# Host On-Demand and HACloud Alternatives Source: https://wndsoftware.com/compare-host-on-demand ### Compare the whole browser-access path. Move from Host On-Demand or HACloud with a complete plan for sign-on, everyday host work and the infrastructure your team will operate. WND Terminal browser access with fictional sample data. The gateway is operated by your organization. WND Terminal offers a self-hosted browser gateway alongside native desktop apps. Evaluate it against the exact Host On-Demand, HACP Extended Edition or HACloud deployment you use, including identity, macros, printing and operating costs. WND Terminal Desktop: $69 per user per year; Enterprise: $75. Both have a 100-user minimum; additional products are quoted separately. A proof of value takes two to four weeks. Compare your current vendor quote and migration work in the [savings calculator](https://wndsoftware.com/savings-calculator). Review updated October 23, 2026. ### First identify the product you have. “Browser terminal” can mean several deployment models. Record the product, version, sign-on service, host protocols and client requirements in your estate. Then compare the path a user actually takes from opening a URL to reaching a host screen. On a small screen, swipe the table to read all columns. | Product | Published approach | | --- | --- | | IBM Host On-Demand | Java-based host access, with browser/Web Start and managed-client deployment options. IBM documents 3270, 5250 and VT connectivity. [IBM overview](https://www.ibm.com/products/host-on-demand). | | IBM HACP Extended Edition | IBM’s package also offers a browser path without Java or browser plugins. Check which component your organization uses. [IBM package overview](https://www.ibm.com/products/host-access-client-package). | | Rocket Host Access for the Cloud | HTML5 browser access through a session server. Rocket also markets desktop and web access through Secure Host Access Anywhere. [HACloud data sheet](https://www.rocketsoftware.com/sites/default/files/resource_files/host-access-for-the-cloud.pdf) · [Anywhere overview](https://www.rocketsoftware.com/en-us/products/secure-host-access/anywhere). | | WND Terminal in a browser | Your gateway runs sessions on your own server. Users open its HTTPS address and sign in through your organization’s OpenID Connect provider or configured local users. [WND Terminal browser gateway](https://wndsoftware.com/browser). | These are distinct products and components. A claim about an older Java client does not describe every current IBM browser option. Confirm the installed SKU and the proposed replacement in each vendor’s quote. ### Make the working day the comparison. Give a representative user the same tasks in both environments. Can they sign on, use their familiar function keys, paste a column, print the required output and recover when the connection drops? Add the awkward workflows people know by heart: a macro that opens another session, a printer route, a national character or a screen with unusual dimensions. In WND Terminal, the browser gateway runs the terminal session; users do not connect directly from the browser to the mainframe. The gateway needs approved host reachability, a certificate, sign-on configuration and your policy. IT operates that infrastructure. Optional external model calls follow the endpoint IT selects, so document that data path separately. The same WND Terminal product also has native Windows, Mac and Linux apps. Choose browser or native access per team instead of assuming the entire estate needs one delivery method. See the [deployment choices](https://wndsoftware.com/everywhere), [phone and tablet layout](https://wndsoftware.com/docs/mobile) and [embedded-session guide](https://wndsoftware.com/docs/embed-kit). ### A concrete result from changing the access path. The Home Depot moved 2,800 Mac users off Citrix , retired 38 Citrix servers and reduced login to the first screen from 90 seconds to 5 . [Read The Home Depot’s story →](https://wndsoftware.com/case-study-home-depot) That customer chose the native Mac app. Use the result to frame the infrastructure question in your own estate; it is not a browser-gateway benchmark or a promise about your rollout. ### Plan the evaluation around renewal. - Inventory the dependency chain List saved sessions, keymaps, macros, identity integration, printing, custom web pages and desktop automation. Give each item an owner and a must-keep outcome. - Prove the critical workflow Use a small team and your approved host environment. Include security review and the help desk in the acceptance criteria. Gateway privileged-access rules apply to gateway sessions; they do not govern native desktop sessions. - Price the whole access path Count users, gateway operations, any virtual-desktop infrastructure and separately licensed products. Ask both vendors for the exact components, support and renewal terms in writing. WND Terminal Enterprise’s base price is $75 per user per year, billed annually, with a 100-user minimum. Additional products require their own entitlement and quote. The [pricing page](https://wndsoftware.com/pricing) explains the base plans; no price or savings percentage for IBM or HACloud is assumed here. Use the [renewal planner](https://wndsoftware.com/renewal-planner) to work backwards from your notice date. Start a [30-day team trial](https://wndsoftware.com/try) on work computers, or agree a [free proof of value](https://wndsoftware.com/proof-of-value) with the application owner. You can explore fictional terminal workflows immediately in the [no-sign-in browser sample](https://wndsoftware.com/demo#launch). Reviewed October 18, 2026. IBM and Host On-Demand are IBM trademarks. Host Access for the Cloud and Secure Host Access are Rocket Software trademarks. WND Software is not affiliated with or endorsed by either vendor. ### Questions #### Does every IBM browser option require a Java plugin? No. IBM offers several components and deployment paths. HACP Extended Edition is documented without Java or browser-plugin dependencies. Identify the actual product and version before comparing it. #### Is WND Terminal’s browser gateway a WND Software-hosted cloud service? No. Your organization operates the gateway on its own infrastructure, configures sign-on and permits access to approved hosts. #### Is The Home Depot result a browser-gateway performance claim? No. The published result describes moving Mac users from Citrix to WND Terminal’s native Mac app. Measure your own browser or native deployment during evaluation. ### How should we evaluate WND Terminal against IBM Host On-Demand and Rocket HACloud? Start with the exact host protocol, deployment and workflows covered by your current product. Have a user complete sign-on, an ordinary transaction, a rejected entry and cancellation with the familiar keys. Test printing, file transfer and actual automation separately where used. For browser delivery, include gateway and identity administration in the comparison; for an application-modernization project, include the required interface work. A successful connection alone does not establish an equivalent replacement. Check [WND Terminal’s supported profiles and limits](https://wndsoftware.com/supported-systems), [current plan scope and pricing](https://wndsoftware.com/pricing), and the [migration evaluation steps](https://wndsoftware.com/switch).