ISL Light vs. Parallels Desktop for Mac vs. RealVNC Connect

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ISL Light
Score 8.9 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
ISL Light is remote support and remote access software that enables SMBs and large enterprises to offer fast and efficient support and maintenance for Windows, Mac and Linux computers as well as mobile device support for Android and iOS.
$16.90
per month (1 concurrent user)
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Parallels® Desktop for Mac is used to run Windows on Intel or Apple silicon. Users can switch between Mac and Windows applications, while retaining the macOS appearance, or use the familiar Windows desktop aesthetic.
$99.99
per year
RealVNC Connect
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
RealVNC® Connect is a secure remote access solution from RealVNC. It can be used to connect to a remote device anywhere in the world to view its desktop in real-time and take control as though sitting in front of it.
$99
per year (one concurrent session)
Pricing
ISL LightParallels Desktop for MacRealVNC Connect
Editions & Modules
Starter
$16.90
per month
Standard
$34.90
per month
Self-Hosted
$44.90
per month
Premium
$54.90
per month
Parallels Desktop Standard Edition
$99.99
per year
Mac App Store
$99.99
per year
Parallels Desktop Pro Edition
$119.99
per year
Parallels Desktop Business Edition
$149.99
per year
Essentials
$8.25
per month (billed annually) per concurrent session
Plus
$16.50
per month (billed annually) per concurrent session (add up to 3)
Premium
$29.75
per month (billed annually) per concurrent session (add up to 5)
Enterprise
Custom Pricing
per year
Enterprise
Custom Pricing
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ISL LightParallels Desktop for MacRealVNC Connect
Free Trial
YesYesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsISL Online's pricing model considers the number of licenses purchased, which determines the maximum number of concurrent users within the organization. A concurrent user is defined as anyone running one or more sessions simultaneously from any device. There are no restrictions on the number of ISL Light users within a company or the remote devices managed. For example, with three licenses, an unlimited number of people in a company can use ISL Light and can access an unlimited number of remote devices, but only three users can use it concurrently. When one of these three users ends their session, a fourth user can begin their session, and so on.Plans work on a Per Concurrent Session basis. Each plan gives access to a bundled number of devices, but limits apply to the amount of devices that can be connected at any given time. The Premium plan includes On-Demand Assist, a useful tool for providing just-in-time remote support to end-users without them needing RealVNC Connect installed on their device.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ISL LightParallels Desktop for MacRealVNC Connect
Considered Multiple Products
ISL Light
Chose ISL Light
Simple UI with ease of use for the end user. ISL Light compability with a range of Windows OS's. Cost effective in relation to number of licenses versus active remote control techs. Great tech support and aftersale service puts ISL Light at the front of the line above the rest.
Chose ISL Light
ISL light is a corporate tool that takes security into account first and foremost and that is something that these tools do not really take into account. The control of users, the reports and the roles that can be assigned definitely led us to make the decision.
Parallels Desktop for Mac

No answer on this topic

RealVNC Connect

No answer on this topic

Features
ISL LightParallels Desktop for MacRealVNC Connect
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
ISL Light
8.2
108 Ratings
4% above category average
Parallels Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
RealVNC Connect
7.3
32 Ratings
8% below category average
Screen sharing8.7102 Ratings00 Ratings9.128 Ratings
File transfer8.6102 Ratings00 Ratings8.015 Ratings
Instant message8.083 Ratings00 Ratings6.119 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication8.125 Ratings00 Ratings7.05 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers6.378 Ratings00 Ratings6.09 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session8.799 Ratings00 Ratings9.030 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile8.264 Ratings00 Ratings8.919 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations8.787 Ratings00 Ratings4.76 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management8.832 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard8.364 Ratings00 Ratings7.116 Ratings
Session record7.771 Ratings00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Annotations8.456 Ratings00 Ratings5.36 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts7.947 Ratings00 Ratings7.03 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control8.379 Ratings00 Ratings9.011 Ratings
Application Virtualization
Comparison of Application Virtualization features of Product A and Product B
ISL Light
-
Ratings
Parallels Desktop for Mac
9.4
4 Ratings
20% above category average
RealVNC Connect
-
Ratings
Application support00 Ratings9.34 Ratings00 Ratings
Ease of deployment00 Ratings9.54 Ratings00 Ratings
Security00 Ratings9.54 Ratings00 Ratings
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User Ratings
ISL LightParallels Desktop for MacRealVNC Connect
Likelihood to Recommend
8.5
(91 ratings)
9.6
(32 ratings)
8.0
(37 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(3 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
8.0
(8 ratings)
Usability
8.3
(54 ratings)
9.2
(5 ratings)
8.0
(4 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.1
(3 ratings)
9.0
(6 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(2 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ISL LightParallels Desktop for MacRealVNC Connect
Likelihood to Recommend
ISL Online
ISL light is suitable for anyone who plans to provide remote assistance services on a medium to large scale. Due to the high entry price, it is less suitable for consultants with a smaller number of clients or remote stations that need management. Their smallest package in which minutes are rented does not seem suitable for most cases.
Read full review
Parallels
Parallels is great for an end user that is primarily a macOS user, but occasionally needs Windows access to a specific application or service that is Windows only, or Windows primarily. It obviates the need for multiple desktop units or remote VMs where spin up time is an issue. It is not quite perfect due to the ARM version of Windows requirement, but that particular case is common to all ARM use of Windows.
Read full review
RealVNC
It is very easy to use if the remote device is already set up to receive connections, so if you are setting up devices before deploying them, it is a great tool to have. It is well-suited to use when shadowing users or using it as a teaching tool. There are other products that are better if you are trying to help someone on a one-use basis.
Read full review
Pros
ISL Online
  • Prikaz strani na kateri se nahaja uporabnik
  • Prikaz kontaktov uporabnikov
  • Zgodovina pogovorov s strankami
  • Možnost spreminjanja statusa dosegljivosti
  • Nalaganje datotek, zajemov slik,..
  • Klepetalnik, ki je enostaven za uporabo
  • Nas obvesti, da smo dobili sporočilo, tudi če smo izven klepetalnika
  • Display the page the user is on
  • Displaying user contacts
  • Customer conversation history
  • Ability to change availability status
  • Uploading files, capturing images, etc.
  • An easy-to-use chatbot
  • Notifies us that we have received a message, even if we are outside the chat room
Read full review
Parallels
  • The configurations & space allocations can be done on parallels.
  • It integrates very well with the Mac; copying/pasting and sharing files can be done between the two platforms - Windows/Mac.
  • It supports virtual machines, Touch-ID (which works on Mac and will work on Windows, too), and bridges the gap between two operating systems.
Read full review
RealVNC
  • VNC Connect does an excellent job in remotely connecting to a computer through either your local area network or even another computer on the internet. As long as the VNC Connect services is installed and the client is running in the background.
  • VNC Connect provides password protection to prevent unauthorized users from attempting to remotely access your computer. There's an option to have a separate password to remotely view vs view & access a computer. You can even add an additional level of security by turning on the feature to require Windows login credentials.
  • VNC Connect provides an additional set of controls after a remote connection has been established with another computer. You can have special keystrokes like Ctrl+Alt+Del sent as a command sequence to the other computer as well as access more than a single screen when in use at the remote computer location.
Read full review
Cons
ISL Online
  • Need a control toggle at least on AlwaysOn. User moves the mouse and you lose all control instantly.
  • Clipboard features are a bit wonky still, and your clipboard seems to get emptied a lot. So if you're trying to copy and paste you might lose something
  • Passwords for the systems are saved per machine, so if you work from multiple devices it can be tricky if you have complex passwords
Read full review
Parallels
  • Having to buy a new upgrade whenever Apple updates the OS with its yearly releases seems a bit excessive.
  • The integration features between Windows and Mac are enabled by default, which can clutter both sides; I would rather it was not default.
Read full review
RealVNC
  • Its a pretty straight forward product - I would like to see more tools with a "wow" factor.
  • Panel colors are blah - I would like more eye-catching colors.
  • A more consistent look with all platforms - like Mac & PC.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
ISL Online
We are renew the license for 10 years now and we do not see why would change that. It just gets better with every new version.
Read full review
Parallels
Users are familiar with the application which will keep us going for a little while. However since we are seeing a decline for a need for the software, I wouldn't be surprised to find that this answer changes dramatically in the near future. We would probably keep it to some extent, but we would probably reduce our licensing count.
Read full review
RealVNC
VNC is a solid product for the price. It simply works and its reliable across different platforms. Some products state they work well in the Mac environment but don't deliver. This one does what it says. Connections are reliable, but of course, this depends on internet connections. The product works well over wireless connections as well. It delivers on what a remote tool should deliver on. My technicians are happy with the product and customers appreciate the ease of use when letting us connect to their systems. Some also appreciate the remote support while they are multi-task.
Read full review
Usability
ISL Online
Everything works well and quickly, and that's all we need. ISL Light always works, and we've never had a situation where the server was inaccessible or the website was down. It simply gives us a 100% guarantee that we can always log in to our customers' systems. We can install the ISL Light client at our customers' sites without any problems, even though security is high.
Read full review
Parallels
It has a good integration, including the connection of peripherals. Taking files back and forth works well and I can attach my Home drive as a network drive in Windows. There is even integration with iCloud and other macOS services. There are also a few different display modes which are useful and fleixible (coherence, windowed, full-screen with multiple screens)
Read full review
RealVNC
It's a niche product and in that niche they try to cater to as many use cases as they can. Other as a TCO aspect i don't see many use cases where you can't use this product as the one tool for all remote session use cases in your company
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
ISL Online
During the entere time of use, I have never come across any availability issues.
Read full review
Parallels
No answers on this topic
RealVNC
No answers on this topic
Performance
ISL Online
High performance!
Read full review
Parallels
No answers on this topic
RealVNC
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
ISL Online
We had issues with mouse skipping on mobile devices. Support is immediatly availabe, they examined our case and in one of the new versions of the app this problem was gone.
Read full review
Parallels
The Parallels documentation and support websites are great. I have not had much use for them, but a cursory check shows richly documented features aimed at both the layperson and the power user or software developer. Their website is well-designed and information is easy to find, and their list of known issues as well as bugfixes on point releases is clear and transparent. They aren't trying to hide any of the limitations of their software, and seem to be regularly updating it to fix new bugs that arise with Mac OS X updates.
Read full review
RealVNC
VNC Connect is a reliable product that has been around for a long time. It is reasonably priced and works well in the Mac & PC environment. When you have a small team that supports many users we need tools that we can rely upon and that will get the job done on the first try. Many customers appreciate the quick assistance and can multi-task while our team works on their computer issues remotely. From a customer service point of view, this tool gives us transparency and efficient effectiveness.
Read full review
Online Training
ISL Online
No answers on this topic
Parallels
No answers on this topic
RealVNC
The training is very informative, quick and to the point. All of the details one would need are present so the user doesn't have to go searching for additional information just to use the application. The layout of the training was also neat and concise, some of the other training sessions for other companies I've done in the past were confusing and not well thought out, this one is much more superior
Read full review
Implementation Rating
ISL Online
It was so easy!
Read full review
Parallels
The only advice I can provide is think about who is using the product and build the image based on the true needs of the user.
Read full review
RealVNC
No problem at all, love the product.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
ISL Online
The main reason was price initially, after TeamViewer jacked up the price 3 fold come covid in start of 2020, told them to get stuffed and went elsewhere, back then they had a good reliable product, then after I switched to another provider, the came crawling back and offer me the same price I was paying before the COVID tax (3 times increase in price) like I said, told them to get stuffed, ISL on the other hand didn’t increase their price when covid started, so have been with them ever since.
Read full review
Parallels
Main two features that made the balance decission go to the Parallels Desktop were the possibility to pause the Windows partition easily (allowing to consume less resources in Mac and save battery) and the other one is the user interface feature called "Coherence" with allows you to show the Windows application windows as if they were native to the macOS, allowing for a better user experience.
Read full review
RealVNC
VNC is light and sleek with the quick setup, was impressed with the quick setup despite poor Internet connection outdoor. TeamViewer is good, but the pricing is not as good as VNC. Both do the basic job, but VNC still outperform TeamViewer in terms of performance and ease of use.
Read full review
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
ISL Online
tot perfecte
Read full review
Parallels
No answers on this topic
RealVNC
No answers on this topic
Scalability
ISL Online
Easy to deploy onto new devices. Ability to group devices so they can managed remotely efficiently.
Read full review
Parallels
No answers on this topic
RealVNC
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
ISL Online
No professional services used
Read full review
Parallels
No answers on this topic
RealVNC
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
ISL Online
  • It allows you to hold meetings with clients from other cities.
  • Ease of training staff from large groups
  • Resolving problems in a short time, which is an optimal strategy for improving delivery times
  • permite realizar reuniones con clientes de otras ciudades
  • Facilidad de capacitar personal de grupos numerosos
  • Resolucion de problemas en tiempo corto, lo cual es una estrategia optima para mejorar los tiempos de entrega
Read full review
Parallels
  • Saves money on having to buy a Windows and MacBook, as the MacBook can run almost 99% of all Windows software and usually run it faster and share between your MacBook transparently.
  • Gives employers the most flexibility with regards to which OS to adopt across an enterprise
  • We are a media company and everyone uses Macs in our industry, Fortune 500 companies also use Windows and MS Project, Parallels gives you the most flexibility for almost all of these use cases
  • Improves efficiency as the MacBook Pro M3 systems are much faster than some of the fastest corporate issued Windows laptops. What takes me 3-10 seconds for a video export can take 5 minutes on a similar Windows laptop
Read full review
RealVNC
  • I have just used the software for about 1 month and so far so god. I am saving time whenever I can access my client's computers from my desk as opposed to having to leave my office to go to their offices. Saves me time and the client money.
Read full review
ScreenShots

ISL Light Screenshots

Screenshot of remote access control in ISL Light.Screenshot of unattended access setup. Access can be allowed to as many computers as desired.Screenshot of a connection with a remote client, which can be set up by sending an email or sharing a link.Screenshot of interactions with the Windows UAC on a remote device.Screenshot of the dual panel File Manager, used to transfer files.Screenshot of the web console where remote desktop sessions can be managed from a web browser.

Parallels Desktop for Mac Screenshots

Screenshot of Parallels Desktop running Windows applications, on a Mac.Screenshot of the ability to switch between operating systems without rebooting.Screenshot of Coherence Mode, which minimizes distraction.Screenshot of file sharing between Mac and Windows.Screenshot of application development and testing in Windows, Linux, and virtual macOS (Pro & Business Edition).Screenshot of license management in Parallels Desktop (Business Edition).

RealVNC Connect Screenshots

Screenshot of the Device List in the Connect v8 desktop appScreenshot of On-Demand Assist, which can be used to start a remote support session using a single-use code.