# Compare VirtualBox vs Parallels Desktop for Mac 2026 | Capterra > Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare VirtualBox and Parallels Desktop for Mac based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews. Source: https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-170006/VirtualBox-vs-Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac --- # VirtualBox vs Parallels Desktop for Mac Features and Cost Comparison Last updated May 13th, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) Your comparison: VirtualBoxParallels Desktop for Mac 2/4 selected [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.6 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) [Parallels Desktop for Mac](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/) [4.4 (147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews/) [## VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.6 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Value-for-Money 4.7 Functionality 4.5 Ease of Use 4.3 Customer Service 4.1 Reviews Sentiment Based on [886 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 835 Neutral 49 Negative 2 [## Parallels Desktop for Mac](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/)[4.4 (147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Value-for-Money 4.2 Functionality 4.5 Ease of Use 4.4 Customer Service 4 Reviews Sentiment Based on [147 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 131 Neutral 13 Negative 3 ## Not a match? 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Best for Not provided by vendor ## User reviews Pros & cons Iman G. Student > "It contains lots of customizable features for running various VMs from the ISO files of the OSes, and is pretty easy to set up. Since it is very popular,..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6663323) DM Daniel M. tech engineer > "I sometimes feel like VirtualBox's interface feels a bit outdated compared to newer tools. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6832368) DM Daniel M. tech engineer > "What I like most about VirtualBox is how easy it is to spin up virtual machines and test different operating systems without touching my main setup." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6832368) VR Verified Reviewer Internship for software development > "Some virtual machines failed and the logs were not helpful at all, didn't describe or provide extra information about the error." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6511976) GY Gene Y. IT Engineer > "Allows me to create separate secure virtual environments for various testing and user oriented applications without being tied to any specific hardware..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5014821) SA Samuel A. Software > "Its operational hiccups occasionally disrupt workflow and demand frequent restarts, while updates occasionally clash with OS compatibility, wasting..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4813850) Alex D. UI Designer > "I love it, because it allows just with a few clicks, I can spin up virtual machines that mirror popular Android and iOS devices, complete with different..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6043085) Vasilis K. Web Developer > "The setup process can be intimidating for beginners." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6680562) SA Samer A. Open source contributor > "It is my first choice and the best software in machine virtualisation." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___7110652) FjaA Firas jumaah ahmed A. Laser printer maintenance expert > "Secondly, I cannot run large programs with very high capabilities, such as designer programs and some servers." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4982758) AE Amal E. Freelancer > "This flexibility allowed me to work on diverse projects, develop, and test software in different operating systems, all within the convenience of a..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6021423) Alex D. UI Designer > "Occasionally, I've experienced lag and responsiveness issues within the virtual machines, which can hinder the testing process." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6043085) RS Rasheed S. Network Administrative > "VirtualBox is compatible with various operating systems,The ability to take snapshots of virtual machines and clone entire VMs are highly regarded..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6063999) MS Maha S. Assistant Professor > "The installation of the VM tools to provide a better resolution to the guest OS is also not that intuitive." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4917429) Raul Antonio Z. Graduate > "The flexibility it offers to customize the resources allocated to each virtual machine was also a plus as I was able to tailor it to my specific needs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4951301) MS Maha S. Assistant Professor > "The USB support is not enabled and requires a lot of configuration to make it work." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4917429) DDC Diwakar Dixit C. IT Manager > "Guest addons helps seamless movement between physical and virtual devices and supports copying files between physical and virtual host." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6236696) VR Verified Reviewer Service Operation Manager > "We need a improovement on this site. If I compare with VMWare i can´t use Virtual Box" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5086536) AE Amal E. Freelancer > "With VirtualBox, I can easily run both Windows and Linux on my computer as a virtualization solution that works seamlessly." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6021423) LT Lorenzo T. Administrative > "It doesn't have cons for me, because we had a huge problem to use an internal program when changed to windows 11." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4933576) AO Arjan O. IT Helpdesk > "When I have programs that only run on Windows XP or Windows 7, Virtual Box is a great way to run these applications on a safe closed off environment." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5091036) RL Rebekah L. Laboratory Technician > "It was used solely to run a single program that was no longer supported by newer operating systems. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5023940) VR Verified Reviewer Cybersecurity Researcher > "I love the UI design in the most recent update, the easy to use settings and menus navigation. And by far the functionality I use most is creating a..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4959746) Emre K. Security Software Engineer > "I think my least favorite part is that sometimes there are points in the configuration settings that I have difficulty understanding." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5048991) MC Mohit C. Annotation Expert > "VirtualBox excels with its user friendly interface, versatile, Virtualization options, and effective management feature." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4984072) VR Verified Reviewer Crm Advisor > "Sometimes something doesn't work and sometimes I had to recreate VMs from scratch." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5017189) BB Benny B. SysAdmin > "Easy to deploy new machines in no mater what your original desktop system comes from; you can virtualize a bunch of Linux, MacOS, Windows machines and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4988286) WI Wassim I. Associate Professor > "Moreover, sharing drives between the host and guest is not always supported." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4918060) AE Amal E. Freelancer > "With VirtualBox, I effortlessly created and managed virtual machines, switching between Windows and Linux environments at will." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6021423) TB Travis B. Quality Engineer > "This doesn't support every use case when there was legacy hardware that was used for physical I/O as the host system would need the same I/O. Drivers..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3607988) AE Amal E. Freelancer > "VirtualBox truly became my go-to tool for exploring the Linux realm while maintaining my Windows environment." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6021423) MF Marc F. Ph.D. Student > "Firstly, the limited support for 2D/3D graphics can be a hindrance for developers working on graphics-intensive applications like mobile-games." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4724269) AE Amal E. Freelancer > "The user-friendly interface and ease of use made the transition between these environments a breeze, and the ability to snapshot and clone VMs simplified..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6021423) NJ Nikodem J. R&D Control Engineer > "Sometimes I encounter issues with screen resizing (might be caused by guest OS) or shared folders (need to disable and re-enable them to make them work)." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3559838) ME Matthew E. Founder > "VirtualBox allows me to contain the app in a siloed environment that is independent from my main system for testing, keeping it away from any system..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3798020) DDC Diwakar Dixit C. IT Manager > "User interface needs lot of improvement as i am seeing the same interface for almost 10+ years." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6236696) Marianela F. Water Treatment and Environmental Management Consultant > "One of the greatest advantages of using a virtual machine like VirtualBox is being able to have software that is in charge of emulating certain hardware,..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4220407) Christopher S. Owner > "A few things that I don't like about VirtualBox are: it is difficult to set up, it is not compatible with all operating systems, and it does not offer..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3853664) NZ Najmeh Z. PhD student > "VirtualBox supports a wide range of operating systems, providing flexibility for various needs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6064324) Justin P. IT Consultant > "If you don't have directions or someone assisting you during the first one or two runs at creating and running a VM, then you have a chance of getting..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3607978) TA Turan A. Information Technology Admin. > "It is installed in a few steps and you can start creating virtual machines immediately." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4934324) VR Verified Reviewer Cyber Analyst > "VirtualBox does not support every piece of hardware, and some drivers might not function properly with virtualized hardware." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4745916) Vasilis K. Web Developer > "I love the fact that it's free and open source." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6680562) VR Verified Reviewer Research Professional > "There is no support for discrete GPUs which makes it impossible to use graphic intensive tools inside VMs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3790453) Iman G. Student > "That this is free and open source." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6663323) Richard S. Remote Assistant > "It is slightly less intuitive than VM Workstation, leading to a steeper learning curve for those who are less familiar with virtual machine programs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3629985) ME Matthew E. Founder > "Additionally, there are rare cases where I have to use Linux, and VirtualBox allows me to quickly spin a Linux environment up without having to worry..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3798020) VR Verified Reviewer Software Engineer > "You need to learn about mounts and reads on drive types before you even have a clue how to install an operating system. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4553200) SL Stefan L. Sales Manager > "Very easy to configure your virtual machine with a simple user interface that allows the quick allocation of resources." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___6002495) Fábio S. Senior Software Security Analyst > "Sometimes the extension for USB support fails to start properly and then a shutdown is required (restart is not enough)" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4297483) GY Gene Y. IT Engineer > "Very useful for creating remotely accessible virtual environments for multiple users." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5014821) RS Ranu S. Software Developer > "Other software takes lot of time to load and even creates lot of adapters that aren't with it." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3857667) Matthew J. Application Support Engineer > "I like the fact that it is an open-source tool and helps excellently when it comes to virtualization and you can do a whole lot more with it." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4889481) VR Verified Reviewer developper > "Some updates/bugs may cause virtual machines to crash, while backing up these machines is not a simple task." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4344491) IAS Isis Arnaud S. CEO > "For me, VirtualBox's versatility is its greatest strength, offering a range of customization options and compatibility with various operating systems." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4764671) SR Sabin R. N/A > "It's hard to understand what some settings do." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4801115) JM Julius M. ICT Assistant > "My overall experience with VirtualBox has been really great, management of instances without downtime has been one of the benefits i enjoy." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5013770) RS Ranu S. Software Developer > "I am using it from last 5 years and I have witnessed it conflicts with operating system and there is the point where it lags." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3857667) Sugam P. Project Manager > "VirtualBox is a valuable tool for creating a versatile virtual environment." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5075001) CW Christina W. Help Desk Supervisor > "Requires more knowledge to setup and maintain than a product like VMWare and less support." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3609193) WI Wassim I. Associate Professor > "Much more advanced features that can overcome the limitations in VirtualBox." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4918060) VR Verified Reviewer Software Engineering Intern > "It uses a lot of disk space. If the VirtualBox is installed on a device with low specifications, it starts lagging behind and the machine takes too long..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3249821) RL Rebekah L. Laboratory Technician > "It was very helpful for running a program that would not operate on newer operating systems." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___5023940) Adji Maloum M. Agent comptable et de liaison > "This refuses to load some vmi files downloaded online." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4327906) Caio D. Graphic Designer > "It is beneficial when you need to use software not available in your primary OS or if you just need a secure and fast way to test applications on several..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4562260) Fathy M. IT help desk > "sometimes you get performance degrade in the host machine." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3634880) VR Verified Reviewer Software Engineer > "I'm using it for local development and infosec ops. If you need a throw-away machine or you're a computer science student who's learning operating..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4553200) JS Jason S. Systems Specialist > "It's also a memory and storage space hog if you have many VMs, so it's not great for running multiple VMs on your local PC." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3392744) Regan T. manager > "Using VirtualBox has been instrumental in solving various business problems." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4806493) AJ Arnaud J. Computer Engineering student > "Issues occur occasionally related to scaling and can be difficult to resolve." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3846320) MF Marc F. Ph.D. Student > "It's saved me a lot of money by allowing me to test my games on multiple virtual environments without having to purchase additional hardware." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4724269) VR Verified Reviewer software engineer > "The cursor speed is a little slow, which makes me impatient." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4533907) Raul Antonio Z. Graduate > "The user interface is friendly and easy to navigate, which made it easy to create and manage my virtual machines." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4951301) JC Joe C. IT Manager > "Slow because of operating system overhead required to run." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4073796) Matthew J. Application Support Engineer > "Even though it's an Open Source tool, it's such a valuable one to have especially when cost is a major factor." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4889481) PM Prescot M. Taxi > "It takes forever to load and connect sometimes" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3642224) Jonathan Alexander C. IT infrastructure analyst > "What I liked the most about this hypervisor is how fast it can be to create a virtual machine with just a few steps and using the .ISO of the operating..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3620146) WC William C. CEO > "Many times, the nominal method for setting up a network is inadequate, and it takes some effort to configure the produce to behave." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3368144) Regan T. manager > "Integration with my existing business processes was smooth and hassle-free." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___4806493) Brandon B. Personal Shopper > "Unless you are somewhat inclined toward technology, it can be difficult to be able to use the software to load the operating system and use it virtually...." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#Capterra___3494499) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) AA Andrew A. Owner / Field Techician > "The ability to either go in full Window mode or use both Windows and Mac OS on the main desktop, allowing one to switch very easily..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___4975640) SS Sarah S. Senior Manager, Revenue Marketing > "Rather than improving product value, the company appears to rely on aggressive billing tactics." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6813243) GJ Gordon J. Senior SAP Consultant > "Additionally, the process of putting in the configuration to access a specific server is also not hectic.- Parallels Desktop for Mac..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___5021409) BL Ben L. Architect > "I need to do more research but, some of the Parallels features made me feel like I wasn't in control of some of the synchronization..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6777099) BL Ben L. Architect > "Parallels makes it very easy to create/deploy and use a VM on my MacBook! " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6777099) SS Sarah S. Senior Manager, Revenue Marketing > "Charging customers without explicit consent is unacceptable." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6813243) AA Andrew A. Owner / Field Techician > "It's a positive experience, when running Windows 10 or 11 on a Mac computer, Parallels creates a very stable and usable..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___4975640) JLI Jean-Louis I. President > "Having to pay an annual fee is a pain." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6540723) GJ Gordon J. Senior SAP Consultant > "This means that you do not need a powerful computer to use Parallels Desktop for Mac to access a much more powerful server. -" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___5021409) CR Chaz R. Manager > "The "Your Subscription is about to renew" email was sent out more than 24 hours after the company took my funds." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6210533) PE Pete E. Head of IT Services > "It's really fast and easy to use, and integrates seamlessly with MacOS." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6755281) JT Jacob T. Consumer > "It can lag sometimes and when I was using it drag support was not enabled which is the purpose of me needing it at the time. Whereas..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3951447) OF Osman F. Marketing Manager > "Using it allows to run software that is not compatible with Mac, performance is great and allows you to use at the same time your Mac..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3823242) CR Chaz R. Manager > "Each successive version has become more bloated." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6210533) GJ Gordon J. Senior SAP Consultant > "The application is simple and lightweight and doesn't consume much of your computer resources." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___5021409) CR Chaz R. Manager > "I, of course, was denied a refund. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6210533) DS Deborah S. Audio Editor > "It works well with boot camp there is need for you to remove boot campThe best in making access easy to both Operating System on one..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___4586447) Aleksander B. Freelancer > "It doesn't work good with android emulation, had to use WMWare for that" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3785556) AK Allie K. Author > "I can use all of the things that are Mac exclusive and still get the functionality of a PC for PC-only programs with this easy..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3848559) CR Chaz R. Manager > "This is the hallmark of a shady business." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6210533) Tommy W. CTO, senior system architect > "The super fast installation, quick set up and deployment." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___6092014) KB Karyn B. Senior Graphic Designer > "As a non-PC user I am not sure if this is just how it works or not, but, one thing I didn't account for was that we would have to..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___2943927) Giuseppe N. Software Engineer Manager > "I am using the Pro edition and it is very powerful and offers in addition to virtualization also two other very useful tools which..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3507943) TM Tyler M. Social Media Specialist > "The settings resetting also causes some glitches with bluetooth devices." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3431852) Austin F. Technical Developer > "The ability to run a PC on my Macbook Pro" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3577170) TM Tyler M. Social Media Specialist > "It's a little frustrating that sometimes the display settings keep resetting every time you reopen the software." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3431852) Will G. Client Success Director > "Coherence mode, file sharing and copy/paste make it so simple to run Windows OS and macOS together seamlessly." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___2926239) VR Verified Reviewer attorney > "There are constantly "upgrades" happening - often automatically, and they can totally disrupt the system's operation. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3264618) VR Verified Reviewer IT manager > "we can deploy the VDI app or VDI desktop + app, or remote desktop its very fast if compare with another product." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3479213) VR Verified Reviewer CEO > "There is an issue when you load windows from bootcamp Parallels changes something in register and bootcamp control app won't launch..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___2334557) OF Osman F. Marketing Manager > "Parallels it is easy to install and offers a 14 day trial so you can review how it works." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3823242) Austin F. Technical Developer > "Support really lets this product down." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___3577170) NB Nathan B. Licensed Mental Health Counselor > "I like that Parallels give Mac users access to windows on an as needed basis without the requirement of rebooted the laptop." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___2960744) Alejandro T. General Manager > "It performance is not the best, it consumes a lot of RAM" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___2942873) KB Karyn B. Senior Graphic Designer > "Overall I really like Parallels and that it keeps me from having to have a second computer just for a few software programs that are..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___2943927) LV Lucas V. Jr. Finance Analyst > "Just like any operational system emulator, it can be very resource intensive." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#Capterra___2660502) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews/) ## User interface [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/) 4.56 (886) No images or videos provided by vendor ### Features VirtualBox Top features 11/39 - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Dashboard - AI Copilot - Alerts/Escalation - API - Archiving & Retention - Backup and Recovery - Cloud Computing - Compliance Management - Configuration Management - Database Support - Data Replication - Data Synchronization - Data Verification - Desktop Virtualization - Disaster Recovery - File Transfer - Generative AI - Graphical User Interface - Issue Tracking - Mobile Access - Remote Access/Control - Remote Monitoring & Management - Remote Update/Installation - Reporting & Statistics - Secure Data Storage - Secure Login - Server Monitoring - Status Tracking - Task Management - Third-Party Integrations - Two-Factor Authentication - User Management - VDI - Virtualization - Virtual Machine Encryption - Virtual Machine Migration - Virtual Machine Monitoring - Virtual Server [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/#features) Parallels Desktop for Mac 5/39 - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Dashboard - AI Copilot - Alerts/Escalation - API - Archiving & Retention - Backup and Recovery - Cloud Computing - Compliance Management - Configuration Management - Database Support - Data Replication - Data Synchronization - Data Verification - Desktop Virtualization - Disaster Recovery - File Transfer - Generative AI - Graphical User Interface - Issue Tracking - Mobile Access - Remote Access/Control - Remote Monitoring & Management - Remote Update/Installation - Reporting & Statistics - Secure Data Storage - Secure Login - Server Monitoring - Status Tracking - Task Management - Third-Party Integrations - Two-Factor Authentication - User Management - VDI - Virtualization - Virtual Machine Encryption - Virtual Machine Migration - Virtual Machine Monitoring - Virtual Server [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#features) ### Recognition No recognitions have been awarded to VirtualBox Parallels Desktop for Mac Best Value VirtualizationSoftware (2022)  ### Deployment & support VirtualBox Deployment - Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based - Desktop Mac - Desktop Windows - Desktop Linux - On-Premise Windows - On-Premise Linux - Desktop Chromebook - Mobile Android - Mobile iPhone - Mobile iPad Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Parallels Desktop for Mac Deployment - Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based - Desktop Mac - Desktop Windows - Desktop Linux - On-Premise Windows - On-Premise Linux - Desktop Chromebook - Mobile Android - Mobile iPhone - Mobile iPad Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos ### Company Details VirtualBox - By Oracle - Located in United States - Founded in 1977 Parallels Desktop for Mac - By Alludo - Located in Canada - Founded in 1999 ## Popular Comparisons [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.56 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) vs [Microsoft Azure](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/)[4.58 (1,953)](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $31.39/month 4.5 Features 4.6 4.3 Ease of Use 4.2 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/16365-169939/Azure-vs-VirtualBox) [Parallels Desktop for Mac](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/) [4.43 (147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews/) vs [Microsoft Azure](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/)[4.58 (1,953)](https://www.capterra.com/p/16365/Azure/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $31.39/month 4.5 Features 4.6 4.4 Ease of Use 4.2 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/16365-170006/Azure-vs-Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac) [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.56 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) vs [Vinchin Backup & Recovery](https://www.capterra.com/p/180134/Vinchin-Backup-Recovery/)[4.65 (159)](https://www.capterra.com/p/180134/Vinchin-Backup-Recovery/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $0/month 4.5 Features 4.6 4.3 Ease of Use 4.7 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-180134/VirtualBox-vs-Vinchin-Backup-Recovery) [Parallels Desktop for Mac](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/) [4.43 (147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews/) vs [Vinchin Backup & Recovery](https://www.capterra.com/p/180134/Vinchin-Backup-Recovery/)[4.65 (159)](https://www.capterra.com/p/180134/Vinchin-Backup-Recovery/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $0/month 4.5 Features 4.6 4.4 Ease of Use 4.7 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/170006-180134/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac-vs-Vinchin-Backup-Recovery) [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.56 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) vs [NAKIVO Backup & Replication](https://www.capterra.com/p/161328/NAKIVO/)[4.81 (457)](https://www.capterra.com/p/161328/NAKIVO/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $99one time 4.5 Features 4.7 4.3 Ease of Use 4.8 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/161328-169939/NAKIVO-vs-VirtualBox) [Parallels Desktop for Mac](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/) [4.43 (147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews/) vs [NAKIVO Backup & Replication](https://www.capterra.com/p/161328/NAKIVO/)[4.81 (457)](https://www.capterra.com/p/161328/NAKIVO/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $99one time 4.5 Features 4.7 4.4 Ease of Use 4.8 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/161328-170006/NAKIVO-vs-Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac) [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.56 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) vs [Iperius Backup](https://www.capterra.com/p/129287/Iperius-Backup/)[4.49 (189)](https://www.capterra.com/p/129287/Iperius-Backup/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price €29one time 4.5 Features 4.5 4.3 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/129287-169939/Iperius-Backup-vs-VirtualBox) [Parallels Desktop for Mac](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/) [4.43 (147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews/) vs [Google Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/)[4.68 (2,281)](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.6 4.4 Ease of Use 4.5 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/170006-268690/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac-vs-Google-Cloud-Platform) [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.56 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) vs [Google Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/)[4.68 (2,281)](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.6 4.3 Ease of Use 4.5 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-268690/VirtualBox-vs-Google-Cloud-Platform) [Parallels Desktop for Mac](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/) [4.43 (147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews/) vs [Amazon EC2](https://www.capterra.com/p/219781/EC2/)[4.66 (173)](https://www.capterra.com/p/219781/EC2/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.7 4.4 Ease of Use 4.1 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/170006-219781/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac-vs-EC2) [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.56 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) vs [Amazon EC2](https://www.capterra.com/p/219781/EC2/)[4.66 (173)](https://www.capterra.com/p/219781/EC2/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.7 4.3 Ease of Use 4.1 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-219781/VirtualBox-vs-EC2) [Parallels Desktop for Mac](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/) [4.43 (147)](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews/) vs [Iperius Backup](https://www.capterra.com/p/129287/Iperius-Backup/)[4.49 (189)](https://www.capterra.com/p/129287/Iperius-Backup/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price €29one time 4.5 Features 4.5 4.4 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/129287-170006/Iperius-Backup-vs-Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac)