AnyDesk vs. Parallels Desktop for Mac

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
AnyDesk
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
AnyDesk Software in Stuttgart offers their eponymous remote desktop software, designed to provide resilient remote access even with poor network access.
$22.90
per month (billed annually) 1 licensed user with 3 login devices
Parallels Desktop for Mac
Score 9.7 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
AnyDeskParallels Desktop for Mac
Editions & Modules
Solo
$22.90
per month (billed annually) 1 licensed user with 3 login devices
Standard
$35.90
per month (billed annually) 20 licensed users in a team
Advanced
$79.90
per month (billed annually) 100 licensed users in a team
Enterprise
Custom
per year billed annually
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
AnyDeskParallels Desktop for Mac
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsAnyDesk is free for personal use and offers a limited set of features and support. Professional users need a license. Only the initiator of a session needs a license, participants are free.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
AnyDeskParallels Desktop for Mac
Features
AnyDeskParallels Desktop for Mac
Remote Administration
Comparison of Remote Administration features of Product A and Product B
AnyDesk
9.0
Ratings
10% above category average
Parallels Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
Screen sharing9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
File transfer8.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Instant message8.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Secure remote access with Smart Card authentication9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Access to sleeping/powered-off computers9.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Over-the-Internet remote session9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Initiate remote control from mobile8.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote management of servers & workstations10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Remote Active Directory® management10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Centralized management dashboard7.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Session record9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Annotations7.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Monitoring and Alerts8.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-platform remote control10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Application Virtualization
Comparison of Application Virtualization features of Product A and Product B
AnyDesk
-
Ratings
Parallels Desktop for Mac
8.7
Ratings
14% above category average
Application support00 Ratings8.10 Ratings
Ease of deployment00 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Security00 Ratings9.10 Ratings
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User Ratings
AnyDeskParallels Desktop for Mac
Likelihood to Recommend
8.4
(0 ratings)
9.2
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.1
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.3
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
AnyDeskParallels Desktop for Mac
Likelihood to Recommend
It is suited for every business. You can use it whether you are an individual, student, professional, or organization. You can simply download it, ask the user to share their ID, connect to their system, and support them remotely. You don't require any special skill or technical knowledge to use it.
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Parallels works just like a window or application on the Mac. Hence, it is beneficial to keep both OS versions hand in hand. Parallels is very useful when writing code for mobile/iOS applications. File sharing and paste functions are very easy to use. More than one machine can be taken on Parallels. It also integrates with Microsoft Intune. It can run other OS versions other than Windows.
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Pros
  • Minimises the physical involvement of our trainers for training new technicians joining the company.
  • Building better relationships with our clients by assisting them with bookings and understanding services.
  • Also we use it to manage clients feedbacks and share information with each other.
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  • File Transfer - You can easily transfer files between Parallels virtualized desktops and the host desktop either through Copy and Paste functionality, or Drag and Drop. You can also configure shared folders.
  • Switch Between Virtual and Host Desktop - You can configure swipe gestures on a MacBook Pro to be able to switch between the virtualized and host desktop. You can also launch apps from the OS X Taskbar.
  • Performance - Apps in Parallels run quite smoothly on my 2015 MacBook Pro, as of 2020. Considering they are running on a 5-year-old computer, I give Parallels top marks for performance.
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Cons
  • Notification or Addition:
  • AnyDesk provides codes to connect room, which is complicated sometimes, if it is manageable same as a call then it can be much user friendly though current system is unique in its way for AnyDesk.
  • Use of AI more:
  • If AnyDesk can provide Summary, previous call data and recording data storage with summarized way that can be useful.
  • Multi user experience:
  • While discussion itself if we want to add another user for help this quick feature is not easy currently.
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  • The ability to do snapshots, backups, and other types of branching for VMs is a little confusing and takes a bit to get used to
  • The Parallels tools frequently pop up windows advertising functionality, while this is helpful at times it can also happen when you are doing a presentation or typing in a password.
  • Careful using the VMs on a shared cloud drive such as Dropbox or OneDrive, there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of files which are updated when running a VM and this can clog up your Dropbox or OneDrive sync for minutes to hours even on a 2gb connection.
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Likelihood to Renew
I don't have any reason to change
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We are completely pleased with the ease of deployment and use with Parallels. It has proven to be reliable, and Parallels technical support is there when we need them. There is a large user audience online for peer consultations and discussions. In general, it is a functional and easily maintained utility which serves our needs.
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Usability
My personal experience with AnyDesk has been good. I found that it is easy to use for both technical and nontechnical users to get started. It offers fast and Responsive performance, with Low latency even over an average internet connection
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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
I didn't have any technical problems and I didn't suffer from bugs or errors. Customer service has improved a lot and I no longer need to leave the office to go to the user's computer. With AnyDesk I install and remove programs, printers, scanners, settings in general. Screen sharing is excellent and without delays. Overall, I recommend and approve AnyDesk.
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So, this rating is a little skewed toward older behavior from Parallels, as I haven't had to contact them recently. However, in an older version of Parallels, an "update" included pop-ups urging users to upgrade to the latest version, implying that their current version wouldn't work for the latest MacOS. I found it very frustrating to be getting ads for a new version of the software in a version I had already paid for. I contacted support about this and got a generic, uncaring response. It was pretty disappointing.
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
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
AnyDesk is simpler to use than BeyondTrust. Beyond trust is suitable for a bit, but it's a bit heavy. Major guidance is required to guide the next person. Multiple steps are involved before we get remote access. Sometimes, it gets stuck in between. Beyond trust, data transfer is comparatively slower. It cannot be ready within a few minutes.
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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 necessary. Parallels is well supported and easy to use. It is also heavily used in Higher Education, which gives us a peer audience to work with.
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Return on Investment
  • The most positive impact is time saving, in all the aspects using any other thing then AnyDesk consumes a lot of productive time and that cost you a lot more than a single subscription. Using this time in productive works pays you well in the the sales or any other process.
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  • The cost versus benefit is definitely in the users' favor - the licensing terms for simple desktop usage are very generous, and the business impact is enormous, being able to seamlessly jump from one OS to the other without dealing with multiple physical VMs or cloud remote sessions.
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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).