# Page 6 | Parallels Desktop for Mac Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 6 - Is Parallels Desktop for Mac the right Virtualization solution for you? Explore 147 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/reviews --- Parallels Desktop for Mac 4.4 (147) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/170006/Parallels-Desktop-for-Mac/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Page 6 - Reviews of Parallels Desktop for Mac ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 126-147 of 147 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Mike S. Graphic Designer Human Resources Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "on track" December 10, 2018 3.0 Pros i like the fact that it exists. My company have a time keeping function that only works on PC, this helps me with that. Cons I hate that I have to use it at all, but I'm glad I have the option. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Creative Director Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "This software is Much easier than installing a boot amp version on a small partition of your Mac. " August 2, 2018 4.0 Pros This software has come along way since it first came out in my opinion. When we originally tried it we walked away quickly. Since having a Mac Mini with the Boot Camp on it versus a Mac Mini with parallels we would choose parallels every time. The ability to swap in an out to access windows is much nicer. Not having to restart is such a timesaver. This software has come along way since it first came out in my opinion. When we originally tried it we walked away quickly. Since having a Mac Mini with the Boot Camp on it versus a Mac Mini with parallels we won't use parallels every time. The ability to swap in an out to access windows is much nicer. Not having to restart is such a timesaver Cons It can be a bit sluggish if you do not have the resources available to run it. Generally we only use the window side for very simple things that require their OS. Other than that we do everything on the Mac side. Review Source BJ Brandon J. IT / SysAdmin Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Pretty solid once it's up and running, but unstable on some machines. Coherence mode is shotty." March 27, 2018 4.0 Pros Coherence mode makes working side by side in mac / windows for testing software really easy and efficient Cons It's like the windows session lags in the background and stops updating. It's sluggish at times, and may require restarting the VM that's running Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Process Engineer Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Parallels Desktop for Mac" October 9, 2018 3.0 Pros I was able to remotely access my work computer from a different country Cons It was very clunky and didn't function all that great. It kept logging me out while I was travelling internationally for business Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Mechanical Engineer Luxury Goods & Jewelry Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Helps to run other OS on mac" September 1, 2018 5.0 Pros The ability to easily switch between the different operating systems Cons Windows running on Parallel on a MAC is extremely slow as it shares the system memory. Review Source LV Lucas V. Jr. Finance Analyst Events Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Accurate and reliable system emulation" February 1, 2021 5.0 Parallels emulates many operating systems accurately. Macs are know for having proprietary operating systems, so having a software that can easily execute another operating system on it opens a lot of amazing possibilities. Pros Emulations are accurate and runs very well. You can freely pause a system at any given point, close the software and come back later to restart exactly from where you stopped, which is awesome. Cons Just like any operational system emulator, it can be very resource intensive. Older MacBooks can generate a lot of heat while executing this kind of software. Review Source OF Osman F. Marketing Manager E-Learning Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Use of Parallels to use compatible software" September 11, 2022 5.0 Pros Parallels it is easy to install and offers a 14 day trial so you can review how it works. 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 and Windows without issues. Cons The page does not offers right away discounts for companies or at least I didn't see it at the time of testing it. Review Source HJ Henrijs J. BI specialist Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Must have for MAC users" April 22, 2021 4.0 Must have for every MAC user not to miss out on winodws only software or run PC games. Pros Most critical feature is the fact that it is indeed parallel software (ie. you can run on separate window your windows ) and still keep on working on your Mac Cons It got laggy sometimes and crashed for no reason (as mac user you dont get that a lot with apple software( Review Source NB Nathan B. Licensed Mental Health Counselor Mental Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Functional Access to Windows as Needed" July 16, 2021 4.0 My overall experience with Parallels is positive. The software does what it intends and does it well with some minor limitations. Pros I like that Parallels give Mac users access to windows on an as needed basis without the requirement of rebooted the laptop. Cons I didn’t like that the software has some limitations and cannot seamlessly run any and every windows application. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Data Scientist - Watson Health Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Parallels desktop is a great (and cost friendly!) tool for getting Windows OS on your mac." July 29, 2018 4.0 Pros The main thing I like about Parallels when compared to similar software is the ability to customize the touch bar to do whatever you want. But I also like how cost friendly this software is for what you get. Cons I think there is a bit of a learning curve required to get this software up and running, and it requires a lot of input from the user. I think their installer could benefit from some automation. Review Source GR Gianluca R. Store Leader Information Technology and Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Windows sul Mac " February 5, 2023 5.0 Pros Windows 11 su MacBook Air M2. Funziona praticamente tutto. Ottimo prodotto consigliatissikk a chi ha esigenza di avere “anche” Windows su una macchina Apple. Cons Soltanto il prezzo iniziale è leggermente alto Review Source VR Verified Reviewer CEO Computer Software Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Seamless way to have windows on your mac" August 16, 2020 5.0 Great way to have apps from windows on your Mac with out hassle of switching back and forth from Mac to Bootcamp Pros I like their coherent mode so that windows apps appear in you macOS, and when you launch it it just opens a separate window. Cons There is an issue when you load windows from bootcamp Parallels changes something in register and bootcamp control app won't launch on windows. Review Source ES Emad S. IT Manager Airlines/Aviation Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The best way to get Windows on your Mac" March 20, 2019 5.0 Pros Easy to use and easy to install Good functions like coherence mode Good drivers support Cons Nothing negative to say except that the software can freez, but not that often. Usually it helps to restart the computer. Review Source BM Braden M. Sr. CSM Computer Software Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Parallels is very useful" July 7, 2022 5.0 Pros Parallels did exactly what I needed to with my Mac. Overall, very happy. Cons uses a lot of computer resources which can at times be slow, even with a good macbook. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Student Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Seamless and efficient " March 15, 2018 5.0 Pros Being able to access both Windows and Mac software on one device is wonderful! I've been able to set shortcuts on my MacBook Pro's Touch Bar as well for apps within Windows- it's incredibly seamless. A student discount was offered as well which made the decision to purchase much easier. Review Source SF Sara F. Quality Assurance Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Been using it for testing issues that occur on WindowsOS machines" February 7, 2018 4.0 Pros I like its design the most and the ease of use that is provided, another thing that i like is the responsivnes of this software its really really fast i would even compare it with dual boot, in the past ive used virtual box but i only earned frustrations. Cons I would like them to extend the support or linux too, its very simillar and i would have all my virtual machines in one place, and second thing is that i was really annoyed by the trial expiration warrnings. Review Source MH Mike H. Lead Backend Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Parallels is great VM software" June 27, 2018 4.0 I was able to develop on and use Windows on Mac without need to dual boot or configure a bunch of things. Pros Parallels provides a wonderful UI for using Windows on your Mac. The price is invaluable versus dual booting. The transition between Windows and Mac is seamless and Windows runs great. (Also, check Humble Bundles often for discounts on Parallels) Cons I 100% recommend using Parallels and don't have a bad thing to say about it. Go give it a try if you need to run Windows on your Mac! Review Source Ryan H. Owner Law Practice Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Outstanding!" January 11, 2020 5.0 Pros This software has eliminated my need for a work PC. The integration with macOS is seamless, and the loading times are exceptional! Cons I tried hard to think of a con, but am coming up blank! Review Source DB Dylan B. Student Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Fun for people who like to play old games" April 20, 2018 3.0 Pros Like that I can play old windows games on my Mac. Makes using Office 365 very easy to use. Set up is very easy. Cons There is a lot of pop up adware. There should not be any pop up ads on software that you have to pay for. Review Source SZ Sarah Z. Senior Paralegal Legal Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Serves it's purpose" December 11, 2018 3.0 Pros I like that I have this software for anything that is not compatible with my mac, including utilizing some websites and accessing documents. Cons I don't like how slow it runs and prefer not to use it unless necessary. Review Source AW Alexandra W. Employee Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great service. Worked perfectly with my Mac, I had no issues or bugs trying to set it up." December 26, 2017 4.0 Pros This product was easy to install. I had no issues getting it onto my computer, and then getting it running. excellent easy to use steps. Cons The product advertises 64gb of virtual RAM, but I noticed several windows applications ran slower than on my windows laptop Review Source RF Régis F. Student Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Virtual-Maschine Manager on Mac" October 31, 2018 5.0 Pros It’s beautiful and well integrated to macOS. Cons The App ist expensive and you have to pay for updates Review Source Similar Products Featured