Parallels Desktop Alternatives
Parallels Desktop is described as 'gives Mac users the ability to run Windows, Linux or any other operating system and their critical applications at the same time as macOS. Parallels Desktop is optimized for Intel and Apple M1 chip' and is a very popular Virtualization tool in the network & admin category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Parallels Desktop for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac, BSD and Android. The best alternative is VirtualBox, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Parallels Desktop are Wine, QEMU, Proton and VMware Workstation Pro.
Parallels Desktop alternatives are mainly Virtualization Tools but may also be Compatibility Layer Tools. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Parallels Desktop.- Freemium • Proprietary
- Virtualization Tool
- Mac
VirtualBox
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Virtualization Tool
60 alternatives to VirtualBox- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- Solaris
VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as...
VirtualBox Features
VirtualBox vs Parallels Desktop opinions
rivolta8959I like it because it's FOSS, however, it's really glitchy. It has a lot of display issues with my guest OSs (screen flickering, black screen).
0JohnFastmanUnlike Parallels, Virtualbox is free, open source and runs natively on Windows, Mac and Linux. What's not to like?
7ChristianFerrettifree, lighter, even if less simple to use
0Wine
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Compatibility Layer Tool
28 alternatives to Wine- Mac
- Linux
- Android
- Android Tablet
- BSD
Wine is a free, open source application for running Windows software on operating systems that are normally not supported. With Wine, you can install and run these applications just like you would in Windows.
Wine Features
Wine vs Parallels Desktop opinions
QEMU
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Virtualization Tool
42 alternatives to QEMU- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
QEMU (short for "Quick EMUlator") is a free and open-source hosted hypervisor that performs hardware virtualization.
QEMU Features
Proton
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Compatibility Layer Tool
26 alternatives to Proton- Linux
- Steam
Proton is a tool for use with the Steam client which allows games which are exclusive to Windows to run on Linux kernel operating system. It uses Wine to facilitate this.
Proton Features
VMware Workstation Pro
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Paid • Proprietary
- Virtualization Tool
39 alternatives to VMware Workstation Pro- Windows
- Linux
VMware Workstation Pro Lets You Run Multiple Operating Systems as Virtual Machines (including Windows VMs) on a Single Windows or Linux PC. VMware Workstation Pro is the industry standard for running multiple operating systems as virtual machines (VMs) on a single Linux or...
VMware Workstation Pro Features
VMware Workstation Pro vs Parallels Desktop opinions
virt-manager
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Virtualization Tool
26 alternatives to virt-manager- Linux
- BSD
The virt-manager application is a desktop user interface for managing virtual machines through libvirt. It primarily targets KVM VMs, but also manages Xen and LXC (linux containers). It presents a summary view of running domains, their live performance & resource utilization...
virt-manager Features
VMware Workstation Player
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free Personal • Proprietary
- Virtualization Tool
38 alternatives to VMware Workstation Player- Windows
- Linux
VMware Workstation Player builds on the industry leading foundation of Workstation Pro, and delivers a streamlined user interface for creating and running operating systems and applications in a virtual machine.
Boxes
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Virtualization Tool
21 alternatives to Boxes- Linux
- BSD
- Flathub
A simple GNOME application to access virtual systems. It is based on a design from Jon McCann and Jakub Steiner.
Boxes Features
VMware Fusion
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo39 alternatives to VMware Fusion- Free Personal • Proprietary
- Virtualization Tool
- Mac
Seamlessly run your favorite Windows applications and devices, on any Intel-based Mac. Built from the ground up for the Mac, VMware Fusion is the easiest way to switch to Mac—letting you bring all of your Windows applications with you, making the most of your Windows software...
CrossOver
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Paid • Open Source
- Compatibility Layer Tool
27 alternatives to CrossOver- Mac
- Linux
- Android
- Chrome OS
CrossOver allows you to install many popular Windows applications and games on your Intel OS X Mac or Linux computer.
CrossOver vs Parallels Desktop opinions