Backup $0

Maintenance $0

TOTAL ANNUAL $0

VDI/Azure Virtual Desktop

User Licensing $0

Compute Costs $0

Storage $0

Networking $0

Management $0

Compliance $0

TOTAL ANNUAL $0

Cumulative Savings Timeline

Year 1

Year 3

Year 5

Year 10