Best App Delivery Solution in 2026: Which Platform Secures Your Cloud Apps?

What Is an App Delivery Solution?

An app delivery solution is a platform that makes business applications available to users securely and reliably, without forcing local installs or exposing the internal network. It typically combines secure gateways or reverse proxies, identity and access controls such as SSO and MFA, and delivery methods like browser-based publishing, streaming, or VDI/RDS. Many solutions add performance and protection at the edge—load balancing, WAF, TLS offload, and caching—plus monitoring and policies to keep access compliant.

Where it fits in your stack:

• App publishing: expose Windows or web apps through a portal so users can connect from any browser without VPN.
• Zero Trust access: enforce per-app SSO/MFA, device checks, and least-privilege instead of full network tunnels.
• Hybrid and multicloud: front on-premises, private cloud, and public cloud apps with a single access layer.
• SaaS-ify legacy apps: stream or publish desktop software to customers and partners without code rewrites.
• Performance and protection: add global routing, WAF, TLS termination, and DDoS shielding in front of public apps.
• Compliance and visibility: centralise logging, session policies, and audit trails for regulated workloads.

Why Organizations Need Application Delivery for Secure Cloud Applications?

Teams reassess how they expose apps as cloud usage grows, identities move to SSO/MFA, and regulators expect auditable controls. Traditional VPNs and ad-hoc reverse proxies struggle with least-privilege access, device posture, and consistent logging across hybrid estates. An app delivery solution centralises secure entry points for web, SaaS, and Windows line-of-business apps—often via browser—while adding edge protections (WAF/DDoS/TLS), policy enforcement, and observability. It also gives operations a standard way to publish apps across on-prem and multicloud without client installs, and finance clearer TCO models as usage scales to hundreds or thousands of users.

Typical adoption triggers:

• Security posture: Zero Trust per-app access instead of full-network VPN; enforced SSO/MFA, RBAC, and comprehensive audit logs.
• Operational fit: Faster onboarding for partners/contractors, reliable browser access, mass rollout without agents, and branded portals.
• Governance and cost control: Options for self-hosting/data residency, centralised policy management, and predictable pricing as concurrency grows.

What Needs to Be Looked for In an App Delivery Solution?

Start by locking your non-negotiables: security model (Zero Trust vs. VPN), target app types (Windows LOB, web/API, SaaS), and hosting posture (self-hosted, cloud, or hybrid). Verify identity coverage (SSO/MFA, Conditional Access, device posture), protocol fit (RDP/HTML5 for Windows; HTTP(S)/mTLS for web and APIs), and the ability to operate behind strict firewalls with outbound-only connectors. Then test how the platform behaves under real-world conditions—latency, packet loss, bandwidth caps—and confirm what’s included vs. add-on (WAF, DDoS, 2FA, reporting). Finally, model 12–36-month TCO with realistic concurrency, storage/egress, and support tiers.

Evaluation focus areas:

• Security & compliance: Per-app access (not flat VPN), SSO/MFA, RBAC, mTLS/OIDC, WAF/DDoS, audit logs, session recording, data residency options.
• Deployability & scale: Browser/HTML5 delivery, connector-based publishing (no inbound ports), autoscaling, global routing/CDN, policy inheritance, API/IaC automation.
• Performance & reliability: TLS offload, caching, load balancing, health probes, graceful failover, QoS/traffic shaping, real user monitoring.
• Observability & ops: Centralized logs/metrics, SIEM export, alerts, synthetic checks, rollback/blue-green, configuration versioning.
• Cost & lifecycle: Transparent pricing (per user/CCU/usage), clear add-ons, predictable renewals, SLAs/support windows, release cadence and upgrade paths.

The 9 Best App Delivery Solutions in 2026

TSplus Remote Access

TSplus Remote Access, The Fast, Secure Windows App Publishing via HTML5

TSplus Remote Access is purpose-built for delivering Windows applications and desktops to any device through a secure web portal without rewriting code or rolling out heavy VDI. A built-in gateway, HTTPS/TLS by default, and optional MFA keep access tight, while branding and simple policies make it easy to roll out across sites and tenants.

It deploys on-premises or in any cloud VM and scales from a single host to multi-server farms. Most teams reach a working pilot in hours, speeding time-to-value for stakeholders.

Pros

• HTML5 access (no client installs or VPN) with app publishing and desktop delivery.
• Lightweight gateway brokering; easy multi-server farms.
• Optional MFA and Advanced Security hardening.
• White-label portal and UX customisation for ISVs/MSPs.
• Perpetual licensing option lowers TCO vs. all-SaaS rivals.

Cons

• Windows-centric by design; not for modern container/serverless apps.
• Feature depth for large, complex VDI estates is intentionally lean.

Pricing

• One-time licenses from £180 (Desktop), £250 (Web Mobile), £290 (Enterprise).
• Subscription options available; 2FA add-on from £20/server/month (annual) or £300/server perpetual.
• Free trial available.

Reviews/Ratings

• Well-reviewed on G2 with frequent praise for ease of setup, performance, and value.
• Support quality often called out positively vs. legacy RDS stacks.

Parallels RAS

Parallels RAS, The Streamlined RDS/VDI Delivery Platform with Per-CCU Licensing

Parallels RAS centralises Windows application and desktop delivery with an admin experience many teams find simpler than heavyweight VDI. It includes an SSL gateway, MFA, and policy-driven clients, and it slots into existing RDS or cloud footprints with an all-features licence based on concurrent users.

Organizations use it to standardise publishing while avoiding complex broker stacks. Its unified console helps IT maintain consistent policies across hybrid deployments.

Pros

• Single, all-features licence keyed to concurrent users (CCU).
• Faster to deploy than traditional VDI stacks, per user feedback.
• Works on-prem and in major clouds.
• Policy-rich client controls and MFA support.
• Automation and provisioning are well-rated by users.

Cons

• Some reviews note complexity at larger, multi-tenant scale.
• Windows-first; not a fit for container/serverless web apps.

Pricing

• Market listings commonly show about £120–£140 per CCU/year (1-year term; reseller pricing varies).
• Volume discounts and multi-year terms available via partners.

Reviews/Ratings

• Solid G2 sentiment highlighting deployment speed and simpler operations versus legacy VDI.

Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)

Azure Virtual Desktop, The Microsoft-Native Cloud VDI Solution with Entra Integration

AVD delivers Windows apps and desktops from Azure with deep identity, conditional access, and profile management integrations. It is popular for Microsoft-standardised environments that want granular app groups, FSLogix, and flexible elasticity—but costs depend on Azure consumption.

Entra Conditional Access and Defender integrations strengthen posture for regulated workloads. With careful rightsizing and auto scale, teams can balance user experience and spend.

Pros

• Tight integration with Microsoft Entra ID (SSO/MFA/Conditional Access).
• App groups, MSIX app attach, FSLogix profiles.
• Global footprint, autoscaling options via Azure.
• Per-user access option for external commercial use cases.
• Familiar Windows client and HTML5 access.

Cons

• Pricing/operations complexity: you pay for Azure compute, storage, and networking.
• Requires Azure expertise for right-sizing and cost control.

Pricing

• User access rights via eligible Microsoft 365/Windows licenses (or AVD per-user access for external users) plus Azure infrastructure on pay-as-you-go.
• Azure costs vary by VM size, storage, and region; use the calculator.

Reviews/Ratings

• Positive G2 commentary for performance and scalability in Microsoft-centric shops.

Amazon AppStream 2.0

Amazon AppStream 2.0, The Managed App Streaming Solution to Turn Desktop Apps into SaaS

AppStream 2.0 streams Windows desktop applications to any browser over TLS, eliminating endpoint installs and letting you scale fleets globally without managing brokers. Popular for ISVs modernising delivery without code changes. Image Builder and fleet policies simplify versioning while keeping data centralised in AWS. This architecture makes external customer access straightforward without exposing internal networks.

Pros

• Fully managed streaming with global AWS regions.
• Browser-based delivery keeps data in the cloud.
• API-driven provisioning and image management.
• Integrates with identity providers for SSO.
• Rapid pilot capability; many report quick initial setup.

Cons

• Steady, always-on usage can become cost-sensitive.
• Windows licensing considerations (RDS SAL) may apply.

Pricing

• Example (N. Virginia): stream.standard.medium ~$0.10/hour, stopped fee $0.025/hour, plus $4.19/user/month RDS SAL when launching Windows sessions.
• Pricing varies by instance class, region, and scaling policy.

Reviews/Ratings

• G2 reviewers highlight ease of use and straightforward streaming experience.

Cloudflare Zero Trust (Access)

Cloudflare Access, The Per-App, No-VPN Access Solution with a Massive Edge

Cloudflare Access brings ZTNA to internal web apps, SSH/RDP, and SaaS, enforcing SSO/MFA, device posture, and per-app policies at Cloudflare’s global edge. Many organisations pair it with WAF/DDoS and DNS for a consolidated security and delivery plane. Because policies are enforced at the edge, users benefit from low-latency access worldwide. Teams often start with a few internal apps, then expand to cover SSH/RDP jump flows and third-party SaaS governance.

Pros

• Per-app access without network-level VPN exposure.
• Global Anycast edge improves performance and resiliency.
• Integrates with major IdPs and device posture checks.
• Can consolidate WAF, CDN, DNS, and ZTNA
• Free tier to start; simple scale-up

Cons

• Per-user pricing can be costly for kiosk/shared accounts.
• Advanced enterprise features often require higher tiers

Pricing

Free tier available; Pay-as-you-go at £7/user/month (annual); enterprise contracts for larger estates.

Reviews/Ratings

• Strong G2 sentiment for WAF+edge stack and reliability; users often cite DNS/SSL convenience and DDoS shielding.

F5 NGINX Plus

F5 NGINX Plus, The Programmable App/API Delivery Solution with Optional WAF

NGINX Plus is the commercial, supported distribution of NGINX with advanced L7 load balancing, reverse proxy, JWT/OIDC auth, and observability. Add NGINX App Protect WAF for OWASP Top 10 shielding and deploy across VMs or Kubernetes to standardise edge policies. Engineering teams appreciate its declarative configs and API-first automation for GitOps workflows. When embedded in CI/CD, it enables repeatable, security-as-code deployments across environments.

Pros

• High-performance L7 load balancer and reverse proxy.
• Works across on-premises, cloud, and K8s.
• mTLS, JWT/OIDC support for Zero-Trust-ready patterns.
• App Protect WAF integrates into CI/CD (“security as code”).
• Rich community and ecosystem know-how.

Cons

• Requires engineering time to model complex policies.
• Support/pricing tiers can add up for large estates.

Pricing

• Typical list pricing for NGINX Plus is instance-based; market references show support tiers from £2,500/year per instance, and NGINX App Protect WAF ~£2,000/year per instance (list).
• Cloud marketplace SKUs available; final price depends on instance count and support.

Reviews/Ratings

• G2 reviews emphasize reliability, high concurrency, and robust HA/LB features.

Azure Front Door

Azure Front Door, The Global Web/App Edge Solution with Built-In WAF

Azure Front Door accelerates and protects public web apps and APIs using Microsoft’s global edge. It provides layer-7 routing, TLS offload, WAF with bot protection, and origin shielding—especially attractive for Azure-centric builds or multi-region architectures. Many enterprises use it to front active-active services with automatic failover. Integration with Azure Monitor and Policy helps standardise operations and compliance at scale.

Pros

• Intelligent global routing and caching for performance.
• Integrated WAF and bot defenses with policy controls.
• Origin shield and URL-based routing for microservices.
• Tight Azure integration and IaC options.
• Flexible Standard vs. Premium tiers.

Cons

• Per-use pricing requires planning; some users flag cost sensitivity.
• Not for Windows GUI app streaming (web/API focus).

Pricing

• First 5 routing rules: £0.03/hour; additional rules: £0.012/hour; client-to-edge data in: £0.01/GB; domain fees beyond first 100.

Reviews/Ratings

• G2 feedback notes performance gains, with some calling out costs at scale

Google Cloud Run + Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)

Cloud Run + IAP, The Serverless Containers Solution with Per-Request Auth at Google’s Edge

Cloud Run runs stateless containers with automatic scaling, while IAP enforces identity at the edge for Zero-Trust access to HTTP apps. Together they offer a low-ops path to deliver secure web services and APIs, with per-request authentication and traffic splitting for progressive delivery. Developers gain instant HTTPS, revisions, and safe rollouts without managing servers. IAP centralises access control so microservices stay focused on business logic.

Pros

• Near-zero operations with fast scale-to-zero and quick deployments.
• Built-in HTTPS, revisions, canary/blue-green routing.
• IAP adds per-app auth (OIDC) without app changes.
• Strong free tier to prototype and small services
• Good fit for API-first and microservice teams

Cons

• Not suitable for Windows GUI/legacy desktop apps.
• IAP’s paid features tie into Chrome Enterprise Premium for some use cases.

Pricing

• Cloud Run: usage-based (vCPU, memory, requests) with always-free quotas; see pricing calculator examples.
• IAP : core protection for GCP-hosted apps at no charge; load-balancing/network costs apply; some capabilities are paid via Chrome Enterprise Premium.

Reviews/Ratings

• Cloud Run is well-regarded on G2 for developer velocity and simplicity at scale.

Microsoft Entra ID Application Proxy

Entra Application Proxy, The Solution to Publish Internal Web Apps Securely Without Inbound Ports

Entra Application Proxy publishes on-prem and private web apps to the internet without opening inbound firewall ports. Users authenticate with Microsoft Entra ID for SSO/MFA/Conditional Access, while lightweight connectors maintain inside-out connections. It is a quick win for modernising legacy intranet sites and vendor portals. By keeping per-app access at the identity layer, organisations reduce reliance on broad network tunnels.

Pros

• Per-app reverse proxy with SSO/MFA and Conditional Access.
• Quick deployment for existing Microsoft 365 tenants.
• No inbound firewall rules; connectors phone out.
• Integrates with broader Entra security stack and logs
• Works alongside AVD/RDS for hybrid estates.

Cons

• Requires Entra ID P1/P2 licensing; advanced features tied to plan.
• Non-Microsoft or complex legacy authentication patterns may need extra work.

Pricing

• Requires Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2. Public references and Microsoft pages commonly show P1 at about £6/user/month (annual). Actual pricing can vary by agreement/region.

Reviews/Ratings

• Entra ID is broadly well-reviewed; users like SSO/MFA and Conditional Access while noting complexity in mixed environments.

How to Choose the Right App Delivery Solution?

Begin with security and governance, then map delivery needs by workload: Windows line-of-business apps, web/APIs, partner portals, or mixed estates. Decide where it must run - self-hosted, cloud, or hybrid - and validate identity, Zero Trust, and audit requirements. Finally, pilot with real users to test latency, browser UX, and admin effort, and model 12–36-month TCO before scaling.

Checklist:

• Do we require self-hosting or data residency controls?
• Which workloads dominate: Windows apps, web/APIs, or both?
• How many users and what peak concurrency must we support?
• Is browser-only access sufficient, or do we need native clients?
• What MFA/SSO, RBAC, logging, and WAF/ZTNA controls are mandatory?
• How predictable is pricing (per-user/CCU/usage) over 12–36 months?
• Which ecosystems must it integrate with (Microsoft Entra, Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, SIEM/ITSM)?
• What performance targets and regions matter for our users and partners?

How Do These Solutions Compare?

Solution	Core Use Case	Deployment	Security Highlights	Pricing (USD)	User Rating
TSplus Remote Access	Windows app/desktop publishing via HTML5	Windows servers (on-prem/cloud)	TLS, gateway, MFA add-on	From £180 perpetual; subs from £5/user/mo (Enterprise)	G2 4.9/5
Parallels RAS	RDS/VDI application delivery	Windows infrastructure or cloud	SSL gateway, MFA, policies	$120/CCU/year (min 15)	G2 4.2/5
Azure Virtual Desktop	Microsoft VDI in Azure	Azure	Entra ID, CA, MFA	License + Azure usage	G2 4.2/5
Amazon AppStream 2.0	Stream Windows apps as SaaS	AWS managed	TLS streaming, isolation	$0.10/hr (example instance) + $4.19/user/mo RDS SAL	G2 4.2/5
Cloudflare Zero Trust	ZTNA for web/SSH/RDP apps	Cloudflare edge	Per-app policies, WAF, DDoS	$0–$7/user/mo (annual)	G2 4.5/5
F5 NGINX Plus	App/API delivery, ADC	Any (VM/K8s)	mTLS, OIDC, WAF add-on	From ~$2,500/instance/year; WAF $2,000/year	G2 4.1/5
Azure Front Door	Global web/API edge + WAF	Azure Edge	WAF, TLS, routing	Per-use (rules, GBs)	G2 4.2/5
Google Cloud Run + IAP	Serverless web/API with Zero Trust access	Google Cloud	IAP authZ/authN at edge	Usage-based (Cloud Run); IAP documented in GCP	G2 4.6/5 (Cloud Run)
Entra ID Application Proxy	No-VPN access to internal web apps	Microsoft cloud + on-prem connector	SSO/MFA/Conditional Access	P1 £6/user/mo (annual)	G2 4.5/5

Conclusion

There’s no single “best” app delivery solution. Match platform to what you deliver, your security model, and budget. For fast, secure Windows app access via browser with predictable ownership, TSplus Remote Access is the most direct fit. Microsoft-first estates lean to AVD with Entra and Front Door; SaaS-style streaming points to AppStream; Zero-Trust web access favors Cloudflare Access or Entra Application Proxy.

FAQ

What’s the difference between app delivery and app deployment?

Deployment places code into an environment, while app delivery makes that code securely reachable and performant for end users with identity, policy, and edge protections. Think of deployment as “ship the build,” and delivery as “govern, accelerate, and observe how users consume it.” Mature delivery adds Zero Trust access, WAF/CDN, monitoring, and rollback patterns so changes are safe and auditable.

Do I still need a VPN?

Not always. Many organizations replace broad network tunnels with per-application access using gateways, ZTNA, or identity-aware proxies that enforce SSO/MFA and least privilege. This reduces lateral-movement risk and improves user experience in the browser. VPNs can remain for niche protocols or admin use, but the primary path for business apps often becomes browser based.

How do I estimate costs for consumption-priced services?

Start with a small pilot to capture session length, concurrency, and traffic, then map those metrics to each vendor’s calculator. Include often-missed items like storage, egress, WAF rules, and support tiers to avoid surprises. Revisit the model quarterly as usage patterns evolve, and set autoscaling policies to cap spend during peaks.

Can I publish Windows apps to a browser without rewriting them?

Yes. Platforms that stream or publish Windows applications over HTML5/RDP allow users to run software from any device with nothing installed locally. This approach centralises data and simplifies updates while keeping endpoints thin. It’s a common bridge for ISVs and IT teams modernising delivery without touching the codebase.

How do these tools help with compliance?

They centralise identity, enforce MFA and RBAC, and record detailed access logs that feed audits and incident investigations. Many options add WAF, DDoS controls, and policy-as-code to standardise configurations across environments. With consistent session governance and reporting, you can demonstrate control effectiveness to regulators and customers more easily.