Alternatives to Parallels
The polished Windows-on-Mac option
Parallels ranks #9 of 9 in Virtualization software, with an Alt Score of 64. It is proprietary, sold by subscription from $99.99/year and available on macOS. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Mac users who need to run Windows or other operating systems for specific software, games, or tools not available on macOS, including professionals, developers, students, and Apple Silicon Mac owners.
Virtualization software that runs Windows, Linux, or other OSes inside a VM alongside macOS, with no dual-boot or separate machine required. Includes seamless integration features like Coherence mode (Windows apps appear alongside Mac apps without a visible Windows desktop), drag-and-drop file sharing between OSes, and access to Mac hardware (camera, USB, trackpad) from the guest OS. Officially authorized by Microsoft to run Windows 11 on Apple Silicon Macs.
Install Parallels Desktop, then create a virtual machine by installing Windows (or another OS) through its guided setup. Once configured, the VM runs alongside macOS and can be launched, switched to, or run in Coherence mode to use Windows apps directly on the Mac desktop.
Why people leave Parallels
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Virtualization software checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Virtualization software checklist | Parallels | QEMU | VirtualBox | UTM | Multipass | Proxmox VE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Host platforms | ||||||
| Guest OS breadth | ||||||
| Snapshots | ||||||
| GPU passthrough | ||||||
| Free for personal use | ||||||
| Shared folders & clipboard | ||||||
| Headless / server mode | ||||||
| Apple Silicon support | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| Performance overhead |
Every fact and feature listed for Parallels is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Starts at $99.99/year verified 2026-07-11
currency">$</span><span data-context="price">64.99</span><span class="year">/'+year+'</span><s><span data-context="currency">$</span><span data-context="price">99.99"
'pd_full_1y': '<span data-context=
https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/buy/ -
Platforms macOS verified 2026-07-11
macOS Tahoe 26.0 or newer
https://kb.parallels.com/124223 -
License Proprietary verified 2026-07-11
You acknowledge that the Software and the Documentation are proprietary to Us, and that We retain all rights, title, and interest in and to the Software and Documentation
https://www.parallels.com/about/legal/eula/ -
Pricing model Subscription verified 2026-07-11
Parallels Desktop is available as either a one-time perpetual license or an annual subscription. A perpetual license lets you continue using the purchased version indefinitely, while subscriptions inc
https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/buy/ -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
Parallels Desktop 26 for Mac system requirements
https://kb.parallels.com/124223 -
Host platforms Partial verified 2026-07-11
macOS Tahoe 26.0 or newer
https://kb.parallels.com/124223 -
Guest OS breadth Yes verified 2026-07-11
Supports latest versions of macOS, Windows, and Linux
https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/ -
Snapshots Yes verified 2026-07-11
A snapshot is a saved state of a virtual machine (VM). Snapshots can be created manually or automatically.
https://kb.parallels.com/en/5691 -
GPU passthrough Partial verified 2026-07-11
Parallels Desktop has no access to the Mac's device's physical graphics cards. Instead, Parallels Display Adapter driver (which is part of the Parallels Tools installation) interfaces with virtual har
https://kb.parallels.com/en/122807 -
Free for personal use No verified 2026-07-11
No. Parallels Desktop for Mac is not free for regular use. You can try it with a free trial, but after the trial ends, you need to purchase a license to continue using the software.
https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/buy/ -
Shared folders & clipboard Yes verified 2026-07-11
Shared Folders Tool enables you to share Mac folders with the virtual machine and vice versa. With this tool, you can access your Mac folders from the virtual machine and virtual machine folders from
https://kb.parallels.com/en/122567 -
Headless / server mode Yes verified 2026-07-11
Headless mode
https://kb.parallels.com/123296 -
Apple Silicon support Yes verified 2026-07-11
Any Apple silicon chip (M-series or A18 Pro)
https://kb.parallels.com/124223 -
Open source No verified 2026-07-11
You acknowledge that the Software and the Documentation are proprietary to Us, and that We retain all rights, title, and interest in and to the Software and Documentation
https://www.parallels.com/about/legal/eula/
FAQ
Yes. QEMU, VirtualBox and UTM have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
QEMU, VirtualBox and UTM — every license claim links its source.