Download offers the opportunity to buy software and apps. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. VM setup choices: With Parallels Desktop for Mac, you can set up a virtual machine by using a Windows 10 disc image ; by migrating Windows from a PC, either over a network or from an external hard drive; or by using the version of Windows you installed with Apple's Boot Camp , if you previously went through that process.
Choice of views: After setup, select how you want to see and work with Windows. Exiting the Coherence view presents the traditional Windows desktop and apps gathered in a separate window. Either way, it's easy to move between OS X and Windows environments. Solid integration: Through Parallels, you have quick access to the Windows 10 Store and the Edge browser and the ability to call on Cortana for help. Copy and paste works seamlessly between environments. Almost too well integrated: The Coherence view sweeps away the Windows desktop, but the way it merges the Windows and OS X environments can feel cluttered, with Windows and OS X controls crowded into the menu bar, for example.
Parallels Desktop for Mac does a good job of letting you work in the OS X and Windows environments simultaneously, switching between Mac and Windows apps. You have several options for how to blend Windows into OS X, although at times the merged OSes can feel a bit crowded. Free YouTube Downloader. IObit Uninstaller. Internet Download Manager. WinRAR bit. Advanced SystemCare Free.
VLC Media Player. MacX YouTube Downloader. Microsoft Office YTD Video Downloader. Adobe Photoshop CC. VirtualDJ Avast Free Security. WhatsApp Messenger. Talking Tom Cat. Clash of Clans. Subway Surfers. TubeMate 3. Google Play. Kaseya ransomware attack. Zuckerberg's July 4 surfboard video. Gettr hacked. Marvel movies that never got made. Child tax credit FAQ. Windows Windows. Converting a virtual machine from Boot Camp is now much easier and more intuitive than ever.
You can run just about anything on your Mac! One-click tuning Select productivity, games, design, or development, and Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac will optimize your virtual machine settings and performance for you.
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MacUpdate Comment Policy. We strongly recommend leaving comments, however comments with abusive words, bullying, personal attacks of any type will be moderated. Email me when someone replies to this comment Post comment. Most annoying the recommended last option: upgrade to Catalina They should honestly admit that v 16 does not work with Mojave! Overall comment : expensive and poor! I will cancel the order. Derekcurrie Feb 3 Mcr Jan 5 I've tried it, it works, for the most part, still a lot of work to do, but interesting.
Lingering application issues, emulation of Intel, problems running older bit Intel apps under emulation. What is not the case with Windows Not a bad package but vmware is faster.
Solo68 Dec 2 Ignore negative reviews about Parallels Desktop. I use Parallels Desktop Pro for Mac, and after the recent Now, it takes much longer for the VM to start and restart, much like a normal hard disk. Nonetheless, stability matters more to me. Furthermore, this latest update improved on the handling of memory. In earlier releases of versions 15 and 16 I noticed heavy memory usage, but that is becoming less of an issue.
I do wish Parallels didn't use memory unless it actually needed to use it, then allow macOS to reclaim it, just the way macOS does.
I think this could use improvement. Yet, even with this issue, Parallels Desktop Pro is extremely stable. For those of us holding on to our older Macs we are grateful to have it. Thanks guys! Wishing you good health and greater success in the future! To be honest it worked for awhile but the Mac mouse and keyboard drivers became corrupted and I could never download again.
I found I could get away without a Windows machine and never followed up. It was a great idea but became superfulous. Mcr Oct 2 Let's compare. F12 standard now called Player version cost; now free for personal use.
In other words, P16 has not changed its pricing structure with the new release. VmWare has significantly lowered TCO with latest release. Apple Silicon AS is coming; the expert consensus is that virtualizing not to be confused with emulating Windows, which is Intel based, will be basically impossible on AS based Macs. Emulation MAY be possible, but we don't know enough yet about performance, etc, to understand how it would work and how WELL, and if any 3rd party vendor care enough to put in the resources to even overcome the technical hurdles to build an Intel emulation product over AS.
Is the market demand enough to warrant it? So, in other words, Vmware recognizes the run for Desktop virtualization is over in the next year or so, and is rewarding its user base by lowering cost to help ease them through a transition, at the same time keeping them up to date and running on the current Intel based Macs for as long as users want or keep their Intel Macs. Parallels has opted to continue to charge milk its users by NOT reducing cost of ownership, even knowing that this is an End of Life product scenario for Parallels Desktop as we know it.
Understandable, because unlike Vmware, outside of Parallels Desktop Mac, they don't have other products or solutions advanced or established enough to offset the lost of revenue as need for P Desktop declines in the next few years.
They have to milk the cow when it is the only cow you have, while they can. VMware has firmly established alternative technologies once Fusion for Desktop is gone cloud based and application virtualization , they have a firmly established product line s and business in Enterprise.
They can and will continue to support Workstation for Windows and Linux. Parallels has a steep hill to climb if tries to compete with VMware in the cloud and server based solutions for Enterprise, because it has to first establish a consistent MATURE technology solution on Intel hardware geared towards Enterprise and cloud and server based solutions.
If you are personal, home user, F12 makes more sense right now than buying or upgrading to P16, considering that virtualizing Windows on Intel Macs will decline as Intel Macs grow old and are eventually replaced by AS based Macs; in fact if you are already using Fusion 11 and don't mind sticking with Mojave on your Intel Mac for another year or two, there's no reason to upgrade to F12 unless you need one of the new features Direct X 11? It is ridiculously easy and affordable to buy quality refurb Windows boxes; I don't mean low end either, i7 cpus only 2 or 3 generations back.
For most SMBs that are Mac shops but still need Windows application access, that is probably the solution for the future, get an inexpensive used Windows box, stick it in the corner and access on a network with Remote Desktop, Citrix or any of a dozen remote methods. That's my two cents, and I'm not a Parallels hater or Vmware shill; in the last 20 years I've used and recommended both; personally, to co-workers and to clients, to the tune of thousands of dollars in licenses.
Parallels has opted to continue to charge milk its users by reducing cost of ownership, even knowing that this is an End of Life product scenario for Parallels Desktop as we know it. Understandable, because unlike Vmware, outside of Parallels Desktop Mac, they don't have other products or solutions advanced or established enough to offset the lost of revenue as need for P Desktop declines in the next the next few years.
That's my two cents, and I'm not a Parallels hater or Vmware shill; in the last 20 years I've used and recommended both, personal and to clients, to the tune of thousands of dollars in licenses.
Dualist May 29 I deleted my previous review because I found a work-around to the vexing only-one-resolution-in-Catalina problem in Parallels You might not be able to see ANY shared folders or be able to drag and drop because there are no tools installed, duh. I logged on to my host via the network and copied the ISO to the root of the hard drive in my host, then I could see it inside the Catalina VM.
Open the ISO, install Parallels Tools, reboot, and you should now have multiple resolutions available in addition to all the other functionality that Tools provides. For this glaring oversight on behalf of Parallels, I rate this version low.
Good when you need to run Win only apps. It gets extremely slow by the time. On every new release, my version v11 got slower and slower. Almost not usable anymore. I felt I've been forced to upgrade.
I am not sure if they do it on purpose tho. This is decent. A huge improvement over earlier versions. It's not an app I use a lot - I install other Mac OS's rather than any ghastly Windows nonsense, which I did in the past - but Parallels is much improved and Parallels Toolbox offers genuinely useful tools.
Derekcurrie Feb 21 Parallels Desktop I'm not affiliated with any of these companies, BTW. I just like this bundle and own it. That means it supports nearly all 3D games and more on Windows. A: NO! But seeing as Parallels has figured it out, I suspect they'll catch up soon. We've been waiting for this for many, many years.
Really useful and powerful app. I just bought the upgrade license with the blackfriday discount. I tested once again VMware Fusion and parallels: For me, parallels is really better.
More customization options of sharing between OS'es, and it performs better. Although, it's quite expensive for a home usage. I try to upgrade only every y when it's possible. An indispensible app to everyone who needs to run several operating system! MarcoCarugati Jul 17 Naoh Mar 21 Parallels Derekcurrie Feb 7 Initial support for Direct3D 12 is implemented.
Direct3D 12 support requires the vkd3d library, and a Vulkan-capable graphics card. And yet, the WINE project figured out how to do it. Explain that to me. Strange to list Mcr Dec 20 Guys, The following article sheds light on why Virtualization systems have not been able to solve the Direct X 11 and higher problem.
So, it would seem Metal 2. I'm not a graphics expert, but my understanding is that Vulkan is possibly the answer to a lot of these cross platform graphics support issues. Metal and DX sitting on top of Vulkan would provide a bridge, across multiple OS platforms; the graphics version of the 'write once, run anywhere' idea.
B-Jefferson-Le-Blanc Oct 15 If you're wondering, Parallels Desktop You don't need to pay for an upgrade at this time if you don't want to.
Derekcurrie Oct 15 Parallels Desktop v It is compatible with macOS This version is a big winner vs. Fusion, including the current Tech preview.
Coherence integration is so much superior to the shaky Fusion Unity view, it's not even funny. Massive thumbs up for Parallels.
Only downside: More expensive for the Pro version on the annual subscription, and doesn't cover two machines like Fusion but worth it. Radus Jun 25 It implements 64bit parallels tools for OSX guest, improving the performance of osx guests.
Nice upgrade. When I bought my iMac back at the end of , I bought the Parallels version of it. It slowed down my computer to the degree that everything crashed despite adjusting settings to make it fast. I quit using Parallels and decided to use my mac functionality of Bootcamp. I wish also that I could get a refund for my money.
I'm tired of believing companies that software sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. This is probably one of the easiest VM applications to use. Sadly, their pricing is absolutely terrible and greedy. If they don't take care of their pricing, they will probably lose in the long run. For now, I paid for this. James Oct 26 After a frustrating experience with VMWare after paying for and spending the best part of a weekend trying to get their their latest version upgrade installed on my MacPro Desktop, only to find out after installation it is incompatible with my processor, I emailed Parallels presages questions.
That was 3 weeks ago and never got a reply. I switched from Parallels years ago due to poor support and customer service. Based on this experience that has not changed! If I am not going to get decent support from either company, why should I pay for their software when open source is available? Derekcurrie Oct 26 Aw21 Oct 10 With the I had to revert to Parallels Agf- Oct 10 That costs little, happy stars ;-. Richard-Hallas Oct 10 An absolutely superb product on every level, with years of polish behind it.
Best in class, and significantly better than its competitors in my experience. Parallels does no longer support Apple Bootcamp since Parallels 13 sorry without that function this Software is nearly worthless to me!!!! CruzinCooler Sep 14 Not a hugh fan. Very slow on a 32 gb ram i7 iMac. Was expecting better performance. Parallels Desktop 13 Greedy Edition out! Go get your uss rammed! Sylanel Aug 24 I have purchased Parallels Desktop I contacted Parallels Customer support yesterday after having received an email announcing the availability of version Since I had just purchased, I thought they would help me out to get version 13 with paying the full price again.
They said that only people who've purchased on August 1st and later will get upgraded free of charge. The rest of their customers must pay again no matter what. Word of advice, buy VMware. They have been there forever. Parallels are just a greedy bunch who don't care about loyal customers even if you've been purchasing their software since their early years. Once again, stay far from Parallels! Derekcurrie Aug 22 Parallels 13 was released today.
Parallels V13 should be out any day soon GorgeousGeorge May 16 Love Parallels a must for any Mac power user or professional who uses different apps in their day some of which are only available for Windows. Let's face it there are some apps on Windows with no Mac equivalent. Parallels let's me run those special Windows apps I need without having to go to another computer or reboot my Mac into Windows. It's so convenient and powerful and saves me a ton of time and allows me to use all the tools I need.
Derekcurrie May 9 FYI for version 11 users. Parallels just updated to v It is a compatibility fix for running the latest Windows 10 update on macOS Breaks my heart, but Having said that, I've had to completely uninstall and reinstall Parallels after the Alvin-H Mar 10 Or can try free one virtualbox or Veertu desktop free too but no Mac OS guest yet. Aw21 Jan 29 When trying to launch the VMs some of them start with "Preparing Automatic Repair" and other just present a black screen.
Trying to repair the disks was not successful. I had to restore the VMs from backups. This looks like a fatal bug to me as it results in data loss. I've posted this on the Parallels forum but got not response. Any reason we're not seeing current updates here anymore? Macpenguin Nov 24 This is simply the most outrageous update EVER! They already showed their greed when MacOsX But this is simply going much to far I will NOT do that I would urge people to try the competitors One is even FREE!
Macbookpro Nov 13 Ervins Strauhmanis Sep 15 I have Parallels Desktop Pro 12, which was won in a prize draw. I thought that I'd be getting a standard non-Pro version, and I was disappointed that I got a professional version instead.
Why would I be frustrated in getting a more advanced edition, you might ask, it is because the app will stop to function within a year, as I discovered when I registered serial number on Parallels website. I want to upgrade apps at a pace of my own choosing and as such, I will not even install the app, as to not to get locked out when the time is up. Technically it is a great peace of software, it's a pity that stance on customers blows it all away, for me at least.
I now wait until it is bundled with a few other apps or offered as a special on MU before buying it. Not sure if I'll be upgrading to v12, however, as v11 in conjunction with Windows 10 is working well on my mid iMac OhEssex Aug 26 When I see Parallels appear in the daily MacUpdate listings it shows as 3.
When I click on it in the listings I go to the Parallels page, where it shows at the top as half a star. Can we have a little more consistency here. What do the 3 different star ratings mean? I know that for many years now Parallels have been hosing their customers and I think the reviews that imply a rating over lifetime need to culled down to something like maybe 3 years. Just because every man and his dog thought Parallels was awesome back when it first came out and there wasn't really anything like it at the time bears no reflection at all on what seasoned users think of it today after how they've been treated by Parallels.
Derekcurrie Aug 26 No DirectX 10 support in sight. Same old 'wait and see' response from Parallels when asked about this now ancient holdup.
Can't play modern 3D games. MacSpanner Aug 26 I'm a long time user and tried going to 12 but had to quickly revert to I'm sure it will get resolved in a while but at the moment v12 is unusably buggy in many ways. Go read the Parallels forums and you'll get an idea. Fiver starts when it's good but right now If you're running Win 8.
I've been told by Parallels support today that they're working on a workaround, but be sure they've fixed it before you kill your Win 10 license.
They said "We apologize for the inconvenience, but this issue is caused by Windows 10 activation policies: the activation key is bounded to the hardware and as the virtual machine emulates hardware it differs from the real one reasonably enough. You're not the only one facing this issue and our Development team already works upon a workaround for this issue, but you should understand that it is a Windows licensing issue, not the Parallels one.
It's a Parallels issue because they claim you can run Windows in their Virtual Machine, and now you can't! Personally, I'm leaving them completely after it took me 48 hours of support calls before they 'fessed up that that they knew they had a problem. I'll try something else. Rikyman Jul 12 I was a parallels suporter, but the new licencing is no go, it's not an upgrade but a big downgrade, there are better less ripping user software, I have moved do VMWare, after this.
By the price of this software you can buy an infocus kangaroo and have a Windows machine allways with you. Toosit Jul 5 Version 11 is a rip off because it's basically version 10 minus version 11's pro features.
Why on earth would I buy a downgraded version or pay an annual subscription to get same old features!? I will be using my old version 10 which is great! I am still using v8 with OSX As long it does, I will not update for sure. The license scheme is just plain -How to ripping off people every year-. Akwarner May 10