Parallels Workstation AlternativesVirtualization Tools and other similar apps like Parallels Workstation

Parallels Workstation is described as '+ Professional-grade Virtualization for PCs: Simultaneously run a wide variety of Windows versions, Linux distributions, web stacks, database configurations, and multi-tier cloud environments on a single PC with the power and performance you need for web development, QA testing' and is a Virtualization tool in the network & admin category. There are more than 10 alternatives to Parallels Workstation for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Chrome OS and Web-based apps. The best Parallels Workstation alternative is VirtualBox, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Parallels Workstation are QEMU, VMware Workstation Pro, KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and Parallels Desktop.

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Alternatives list

  1. VirtualBox icon

    VirtualBox

     2928 likes
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    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.

    63 VirtualBox alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Oracle Solaris
    VirtualBox Manager
     

    • VirtualBox is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Parallels Workstation.

    • VirtualBox is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Parallels Workstation.

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

    QEMU

     296 likes
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    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.

    44 QEMU alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    QEMU with the free OS ReactOS
     
  4. VMware Workstation Pro icon

    VMware Workstation Pro

     393 likes
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    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...

    35 VMware Workstation Pro alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    VMware Workstation Pro screenshot 1
     
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    Screenshot
    Parallels Desktop icon
    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.

    https://www.parallels.com
    Learn More
  6. KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) icon

    KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

     118 likes
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    KVM (for Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware containing virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V). It consists of a loadable kernel module, kvm.

    40 KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Android
    KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) screenshot 1
     

    • KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is the most popular Android alternative to Parallels Workstation.

    • KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is Free and Open SourceParallels Workstation is Paid and Proprietary
    • KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is Security-focused, Lightweight and Privacy focusedParallels Workstation is not according to our users
  7. Parallels Desktop icon

    Parallels Desktop

     145 likes
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    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.

    56 Parallels Desktop alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Chrome OS
    Parallels Desktop screenshot 1
     

    • Parallels Desktop is the most popular commercial alternative to Parallels Workstation.

    • Parallels Desktop is Paid and ProprietaryParallels Workstation is also Paid and Proprietary
  8. VMware Workstation Player icon

    VMware Workstation Player

     247 likes
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    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.

    38 VMware Workstation Player alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    VMware Workstation Player screenshot 1
     
  10. VMware Fusion icon

    VMware Fusion

     115 likes
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    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...

    40 VMware Fusion alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    VMware Fusion screenshot 1
     
  11. VMware vSphere Hypervisor icon

    VMware vSphere Hypervisor

     61 likes
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    VMware vSphere Hypervisor ( based on ESXi ) is a free bare-metal hypervisor that virtualizes servers so you can consolidate your applications on less hardware.

    40 VMware vSphere Hypervisor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • NVIDIA vGPU
    • AMD MxGPU
    VMware vSphere Hypervisor screenshot 1
     
  12. Portable Virtualbox icon

    Portable Virtualbox

     45 likes
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    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.

    38 Portable Virtualbox alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Portable Virtualbox screenshot 1
     
  15. QEMU Manager icon

    QEMU Manager

     8 likes
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    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
     
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