Two of fourteen models named Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop first on the direct prompt; one named Windows 365. Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop was named by twelve of the fourteen models and Windows 365 by eleven and Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop carries 25 labels and Windows 365 32, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in one category this edition.
Named in two categories this edition.
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the virtual desktops page.
Across every category in the October 2026 Edition, Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 were named in the same answer twenty times, of the 79 answers naming Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop and the 105 naming Windows 365. In those answers Windows 365 took the first choice two times and Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop fourteen.
| Model | DirectMAW3 | ParaphraseMAW3 | ComparativeMAW3 | Budget-constrainedMAW3 | Scale-constrainedMAW3 | NegativeMAW3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | MA | MA | MA | |||
| GPT-5.4 mini | W3 | MA | ||||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | W3 | MAW3 | W3 | |||
| Perplexity Sonar | ||||||
| Grok 4.1 Fast | MAW3 | MA | MAW3 | W3 | ||
| Mistral Small | MA | W3 | ||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | W3 | MAW3 | W3 | W3 | MA | |
| Llama 4 Maverick | ||||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | MA | MA | MA | MAW3 | ||
| Kimi K2 | W3 | W3 | MAW3 | W3 | W3 | W3 |
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | MA | MA | MAW3 | W3 | ||
| MiniMax M2.5 | MA | W3 | ||||
| GPT-6 Luna | W3 | W3 | W3 | W3 | ||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | MA |
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Four of five in this category shown.
“Cost concerns: Users report costs escalating quickly ... Complexity: Setup is noted as not straightforward” DeepSeek V4 Flash · negative prompt · soft negative
“Microsoft dominates cloud-native virtual desktops through two distinct offerings: Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD): A highly flexible, consumption-based cloud VDI platform.” Gemini 3.5 Flash · comparative prompt · first choice
“Best if you are already deep in the Microsoft ecosystem (Azure AD + M365). Often the most cost-effective for general knowledge workers.” Qwen 3.7 Flash · scale prompt · first choice
“Already all-in on Microsoft 365? → Azure Virtual Desktop (if you want control) or Windows 365 (if you want simplicity).” DeepSeek V4 Flash · comparative prompt · first choice
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Four of five in this category shown.
“Less flexible; per-user cost regardless of usage; not ideal for pooled/shared” DeepSeek V4 Flash · scale prompt · soft negative
“For most budget-constrained small businesses, Windows 365 or Amazon WorkSpaces offer the best balance of affordability, reliability, and ease of management.” DeepSeek V4 Flash · budget prompt · first choice
“For most small to midsize organizations, Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop (if you are all-in on Windows and Azure) are simpler and more cost-effective choices.” Mistral Small · negative prompt · first choice
“Microsoft Windows 365 (Cloud PC): The easiest to manage if your IT team is already deeply integrated with Microsoft Intune.” Gemini 3.5 Flash · scale prompt · first choice
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.