Open Source Parallels Desktop AlternativesVirtualization & Compatibility Layer Tools like Parallels Desktop

The best open source alternative to Parallels Desktop is VirtualBox. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Parallels Desktop and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Parallels Desktop are Wine, WinBoat, QEMU and Proton.

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Most Parallels Desktop alternatives are Virtualization Tools, but you can also narrow the list to Compatibility Layer Tools or Operating Systems. Other popular filters are Free, Open Source, Mac and Virtualization. You can also filter for EU-based alternatives if you prefer software from the European Union.
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Alternatives
Parallels Desktop alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. VirtualBox icon
     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

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Oracle Solaris
    Good alternative?
     
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    3
  2. Wine icon
     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

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • US flagUnited States
    Wine screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  3. WinBoat icon
     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 type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Docker
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  4. QEMU icon
     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

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  5. Proton icon
     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

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Steam
    Good alternative?
     
  6. virt-manager icon
     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

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Good alternative?
     
  7. UTM icon
     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

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • visionOS
    Good alternative?
     
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    2
  8. Darling icon
     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

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  9. Boxes icon
     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

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • GNOME
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  10. WinApps icon
     10 likes

    Allows use of Windows applications, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe software, directly within Linux desktops like GNOME or KDE, using background RDP virtualization and providing file right-click access, home directory mounting, and one-command setup.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  11. AQEMU icon
     15 likes

    Cross-platform GUI virtual machine manager using QEMU as backend. Support Linux/BSD/Windows 8/10/11

    24 AQEMU alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    Good alternative?
     
  12. Multipass icon
     9 likes

    Multipass is a lightweight VM manager for Linux, Windows and macOS. It's designed for developers who want a fresh Ubuntu environment with a single command. It uses KVM on Linux, Hyper-V on Windows and HyperKit on macOS to run the VM with minimal overhead.

    64 Multipass alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    Good alternative?
     
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