User Reviews for Parallels Desktop

0 out of 5

0 Ratings

1 year ago, GamingEngineer

Good for a trial, download from Parallels if you buy

tl;dr just get it from the Parallels website. Knocking a star because this version isn't feature complete, more details below. Software engineer / gamer who decided to join the Apple ecosystem here. I can honestly say Paralells has been the easiest Virtualization software to get from 0 to productivity within an hour. Running on a M1 Macbook Pro from 2021 and the VM performance feels native. The paid version is worth the money. That said the product description around the app store version here needs some work: * It's not obvious that this is a free trial and then a paid subscription product. I knew it was a paid product but I saw a lot of 1 star reviews from peple who felt tricked / sticker shocked. This is preventable with a proper disclaimer. * Seamless mode is not supported in the app store version. If you buy Parallels, this is probably one of the reaons why. It leaves a bad taste in someone's mouth to spend $90 on a product to have a key feature missing because you have to reinstall and everything you google says it should "just work". * The Parallels KB needs some info on how to migrate from the app version to the full version and/or detect existing VMs. I at first thought my existing Windows VM was gone when I removed the app store copy and installed the full Parallels version.

6 months ago, jack135797531

Works flawlessly

I'm blown away by how snappy this is on Apple Silicon. Windows 11 works great no matter what I've thrown at it. I do think the Parallels app could use a tad more cleaning up in terms of aesthetcis though, the top macOS window bar above the virtual machine isn't customizable and has some ugly buttons on it that are scaled kind of weird. I'd love the option to remove everything from teh top bar so it's nice and clean. Also love that this version is avaialbe on the Mac App Store. Kudos to Paralllels for making a sandboxed App Store version for those of us who want the option.

12 months ago, accountingwiz

Would be 5, but Subscription Key Never Received

I tried parallels and loved it so I purchased a subscription on the App store. When I did, I did not receive a subscription key. I desparately needed access for work, so I had to purchase another key on the parallels website. Now I have paid parallels twice in the amount of $99 for only one subscription...support does not answer the phone. They also only allow messaging on twitter or facebook or an extremely dated online forum that I was unable to post to. Worth noting, the email address associated with the purchase and my account are the same...I have no idea why I didn't receive the key on my first purchase, but now I will just have to contact apple support and dispute the charge through my credit Card company.

11 months ago, KaknuSF

masOS and Windows is a dream.

I am 1000% an Apple guy. The products are beautiful and extremely user friendly and the ability to sync my iPhone to my Macbook to my Mac mini is flawless. There is something about Windows though- the simplistic beauty of the Command Prompt, the customizability of certain features and the ability to change/alter drivers, devices, etc. gives the user a great deal of control over the machine. And to think- I downloaded this software to update my Xbox One controller's firmware. I'm loving Parallels Desktop!

11 months ago, Ethalamus

Simplicity without sacrificing control

TLDR; Parallels > Virtualbox / VMWare. Low latency, easy guest-os installation, simple snapshot features. Great customization. When it comes to virtualization, MacOS "simplicity" can become frustrating. In past OSX versions, as well as Windows systems, Virtualbox was always my go-to VM software. Of course, the free software reeled me in but the happy middleground between customization & simplicity kept me around. BUT ever since MacOS 11.0 (Big Sur), Oracle Virtualbox has become honestly embarassing & just frustrating to configure. When it comes to Paralells software, I was initially put-off as I felt as though I was being hand-held but hear me: trust the process. IT JUST WORKS. If you aren't feeling like a Windows installation as your first build; that's OK! Paralells offers direct-downloads for a plethera of other OS' & the software is verified post-download. The latency is the lowest that I've felt on MacOS. Just buy the software.

12 months ago, doc Greg

Uselss

Don't buy it. I have been using MACs and Windows PCs for over 15 years. I have a Parallels subscription for years. Downloaded the app from the App Store and installed Windows 11 only. It does not give the option to uninstall Windows 11 and install other operating systems (Windows 7, etc.). And I only press from my Parallels account for years to buy an annual subscription for $99 and it does not let me try the software. I tried to use the trial version and it's the same, impossible to uninstall Windows 11. I wanted to try this new version on Windows 7, Windows XP.. After being a Parallels customer for 10 years I am completely disappointed and I am going to cancel my account with Parallels. Definitely don't buy this version. It's useless.

6 months ago, so_uncute

it works

The app does what it's supposed to do with no issues and I actually prefer it instead of messing with my computer hard drive/software. (I’m not a computer person) but what I do not like is the fact that it's $100 annually why can't you just have $100 base fee, or anything else?

1 year ago, MonDan86

License keys

I downloaded parallels desktop and installed windows to evaluate.. i had a genuine copy of windows so i activated it.. after that, i bought the subscription for parallels and tried to activate that, but it said this subscription is only valid for the desktop software..which made no sense.. so i installed a new version and it did not detect that i already had installed windows on this machine.. it made me reinstall windows.. after that, i tried reactivate my windows and this time, my windows did not activate saying that i have also used this key on another machine... now i have to deal with ms support folks in order to understand how to unactivate the older parallels version and then get this key activated.. it is ridiculous..

6 months ago, w00tw000t-USA

BUYER BEWARE - Version is Reduced Functionality

In the last decade of working on Mac I have never left a review. However, when I'm using Parallels this version limits the cores and memory utilization. For example, you are limited to 8G for memory. Have you ever used Windows 11 with 8G of memory? You have to purchase the PRO version to utilize up to 128G of memory. Really???? I can't even find how to upgrade it, or where it even states the cap in the description. I have two useless licenses. What a bait and switch and loss of total value. $199 for Windows 11 and $100 a year to run it on Mac for 8G of memory? Try logging into Parallels site with your Apple login. The licenses aren't there to upgade. I want my money back.

9 months ago, johnb92372

Best yet

I have been using parallels for years in different versions and mostl;y for the hardest programs to emulate, games. Well it seems they have mnastered it now because i have been paying some games that are graphics and processor intensive. I have bought many licenses that were wastes of money because i couldn't get it to run the programs i wanted but now not only does it run them but runds them very well. Way to go!

3 months ago, grmmer1936

cruz1936

just loing !!!--Now i decided to go again and clik "supend"--and it looks like it went somewhere becuse Window 11 finlally came back with 2-large screen says that it has updeadeted lots of things!! o, yeah dont forget to click a button then give it tme to do whats he wants to do--download etc--i guss you can "suspnd" again because it wil do what to do on its own--even when you are asleep!!i am exited beause i thought its gone!!

5 months ago, dgetzin

Smoother and more seamless than ever

Last time I used Paralells in a professional context was in 2014. Back then it was good. After a while, I used Oracle virtual box - it was ok. Now that we have pure Apple M2 silicon - I moved back to paralells - and BAM - this thing is liquid smooth amazing. And the setup is majorly seamless - the snapshot feature is perfect - file integration is excellent. I love this app. Be sure ta have LOTS of RAM and this thing FLIES on Apple Silican with SSD internal storage.

9 months ago, Yeiyeiyuya

You dont even explain how to make things work

It doesnt even work properly. I have installed Revit 2024, open a Revit 2024 file from my MacOS (This file was moved from a HP computer I had, but I transfered my files to MacOS) I edit this Revit File, try to save my progress and whenever I try to it doesnt save anything, it only crashes. I have a Windows product key I bought, my folders are properly shared and edit and write available. It still doesnt save. Why do they make you pay 100 dollars annually if your product doesnt even work.

3 weeks ago, Dr BigJim

Best Virtualization Product in the Mac App Store

Parallels is simply the best virtualization product in the App Store. Better to run the software from the App Store than downloading and installing the software from Parallels website. There are features that are available from the download version, but I always turn them off.

10 months ago, Ctrillest

Parallels Desktop is Great

I'm fairly new to the MacOS but I downloaded the Parallels Desktop Application today (October 7, 2023) to excecute Hashdeep64 functions and generate Hashes on Windows (virtually) in MD5, SHA1 and SHA56. Windows ran better than what I remembered when I was an avid PC user. Setup was very easy with just a few clicks. Great job Parallels with building this application!

9 months ago, Construction Mama

Generally Successful

The programme works well however for some reason it doesn't capture the cents in my invoicing application forcing me to send invoices from a separate device. Neither the application nor Parallels has been able to solve the issue.

11 months ago, NightNinjaPDX

Parrallels Desktop Is Worth Buying!

I just got my new 15 inch MacBook Air for college, and immediately installed Parrallels Desktop to run Windows 11 for some classwork. The entire setup process was quick, and easy! The Apple Silicon models do not need bootcamp, and it is a lot better running both OS's side by side on this amazing MacBook Air.

1 year ago, Save Me From Myself

Doesn't support AVX/AVX2

Doesn't support AVX/AVX2 which many games in Steam require to run. I would not recommend purchasing Parallels until they provide some kind of backdoor/ work around method that can alleviate this issue. Most of us use Parallels to run Steam and other programs and without AVX there often is no point to even having this. Just my two cents. Save your money. Buy a gaming laptop for a couple hundred bucks and save yourself the headache.

3 months ago, Mel Beach Linda

Customer support??? None!

In a nutshell, my parallels app totally crashed during the last update. Cannot use it anymore. There is nobody to call or nobody that can tell me how to fix the problem. I lost all of my Quicken information, as well as a feww other things. I am livid!!! If there was a way to get support from someone who actually helped develop the app. .. . but nothing. I actually ordered a new cheap PC to run a handful of apps so I would never have to deal with the Parallels app again.

1 year ago, Jhulswit

The best it's ever been

I started using Parallels in the late 90's. Wow has it come a long way. Work seamlessly on a Mac. Not delays, no errors, and starting it up is like pushing a light switch! Great job Parallels!- Just renewed my subscription from back in March and wow- even better now! Faster and smoother !

1 year ago, mrosenecker

Awful support, gotchas to buying through App Store

Product worked well, up to a point, especially with deploying a Win 11 (ARM) VM! Unfortunately, when I needed assistance, the support experience left a LOT to be desired. No mention online or in support (until weeks later) that installing Parallels from the App Store (vs downloading and installing manually) restricts many of the conversion tools from functioning.

11 months ago, Sudden vengeance

Easy enough to download. Yet to see more

It was easy enough to download the app, but I have not had much experience using it. I will update this review once I find the glitches...which I normaly do.

6 months ago, Eazjay

Great virtualization.

I downloaded the 11 in the app store to update my 10 which i've had a couple of years. It was really easy to transfer keys from version to version. I am really impressed.

1 year ago, Kembreja

Revising my review

Thank you Parallels for developing the software to allow users to engage with non-iOS platforms. It was difficult getting up a running. Now, all is well and the product is delivering as promised.

6 months ago, Opuqide

Best Simulation App!

As a Student in my school, this is really useful when trying to do some work, but also great for games! I highly recommend this for anybody needing to do something on Windows that they can't do on Mac.

1 year ago, WildcoltV

Brilliant!

This software is so amazing, it's like putting a man on the moon every day! I mean, it's not quite as impressive as landing on the moon, but it's pretty close. And it's a lot more affordable. Kudos to the Dev's PS: I saw some one give the app less stars. Either those are grand ma's or illitrate.

1 week ago, 5068WillowPark

Parrallels desktop for Mac

Was so easy to install and start working. I thought it would be a cumbersome install, and to my amaxement it was not! it is not sluggish like the stories I had heard. It is like working on a regular windows desktoop Amazing!

9 months ago, Amateis

First day and loving it

Wow. I'm blown away at this product. First day on the free trial and cannot believe how easy this is! It's the solution so many of us have wanted for so long to integrate WIndows and Mac together. Hoping there are no surprises or catches. So far so good

12 months ago, Looney4EPC

Price

Not exactly sure the costs that goes in to make a app like this or to maintain it but 100$ a year has me sitting on the egde. But other than that its a smooth experience all around. I reccomend you try the free 15 day trial.

1 year ago, mh24589729875

works well, too expensive for me

5 stars because it works extremely well, but for me it is a toy to play around with some Linux distros, as such, not worth $99 a year for me. If you need virtulization, this app works well.

1 year ago, Zarec86

Its ok but kind of a waste of money

I got this so i could play windows games on my mac studio. While i can play some, any that try to detect the graphics card will fail to open. If you want to play newer games like Diablo IV and others that have this requirement, don't get this. Not worth the added cost.

2 months ago, Milesdei

Great product!

Love the flexibility of being able to switch platforms. I give Windows its own "space" and just slide over to it whenever I need apps specific to it. Very cool.

1 year ago, monk-12x

Sooooo annoying

Tried to buy a windows activation key and went round and round with the Microsoft store and PayPal and ended up wasting an hour and no key. Messages like, "Go back to finish your installation" Go back? Go back where? No link, no help. The problems seems to be Microsoft, but this is Microsoft through Parallels, and I never encountered this on a real Windows PC. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow if I have the fortitude. WINE anyone?

8 months ago, Newlearner93

the person that made this posible i really apprecate it

amazing app works right out the gate easy to use and get the enjoyment out of whatever your craving . Shout out to the devlepors / resourses that went in to make this. :D

7 months ago, zefatma

very slow

This makes my computer slow and I have to restart it multiple times. It takes so long to load information from windows sources and I cannot seem to finish my work since I have to reset or restart all the time. I paid for the full version.

1 year ago, Its_HIV

Excellent and Worth Every Penny

Disregard all negative comments, because those users are special because this will work perfectly for any parrallel specifications requested.

1 year ago, Kytlarsen

Works Great. Way better than remote log in.

Ive been using teamview, logmein, and remotepc for years. This is a much better solution. Quick, easy and works very well. Cost isnt to bad either.

3 months ago, WLW1961

Great product

I use this product for work when I need access to window-based programs. It is a solid platform and works seamlessly with my MAC!

1 year ago, deathxXx69

Works well

Cost is a bit much but honestly it works well enough to the point I can get work done and It doesn't affect the rest of my time on MacOS.

7 months ago, nopasta123

Does nothing if you don't pay

In order to even run a virtual machine for the first time you already have to show them your credit card. All companies now are playing this game, or subscribe and cancel... but of course you will have to jump so many hoops to cancel that they will take your money anyway. Don't let them get away with it!

6 months ago, RoadGlideDude

So easy!

I have not used Parallels in years and it used to be a challenge to setup. It is how a piece of cake! I setup a Windows instance on my Mac in less than 20 minutes. Well done!

7 months ago, JohnnyHabanero

Misleading Moneygrabbers

I installed it, and then it went about installing Windows 11. Only after an hour or so, it takes me to a screen for a free 14-day trial, BUT, I have to subscribe. What? $99 a year. Are you kidding? What ever happened to buy once, use forever? This corporate greed is getting out of hand. No thanks. I already pay Adobe every month for Photoshop. Go find another sucker.

7 months ago, Phlex007

Parallels Review

Parallels was a very easy application to install. Very smooth set up process. Shortly after installation, I was able to also easily install NVDA Screen reader in Parallels as well!

7 months ago, mcornelio

Sold my Surface Book Pro because of Parallels

I hated having to carry 2 laptops (a Macbook and a Surface Book) to do cross-platform testing. Now I run everything on my Macbook Pro because of Parallels. Perfect.

1 year ago, wellshooter

Actually works

I can't believe how well this app works. I never had anything but bad experiences with Windows. No I can run Windows on my Mac and enjoy the stability of the Mac OS.

11 months ago, Pencz

Loved it until I registered

I just applied a subscription key to my trial version and now I am stuck on a screen that reads "The current copy of Parallels Desktop App Store Edition has been successfully activated" when I click OK, nothing happens. Ugh!

4 weeks ago, Mitchell P.

Apple user that lovesOneNote

I converted from Windows to a Mac for the eco system. I am happy with the decision I made. I miss OneNote and OneNore for Mac isn't robust enough for me. I run Windows OneNote on my Mac M2 and run Windows Onenote along with Onetastic. I am a happy user.

1 month ago, tim.leforge

Works great all the time on M2 Mac

I don't think I've had any bad experience yet with it. I know I have to be care going from Mac to Windows keyboard shortcuts, but that's on me.

1 year ago, First Responder 911

great program

This is a great additon to your computer user friendly, The free trial is EXACTLLY what it states free tial, No tricks no need to cancle they let you know when time is up. I really respected this program/co for that.

7 months ago, Buzz1958

No support

App stores cookies on devices , so if you tried it on another mac and deleted it the app still thinks it's being used on another machine, Support is non existant I have been chasing them on X for three days now only to get silly response like sorry we can't see your screen shot!!! Really !!! If you are on Apple Silcon stay away as well.

Description

Parallels Desktop enables you to run Windows and other OSs on Mac seamlessly. With Parallels Desktop, you get the advantages of macOS, Windows, and Linux on the same physical machine. As the first Microsoft-authorized partner to run Windows on a Mac with Apple silicon, Parallels Desktop for Mac offers the ideal solution for running Windows 11 on your Apple silicon Mac. Our App Store Edition runs in a sandbox. There are differences between our Parallels Desktop App Store and Standard and Pro editions. Learn more about the differences: https://kb.parallels.com/123796. Try our Parallels Desktop App Store Edition for free with a 14-day trial. Scroll to in-app purchases for pricing. Trusted by over 7+ million Mac users worldwide. Named #1 best application for running Windows by About.com Reader's Choice. PCMag: "The best and fastest emulation software for running Windows, Linux, and even older versions of macOS on Intel-based Macs." Macworld: "The best option for Mac users who need to run Windows software on their Mac." KEY FEATURES —Play hundreds of popular Windows games like Assassin's Creed, Age of Empires, Minecraft, Fall Guys, Rocket League, and Half-Life 2. (limitations apply) —Run Windows 11 on Arm Pro and Enterprise via Apple Silicon on your Mac. — Access Windows apps like Microsoft Office 365, Excel, PowerPoint, Tableau, AutoCAD Map 3D, QuickBooks, ArcGIS Pro, Power BI, and more. —Support for Intel-based and ARM-based Macs and the latest macOS and Windows versions. — Adjust resources allocated to the VM like CPU, GPU, and RAM for optimized performance. — On a Mac with an Intel processor, you can run most versions of Windows, Linux, and macOS. — On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can run Arm versions of Windows 11 Pro, Ubuntu Linux, Fedora Workstation, Debian GNU/Linux, Kali Linux, and more. With Parallels Desktop, you can experience Windows as if it were designed for Mac. Download today and start running Linux and Windows apps on your Mac! SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEMS — On a Mac with an Intel processor, you can run most Windows, Linux, and macOS versions — On a Mac with an Apple silicon chip, the following operating systems (ARM-based only) are supported for running in a virtual machine. Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise editions (recommended) Ubuntu Linux 23.04, 22.04, 21.10, 21.04, 20.10, 20.04 Fedora Workstation 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33-1.2 Debian GNU/Linux 12, 11, 10 Kali Linux 2023.1, 2022.2, 2022.1, 2021.3 Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9 macOS Sonoma 14 macOS Ventura 13 macOS Monterey 12 See the complete list of supported operating systems and system requirements at https://kb.parallels.com/123800. SUPPORT Get 24/7 phone, chat, and email support if you purchase a Parallels Desktop App Store Edition subscription. Upgrade to Parallels Desktop Standard Edition or Pro Edition and unlock more advanced features. Learn more about the advanced features available in those versions at https://kb.parallels.com/en/123796. ABOUT PARALLELS DESKTOP Parallels Desktop is a powerful virtual desktop Mac application that enables users to run Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems and applications on their Mac with Intel or Apple silicon chips. Parallels Desktop makes this possible through desktop virtualization, utilizing software technology to create a virtual machine (VM). This VM functions as a virtual PC within your Mac, allowing you to install and operate operating systems just as they would on a physical computer. If you enjoy using Parallels Desktop or have an idea you'd like to share with us, please leave a review. DISCLAIMER It is not recommended that existing Parallels Desktop on the Standard or Pro version users move to Parallels Desktop App Store Edition. Learn more: https://kb.parallels.com/en/123796.