# Compare Parallels Desktop for Mac vs VMware Fusion 2026 | Capterra > Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare Parallels Desktop for Mac and VMware Fusion based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews. Source: https://www.capterra.com/compare/170006-212917/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac-vs-VMware-Fusion --- # Parallels Desktop for Mac vs VMware Fusion Features and Cost Comparison Last updated March 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: Parallels Desktop for Mac VMware Fusion2/4 selected [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/) [VMware Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/)[4.9 (24)](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/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/) 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 [## VMware Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/)[4.9 (24)](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Value-for-Money 4.5 Functionality 4.6 Ease of Use 4.5 Customer Service 4.2 Reviews Sentiment SP Based on [24 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 24 Neutral 0 Negative 0 ## Not a match? 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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/) Sugam P. Project Manager > "It's a great choice for exploring different operating systems and software development, despite a few performance quirks and a bit of a learning curve during setup." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/#Capterra___5085203) Sugam P. Project Manager > "Some users have reported occasional performance hiccups, especially when running more advanced Linux versions. While it's user-friendly for the most part, setting it up can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you're new to virtualization." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/#Capterra___5085203) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/reviews/) ## User interface No images or videos provided by vendor [VMware Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/) 4.88 (24) ### Features Parallels Desktop for Mac 2/45 - Access Controls/Permissions - Active Directory Integration - Activity Dashboard - AI Copilot - Alerts/Escalation - API - Application Access Control - Archiving & Retention - Automatic Backup - Backup and Recovery - Capacity Management - Compliance Management - Configuration Management - Data Migration - Data Storage Management - Data Visualization - Desktop/Application Virtualization - Disaster Recovery - Event Logs - File Management - File Transfer - Generative AI - HIPAA Compliant - Load Balancing - Namespace Management - Performance Monitoring - Real-Time Monitoring - Real-Time Reporting - Remote Access/Control - Remote Monitoring & Management - Remote Update/Installation - Reporting/Analytics - Role-Based Permissions - Secure Data Storage - Server Monitoring - Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management - Single Sign On - Third-Party Integrations - Two-Factor Authentication - Version Control - Virtual Machine Encryption - Virtual Machine Monitoring - Virtual Machine Provisioning - Virtual Machine Snapshots - Visual Analytics [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/#features) VMware Fusion Top features 3/45 - Access Controls/Permissions - Active Directory Integration - Activity Dashboard - AI Copilot - Alerts/Escalation - API - Application Access Control - Archiving & Retention - Automatic Backup - Backup and Recovery - Capacity Management - Compliance Management - Configuration Management - Data Migration - Data Storage Management - Data Visualization - Desktop/Application Virtualization - Disaster Recovery - Event Logs - File Management - File Transfer - Generative AI - HIPAA Compliant - Load Balancing - Namespace Management - Performance Monitoring - Real-Time Monitoring - Real-Time Reporting - Remote Access/Control - Remote Monitoring & Management - Remote Update/Installation - Reporting/Analytics - Role-Based Permissions - Secure Data Storage - Server Monitoring - Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management - Single Sign On - Third-Party Integrations - Two-Factor Authentication - Version Control - Virtual Machine Encryption - Virtual Machine Monitoring - Virtual Machine Provisioning - Virtual Machine Snapshots - Visual Analytics [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/#features) ### Recognition Parallels Desktop for Mac Best Value VirtualizationSoftware (2022)  No recognitions have been awarded to VMware Fusion ### Deployment & support 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 VMware Fusion 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 Parallels Desktop for Mac - By Alludo - Located in Canada - Founded in 1999 VMware Fusion - By VMware - Located in United States - Founded in 1989 ## Popular Comparisons [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) [VMware Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/)[4.88 (24)](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/reviews/) vs [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.56 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.6 Features 4.5 4.5 Ease of Use 4.3 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-212917/VirtualBox-vs-VMware-Fusion) [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 [VirtualBox](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/)[4.56 (886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/169939/VirtualBox/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.5 4.4 Ease of Use 4.3 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/169939-170006/VirtualBox-vs-Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac) [VMware Fusion](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/)[4.88 (24)](https://www.capterra.com/p/212917/VMware-Fusion/reviews/) vs [VMware Workstation Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/212916/VMware-Workstation-Player/)[4.79 (57)](https://www.capterra.com/p/212916/VMware-Workstation-Player/reviews/) Contact vendor for pricing Price $149 4.6 Features 4.8 4.5 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/212916-212917/VMware-Workstation-Player-vs-VMware-Fusion) [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) [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) [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) [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) [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)