Parallels Desktop
Virtualization software for running Windows, Linux, and other OSes on Mac. Supports Windows 11 on Apple Silicon, resource adjustments, and seamless app access and file sharing between OS environments.
Cost / License
- Subscription
- Proprietary
Application types
Platforms
- Mac
Features
- Run Windows software
- Virtualization
- Support for Apple M1
- Drag and Drop
- Works Offline
- Ad-free
- Support for Multiple Monitors
- Compatibility Layer
Microsoft Office integration
Tags
- Virtual machine
- linux-on-mac
- windows-on-mac
- os-utilities
Parallels Desktop News & Activities
Recent News
- Maoholguin published news article about Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop 26.1 brings new VM policies, conflict-aware deployment & Linux upgradesParallels Desktop 26.1 arrives just one month after version 26.0, introducing new management, deplo...
- Maoholguin published news article about Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop 26 adds macOS Tahoe support with new IT tools and disk space controlsParallels Desktop 26 brings full compatibility with macOS Tahoe 26 and Windows 11 25H2, ensuring vi...
- Maoholguin published news article about Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop 20.3.0 adds x86_64 emulation fixes, OBS camera support & USB passthroughParallels Desktop 20.3.0 introduces new x86_64 emulation capabilities for Apple Silicon Macs, allow...
Recent activities
Ituaf added Parallels Desktop as alternative to Quickgui- POX updated Parallels Desktop
- Fla updated Parallels Desktop
POX added Parallels Desktop as alternative to Flint KVM Management- danielabsicool liked Parallels Desktop
justarandom added Parallels Desktop as alternative to WinBoat- Danilo_Venom added Parallels Desktop as alternative to Sikarugir
- kelsonv reviewed Parallels Desktop
Stable and fast, and makes it super-easy to set up a Windows or Linux VM on your Mac. Host/guest integration is solid, and auto-updates as needed, as long as you stick with the major distros it supports (Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu and Kali).
Downsides:
- It's a paid subscription.
- Getting non-supported guests to work can be dicey. I've gotten it to run other Linux distros, but not any BSD variants, and immutable distros don't work with the host integration.
- Emulating different hardware...
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What is Parallels Desktop?
Parallels Desktop is a virtualization program that allows Windows and Windows-based applications to run on Mac systems. It enables the simultaneous operation of macOS, Windows, and Linux on a single device. As the first Microsoft-approved partner for running Windows on a Mac with Apple silicon, Parallels Desktop supports Windows 11 on Apple silicon Mac systems.
Key features include playing popular Windows games, running Windows 11 on Arm Pro and Enterprise via Apple Silicon on Mac, access to Windows apps like Microsoft Office 365, Excel, and PowerPoint. It supports both Intel-based and ARM-based Macs, and is compatible with the latest macOS and Windows versions. Users can adjust resources allocated to the Virtual Machine (VM) such as CPU, GPU, and RAM for better performance.
Parallels Desktop offers various viewing options, including making Windows invisible while using its applications or setting Windows in full screen. It facilitates the transfer of files and images between Windows and Mac apps, and users can directly access and open files stored on the Mac within the Windows environment. It also supports the playing of classic Windows-exclusive games on the Mac.
Parallels Desktop Videos
Parallels Desktop information
Developed by
Parallels Licensing
Proprietary and Commercial product.Pricing
Subscription ranging between $4 and $8 per month.Alternatives
57 alternatives listedNews
10 news article related to Parallels DesktopSupported Languages
- English
Comments and Reviews
In case you don't know, "Coherence" mode is a feature in Parallel Desktops that simulates running Windows apps natively in OS X. Appearance-wise, it's sort of like Wine in Linux, except that it works with everything and it's a whole lot easier to configure.
I'll admit that I found Coherence mode to be rather trippy the first time I used it, but once you get used to seeing the Windows Task Manager pop up a few times over Finder, the whole thing is actually really, really cool.
P.S. I recommend turning off "Crystal Mode", which shares your Windows apps with your Mac while you're running Coherence Mode. That sounds nice, but it's not really well implemented. Basically, it just adds a couple (hundred) .exe files to your LaunchPad, so that it becomes impossible to find anything.
EDIT: In VMWare Fusion, this is called Unity Mode. It works about as well.
like Wine in Linux, except
except a hefty price tag
Unless you already know exactly why parallels meets your corporate, multi-site needs, there is no reason to invest money exploring this option.
In the last four years there has been explosive growth in virtualization on both server farms ("the cloud"), and end user appliances as evidenced in on-chip support in consumer intel lines.
Also popular spy technique for NSA relies on native hardware virtualization and "always on" internets access even while computer is "off"
Consider unplugging computer when it is "off" to be off.
Stable and fast, and makes it super-easy to set up a Windows or Linux VM on your Mac. Host/guest integration is solid, and auto-updates as needed, as long as you stick with the major distros it supports (Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu and Kali).
Downsides:
Make sure you have enough RAM before do virtualization!
I get a popup from Parallels Desktop asking me to register every time I reboot my computer, and it's annoying as hell. Here's how to disable it. http://forum.parallels.com/showpost.php?p=441726&postcount=5
Worked great for me since version 4. Latest version 6 is even faster and much better. I never tried Fusion, so I have no idea if it is any better than Parallels, but I did try VirtualBox and I could not even install Windows XP on that. Parallels all the way for me.
Parallels 5 completely freeze my MacBook! I'll move to vmware...