Parallels Desktop for Mac

Score9.7 out of 10

87 Reviews and Ratings

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What is Parallels Desktop for Mac?

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.

Categories & Use Cases

Application Virtualization

Media

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).

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Screenshot of Parallels Desktop running Windows applications, on a Mac.

Ease of deployment
Level of difficulty installed on host servers
Category average: 8.1
Security
Limiting access to apps by domain authentication, IP address etc.
Category average: 7.2
Application support
Support for a wide range of applications and application types
Category average: 7.2

Bruce Carter View profile

Senior Systems Engineer in Information Technology at University of Notre Dame (5001-10,000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have some software that requires the Windows operating system for various enterprise activities. We used to put a separate PC on people's desks, then we moved to a bank of VMs that people could remote into, but with the release and support of Apple Silicon by Parallels, we are able to simply use a local virtual machine on macOS machines to simple and easily cover that intermittent need. This requirement covers several hundred endpoints and thus results in a fairly substantial savings of capital expenditures.

Pros

Immediate access to needed Windows apps
On demand Windows instance without needing to spin up a remote VM
Integrates access to both platforms in one unit
Easy to install and maintain
Central vendor console for licensing
Easily managed with existing enterprise tools

Cons

Configuration dialogs could use some embedded help
ARM incompatibility is sometimes a problem (this is more a Windows issue than Parallels)
USB passthrough is sometimes quirky

Return on Investment

Capital budget savings due to not having to buy multiple machines or pay for a VM bank
Quick and easy in and out use.
Can be left running in more or less idle state in the background with minimal resource impact.
Locally portable.
Works without a high speed network connection

Usability

Alternatives Considered

VMware Fusion, CrossOver and UTM

Other Software Used

1Password, BBEdit, CoPilot AI, FileZilla, Google Drive, Grammarly, macOS, Jamf Pro, Jamf Connect, Apple Keynote, ThreatDown, powered by Malwarebytes, Microsoft 365, Okta, OneDrive

Verified User

Administrator (11-50 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Parallels Desktop for Mac to run Windows 10, allowing QuickBooks Desktop to run on my Mac. This allows other accounting professionals to use QBs in a format they are familiar with, versus QB for Mac. Creates efficiency and workflow.

Pros

Windows 10.
Quickbooks Desktop.
Operates smoothly without crashing.
Mirrors my Mac desktop.

Cons

Correct the Quit Parallels function. It often stalls and freezes.
The program is a bit slow when utilizing Logmein remotely.

Return on Investment

ROI is the subscription cost. Excellent.
ROI in accounting is substantial with having QBD layered in.
The responsiveness of Parallels is amazing.

Usability

Other Software Used

QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Lightspeed Retail, Deputy

Verified User

Professional in Information Technology (10,001+ employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Parallel is an excellent tool for using the Windows operating system on an iOS / Mac Machine. It is a breeze to use this tool. So many software programs are just for Windows and cannot be used on a Mac. With a dual operating system, we need to restart the machine and re-boot it in the windows on the Mac; with the Parallels, the problem is significantly resolved, as it just opens up inside the Mac like a regular program. It helps with coding, gaming, and other purposes.

Pros

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.

Cons

The price is very expensive. For small businesses and individuals this could be steep.
Sometimes there are integration and interfacing issues.
This tool's memory usage is high at times, which lowers the Mac's power and availability.

Return on Investment

It has a positive impact, as the machine does not have to be restarted to do a dual boot to Windows. Hence, it saves time and lets us focus on solving our problems.
There is no roadblock to using a Mac or a Windows machine. Users/Coding who mandatorily need a Mac do not have to worry about apps that cannot be run on a Mac, hence reducing the requirement of a Windows machine for the same user. This saves money for our organization and also makes it easy for the coders to manage everything on one machine.

Alternatives Considered

VMware Fusion

Other Software Used

McAfee DLP Endpoint

Verified User

Team Lead in Information Technology (1001-5000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use it to help facilitate my job in a windows environment. I'm able to have Parallels running windows - which then has my admin tools (which in most cases are built for Windows only). It makes it so I don't have to do RDPs to other desktops. Less windows equals more productivity.

Pros

Not a memory hog
add on tools that it includes
seamless windows, coherence mode

Cons

Configuration options need to be more clear
navigation has gotten better but still needs some improvements
easier to get rid of "dead vms"

Return on Investment

Able to use one machine to do a multitude of jobs
Seamless integration

Usability

Alternatives Considered

VMware Fusion

Eddie Galvez

VP in Engineering at Cloud Software Group (1001-5000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Parallels are used to run VMs locally on MacBook developer machines - most commonly to run Windows applications or to check bugs and code pertaining to Windows from the standard-issued MacBooks. This is important as, while development productivity is highest using MacBooks, our customers are more often using the UI tools on Windows for authoring tasks.

Pros

Installs new VMs including OS configuration.
Integrates mac and windows seamlessly.
It can be configured to run a VM "the old-fashioned way" or simply let you run applications no matter the OS.

Cons

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.

Return on Investment

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.

Alternatives Considered

Oracle VM VirtualBox

Parallels Desktop for Mac

What is Parallels Desktop for Mac?

Categories & Use Cases

Media

Key Features

Top Performing Features

Ease of deployment

Security

Application support

Areas for Improvement

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Other Software Used

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Other Software Used

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Other Software Used

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Alternatives Considered

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

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