Parallels Desktop 4+

Name: Parallels Desktop
Rating: 4.5 (4023 reviews)
Author: Parallels International GmbH

Run Windows applications

Parallels International GmbH

- 4.5 • 4K Ratings

- Free
- Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description

Empower your Mac to run Windows or Linux side-by-side with macOS and get access to more than 200,000 apps to work, play, study, develop, or test.
Parallels Desktop for Mac is the first solution approved by Microsoft to run Windows 11 on Mac computers with any Apple silicon chip: M1, M2, or M3.
With Parallels Desktop for Mac, you don’t have to give up on speed and performance or use remote desktop solutions to enjoy the best of macOS and Windows at the same time.

Parallels Desktop allows you to experience Windows like it was designed for Mac. Download and install Windows 11 on your Mac in a single click!

Trusted by over 7 million Mac users worldwide.

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DISCLAIMER: We don’t recommend that existing Parallels Desktop for Mac users move to Parallels Desktop App Store Edition.

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Named #1 best application for running Windows on Mac by About.com Reader's Choice.

PCMag: “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”

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Use Parallels Desktop for:

Work – Amplify Microsoft Office 365 Suite with Windows-only add-ins for Excel and PowerPoint. Run Windows 11 on Arm Pro and Enterprise editions on Apple silicon Macs in a Microsoft-approved way. Seamlessly handle documents in Adobe Acrobat Pro or digitally sign them in Reader. Enjoy full compatibility with PowerBI, Access, Visio, Project, Publisher, SAP, accounting software, internet banking services, and more.

School – Elevate your learning with Parallels Desktop. You can access Windows versions of popular apps like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Unlock the power of data analysis and engineering with professional tools like Matlab, SOLIDWORKS, Ansys, Solidworks, Altium Designer, etc. If you create online courses, you can run Articulate360 with ease.

Home – Run thousands of Windows applications for your hobbies and play many Windows-exclusive games like Roblox, Minecraft, League of Legends, GTA V, Fortnite, Fall Guys, Rocket League, Half-Life 2, and many more.

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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 Monterey 12
· macOS Ventura 13
· macOS Sonoma 14

See the complete list of supported operating systems and system requirements at https://kb.parallels.com/123800

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Support and feedback:

Parallels Desktop for Mac app comes with 24/7 phone, chat, and email support if you purchase Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition subscription.

About Parallels:

Parallels Desktop is a powerful virtual desktop Mac application that enables users to run Windows, Linux, and OS X operating systems and applications on their Mac with Intel or Apple M series 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 users 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.

Feb 22, 2024

Version 1.9.2

Parallels Desktop for Mac App Store Edition 1.9.2 (build 23872) update addresses the overall stability and security issues and includes the following additions and improvements:

General
· Introduces a new approach to VM cloning using native APFS mechanisms that drastically improves cloning operation speed;
· Fixes an issue where a VM window becomes half transparent while running on a Mac with multiple displays;
· Fixes an issue where Parallels Desktop loses network communication in an IPv6-only network.

Windows 11
· Fixes an issue where Windows VM fails with BSOD while running on an external drive with macOS Sonoma as a primary OS;
· Fixes an issue where a video timeline was not displayed correctly in the VIRBE video editor;
· Sets A4 as a default paper size for new shared printers added to Windows machines.

4.5 out of 5

4K Ratings

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.

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.

Hello,
Thank you for the awesome review! We work hard to meet expectations like yours. We've acknowledged yor feedback regarding UI.
Thanks, Parallels Team

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.

Hello,
The support options are likely limited since you signed into another account on Parallels My Account website (not the one where your license key is registered).
We'd really appreciate if you contacted us by email at scs@parallels.com, and we will do our best to help you with that.

Thanks,
Parallels Team

The developer, Parallels International GmbH, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

Purchases
Contact Info
User Content

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Usage Data
Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Seller

Parallels International GmbH

Size

288.8 MB

Parallels Desktop 4+

Run Windows applications

Parallels International GmbH

Screenshots

Description

What’s New

Ratings and Reviews

Good for a trial, download from Parallels if you buy

Works flawlessly

Developer Response ,

Would be 5, but Subscription Key Never Received

Developer Response ,

App Privacy

Data Linked to You

Data Not Linked to You

Information

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