Parallels Desktop Alternatives

Apps similar to Parallels Desktop include VirtualBox, which is free and open source. Other options are Wine, WinBoat, QEMU and Proton. You're spoiled for choice with Virtualization Tools like Parallels Desktop: we list more than 50 alternatives for Linux, Mac, Windows, Android and self-hosting.

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Alternatives
Parallels Desktop alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. Boxes icon

    Boxes

     34 likes

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

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • GNOME
    • CZ flagCzechia
    • European Union flagEU
    Boxes screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
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  4. WinApps icon

    WinApps

     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

    Platforms

    • Linux
    WinApps screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
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  6. VMPal icon

    VMPal

     5 likes

    Fast macOS, Windows and Linux virtual machines for Apple Silicon. VMPal downloads and installs each system for you, in minutes, in the VM's own window.

    38 VMPal alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • US flagUnited States
    VMPal screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
  7. AQEMU icon

    AQEMU

     15 likes

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

    25 AQEMU alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    AQEMU screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
  9. Multipass icon

    Multipass

     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.

    65 Multipass alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • GB flagUnited Kingdom
    Multipass screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
  10. Portable Virtualbox icon

    Portable Virtualbox

     45 likes

    Portable-VirtualBox is a free and open source software tool that lets you run any operating system from a usb stick without separate installation. It unpacks and adjusts the paths and configuration of VirtualBox so it will run portably.

    40 Portable Virtualbox alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • NO flagNorway
    Portable Virtualbox screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
  11. ProtonPlus icon

    ProtonPlus

     7 likes

    A simple Wine and Proton-based compatibility tools manager.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Arch Linux
    • Flathub
    • Fedora
    • Nix Package Manager
    • Wine
    • Flatpak
    • Vala
    • Proton
    • CA flagCanada
    ProtonPlus screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
  13. VirtualBuddy icon

    VirtualBuddy

     2 likes

    VirtualBuddy can virtualize macOS 12 and later on Apple Silicon, with the goal of offering features that are useful to developers who need to test their apps on multiple versions of macOS, especially betas.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • BR flagBrazil
    VirtualBuddy screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
  14. QEMU Manager icon

    QEMU Manager

     8 likes

    Qemu Manager is an easy to use management tool for the open-source QEMU emulator. It has a wealth of features for creating, managing and running multiple virtual machines.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    QEMU Manager screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
  15. RVVM icon

    RVVM

     5 likes

    RVVM is a virtual machine / emulator for RISC-V guests, which emphasizes on performance, security, lean code and portability. It already runs a lot of guest operating systems, including Linux, Haiku, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, etc.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Windows
    • Mac
    RVVM screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
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