Parallels Desktop for Mac

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Score 9.1 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
Pricing
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Editions & Modules
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
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Free Trial
Yes
Free/Freemium Version
No
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
No
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Considered Both Products
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Runs much smoother, support is better.
Price set at the time was much better.
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels provides what we need at a reasonable cost. VMware was a bit pricier, and Parallels has more of a "Mac-like" feel for the application itself. UTM and Crossover were a bit too "hacker-ish" for basic end users that just want to pop in and out of windows when …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
We have tried VMware Fusion and Boot Camp. However, the level of graphics that we get in Parallels is much better compared to the other two tools. The speed, overall performance, ease of access, and features are a lot better on Parallels. Overall integration with Mac resources …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Every software development company every software development company has their own solutions works on every software development company has their own solutions works on a multitude of solutions and when it comes to parallels they have fine tuned theirs and critique it to be …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
At the end of the day, it seemed like Parallels Desktop has the fastest product with a feature set that was most important to our users. Additionally, it seemed to hit a mark where it was easy enough for our less tech-savvy users, but powerful enough for our users that really …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels Desktop is faster when compared to other solutions, assuming that is for Mac computers only, is the fastest option and easiest to run
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Performance for graphically intensive apps or development tools isn't as smooth as Parallels achieves, at least on M-chip MacBooks.
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
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 …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels makes running other operating systems on your Mac user friendly and not have the hassle of some of the server use cases. VMware is the closest competitor I use occationally but for the most part Parallels is what I use for the majority of the time.
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
If you can follow a prompt and click a button, you can install Parallels. We chose Parallels because they make it so simple to buy, install, set up, and add licenses. I work with Creatives and getting them to run a Windows environment is a painful task. With Parallels, we can …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels Desktop has better experience for MacOS if we compare to VMware Workstation Pro. It has more extensions and feature that working great on MacOS environment. Support working multi virtual machines on the same time and no limit (if you have a powerful laptop) I am …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels [Desktop] is more polished and has a friendlier interface than VMware Fusion. While the VMware Fusion licensing model is simpler Parallels [Desktop] innovates faster and optimizes their product more often and with more features that customers want. At their core they …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
*VMware is not is the list but that is probably the most popular alternative. We went with Parallels because it was generally easier to install and maintain. VMWare is a solid product and we have people on staff who use it but most people who have experience both strongly …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
I'm a longtime user of VMware Fusion and I still use it in some cases. We use it on RedHat Linux computers to run other Linux environments with specific software development environment configurations. I've also used VMware Fusion on a MacBook Pro laptop to run Windows and …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
I have not used any other program to meet these needs and to be honest I didn't want to. Parallels had great reviews and from my research it would do what I needed, so there was no reason to look elsewhere. On top of that, Parallels is not overly expensive for the capability …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels has better performance and easier setup than VirtualBox (and VMWare the last time I tried it). Parallels is fairly expensive, while VirtualBox is free, so going with VirtualBox will save quite a bit of money. The strength of VirtualBox lies in use with Vagrant and …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
VMware Fusion is also a good product, but it tended to be a little more difficult to configure, and the price tag was higher in terms of the volume purchasing that we required.
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels Desktop ends up filling the sweet spot between free, but basic application (VirtualBox), and fully featured enterprise application (VMware Fusion.). Even at this point, we don't use all of the features of Parallels, but the perceived performance boost over VirtualBox …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Not recommended for non-technical users but VMWare and Virtual Box are acceptable alternatives to these.
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
It's cheaper for one, it also is the company's sole focus so you know it is getting a lot of support on their end. I also feel it is easier to use. It is its own standalone and doesn't have any other flavors or variations like VMware. One stop software solution that works.
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Parallels offers a much more streamlined and easier to navigate VM configuration interface. Once configured, device compatibility and overall system efficiency appears to be better in Parallels Desktop compared to others. Integration between the Mac host OS and the VM is …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
We did not evaluate any other applications.
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
I have used VirtualBox on Windows as a free alternative, as I only used it to access an old scanner without recent drivers. So far, I stick with Parallels, but the OpenGL limitations are said to be resolved better with VMware Fusion. But I currently don't want to migrate to …
Chose Parallels Desktop for Mac
Prior to using Parallels, I ran under Boot Camp. Of course, the OS runs just fine that way, but having to power down and back up each time I wanted to switch environments just wasn't working for me. That's what sent me looking for another solution. I tried Oracle VM VirtualBox, …
Features
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Application Virtualization
Comparison of Application Virtualization features of Product A and Product B
Parallels Desktop for Mac
9.2
4 Ratings
18% above category average
Application support9.04 Ratings
Ease of deployment9.44 Ratings
Security9.44 Ratings
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Parallels Desktop for Mac
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User Ratings
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Likelihood to Recommend
9.3
(33 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.3
(3 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(6 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(6 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Likelihood to Recommend
Alludo
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.
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Pros
Alludo
  • 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.
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Cons
Alludo
  • 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.
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Likelihood to Renew
Alludo
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.
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Usability
Alludo
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)
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Support Rating
Alludo
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.
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Implementation Rating
Alludo
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.
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Alternatives Considered
Alludo
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.
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Return on Investment
Alludo
  • 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
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ScreenShots

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).