Free Parallels Desktop AlternativesVirtualization & Compatibility Layer Tools like Parallels Desktop

Alternatives list

1. 

   

   VirtualBox

    3000 likes

   Open source VirtualBox offers powerful x86/AMD64 virtualization available freely under GNU GPL v2. Runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, Solaris hosts. Supports a vast array of guest OS like Windows, Linux, Solaris. Portable, lightweight, ad-free, with dark mode.

   70 VirtualBox alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

   Application type

   • Virtualization

   Origin

   • United States

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • BSD
   • Oracle Solaris

   • United States

   

   

   

   +5

   

   More about VirtualBox  

   

   Good alternative?Is VirtualBox a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

    

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   3comments

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   VirtualBox vs Parallels Desktop Comments

   Positive comment by John Fastman · Dec 17, 2016

   Unlike Parallels, Virtualbox is free, open source and runs natively on Windows, Mac and Linux. What's not to like?

   Comment by Léana · May 13, 2022

   I 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).

   Positive comment by ChristianFerretti · Mar 26, 2021

   free, lighter, even if less simple to use

   3 of 3 comments

   

   

   • VirtualBox is Free and Open SourceParallels Desktop is Paid and Proprietary
   • VirtualBox is Lightweight and Privacy focusedParallels Desktop is not according to our users
2. 

   

   Wine

    787 likes

   An advanced, free open-source tool enabling Windows applications to run on Linux and other systems without emulation. It offers configuration options, supports diverse operating systems, and benefits from continuous updates and robust community support to enhance Windows app compatibility.

   51 Wine alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source

   Application type

   • Compatibility Layer

   Origin

   • United States

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Linux
   • Android
   • Android Tablet
   • BSD
   • Flathub

   • United States

   

   

   

   +1

   

   More about Wine  

   

   Good alternative?Is Wine a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

    

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   1comment

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   Wine vs Parallels Desktop Comments

   Comment by Kelson V · Aug 23, 2025

   Not quite the same thing. Parallels runs a whole Windows computer inside your Mac. Wine adds compatibility to run Windows apps directly on macOS. A lot of apps run great, but not everything translates between systems, and trying to match Windows is a moving target.

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • Wine is Free and Open SourceParallels Desktop is Paid and Proprietary
   • Wine is a Compatibility Layer Parallels Desktop is a Virtualization Tool
   • Wine is Privacy focused and LightweightParallels Desktop is not according to our users
4. 

   

   WinBoat

    86 likes

   Runs Windows applications, individual apps, or full desktops inside Linux with native OS-level integration, sleek interface, advanced filesystem sharing, smartcard passthrough, and resource monitoring while supporting simple installation and ongoing feature updates.

   53 WinBoat alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (MIT)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Compatibility Layer
   • Virtualization

   Origin

   • Romania
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Linux
   • Docker

   • Romania
   • EU

   

   

   

   +2

   

   More about WinBoat  

   

   Good alternative?Is WinBoat a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

    

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   1comment

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   WinBoat vs Parallels Desktop Comments

   Positive comment by Victor Ferreira · Sep 19, 2025

   I think WinBoat is the best alternative to Parallels Desktop because it works the same way, with a similar workflow and an interface that's just as beautiful and user-friendly.

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • WinBoat is Free and Open SourceParallels Desktop is Paid and Proprietary
   • WinBoat is a Compatibility Layer Parallels Desktop is a Virtualization Tool
   • WinBoat is Privacy focusedParallels Desktop is not according to our users
5. 

   

   QEMU

    313 likes

   QEMU, an open-source hypervisor, performs hardware virtualization, emulates CPUs using dynamic binary translation, and supports various architectures. It runs diverse unmodified guest OS, provides device models, and offers mixed translation modes for efficient execution.

   47 QEMU alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source

   Application type

   • Virtualization

   Origin

   • France
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • BSD

   • France
   • EU

   

   

   

   +1

   

   More about QEMU  

   

   Good alternative?Is QEMU a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

    

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   1comment

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   QEMU vs Parallels Desktop Comments

   Comment by Kelson V · Aug 23, 2025

   QEMU by itself is built into macOS, but it's a pain to run (it's all command-line) unless you use a GUI wrapper like UTM. It's also slower than Parallels due to limited support for hardware accelleration.

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • QEMU is Free and Open SourceParallels Desktop is Paid and Proprietary
   • QEMU is Lightweight, Privacy focused and Security-focusedParallels Desktop is not according to our users
6. 

   

   Proton

    136 likes

   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.

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source

   Application type

   • Compatibility Layer

   Origin

   • United States

   Platforms

   • Linux
   • Steam

   • United States

   

   

   More about Proton  

   

   Good alternative?Is Proton a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

    
8. 

   

   VMware Workstation Pro

    399 likes

   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...

   37 VMware Workstation Pro alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Proprietary

   Application type

   • Virtualization

   Origin

   • United States

   Platforms

   • Windows
   • Linux

   • United States

   

   

   More about VMware Workstation Pro  

   

   Good alternative?Is this a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

    
9. 

   

   virt-manager

    87 likes

   Comprehensive desktop tool for managing virtual machines using libvirt, supporting KVM, Xen, and Linux Containers. It offers performance stats, resource allocation and virtual hardware configuration with VNC and SPICE clients for graphical consoles.

   35 virt-manager alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-2.0)

   Application type

   • Virtualization

   Origin

   • Australia

   Platforms

   • Linux
   • BSD
   • Flathub
   • Flatpak

   • Australia

   

   

   

   More about virt-manager  

   

   Good alternative?Is virt-manager a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

    
10. 

    

    VMware Workstation Player

     250 likes

    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.

    41 VMware Workstation Player alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    • Virtualization

    Origin

    • United States

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux

    • United States

    

    More about VMware Workstation Player  

    

    Good alternative?Is this a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

     
11. 

    

    UTM

     32 likes

    UTM is a full featured system emulator and virtual machine host for iOS and macOS. It is based off of QEMU. In short, it allows you to run Windows, Linux, and more on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

    60 UTM alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (Apache-2.0)

    Application type

    • Virtualization

    Origin

    • International

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • visionOS

    • Global

    

    

    

    More about UTM  

    

    Good alternative?Is UTM a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

     

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    2comments

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    UTM vs Parallels Desktop Comments

    Positive comment by Kelson V · Aug 23, 2025

    Not as many bells and whistles, and not as fast, but it's cheap/free, open source, and easier to set up emulation of different chip architectures (ex. running an x86_64 VM on your M2 Mac)

    Positive comment by Guest · Feb 22, 2025

    Its Open Source Unlike Parallels Desktop Its Also Open Source So Its More Trustable

    2 of 2 comments

    

    

    • UTM is Free and Open SourceParallels Desktop is Paid and Proprietary
    • UTM is Privacy focused and LightweightParallels Desktop is not according to our users
12. 

    

    VMware Fusion

     120 likes

    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...

    44 VMware Fusion alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    • Virtualization

    Origin

    • United States

    Platforms

    • Mac

    • United States

    

    

    

    +4

    

    More about VMware Fusion  

    

    Good alternative?Is VMware Fusion a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

     

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    1comment

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    VMware Fusion vs Parallels Desktop Comments

    Negative comment by Kelson V · Aug 23, 2025

    I used this on my old Intel Mac, but ever since Broadcom bought them, it's been hard to even find the download for the installer.

    1 of 1 comments

    

    

    • VMware Fusion is Free and ProprietaryParallels Desktop is Paid and Proprietary
13. 

    

    Darling

     25 likes

    Darling is a macOS translation layer for Linux. It is designed to run macOS software directly without the need for a hardware emulator, making it fast and efficient.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

    Application type

    • Compatibility Layer

    Platforms

    • Linux

    

    More about Darling  

    

    Good alternative?Is Darling a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

     
14. 

    

    Boxes

     34 likes

    A simple GNOME application to access virtual systems. It is based on a design from Jon McCann and Jakub Steiner.

    29 Boxes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (GPL-2.0)

    Application type

    • Virtualization

    Origin

    • Czechia
    • EU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • GNOME

    • Czechia
    • EU

    

    

    

    +5

    

    More about Boxes  

    

    Good alternative?Is Boxes a good alternative to Parallels Desktop?

     

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    1comment

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    Boxes vs Parallels Desktop Comments

    Comment by Kelson V · Aug 23, 2025

    I'm not sure you can actually run Boxes on macOS, but from my experience running it on Linux, it's more comparable to UTM than to Parallels, and UTM is built specifically to run on macOS.

    1 of 1 comments

    

    

    • Boxes is Free and Open SourceParallels Desktop is Paid and Proprietary
    • Boxes is Lightweight, Privacy focused and Security-focusedParallels Desktop is not according to our users