Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Microsoft App-V vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft App-V
Ranking in Application Virtualization
2nd
Average Rating
9.4
Reviews Sentiment
8.4
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Parallels Remote Applicatio...
Ranking in Application Virtualization
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (9th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Application Virtualization category, the mindshare of Microsoft App-V is 22.4%, down from 24.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 16.3%, up from 14.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Virtualization
 

Featured Reviews

OA
centralized management reduces conflicts and enhances security while streamlining deployment processes
Microsoft App-V ( /products/microsoft-app-v-reviews ) does not require local installs and reduces application conflicts. It offers centralized management, allowing for the management, updates, or removal of an application from the server without touching the device. It facilitates faster deployments and is easy to update and roll back if an issue arises. It also supports legacy and new applications and improves security by reducing user admin rights.
JohanSkibdahl - PeerSpot reviewer
Secure access across devices with cost-effective seamless integration
One valuable feature is the ability to securely use a wide range of devices to access the company's infrastructure. The inclusion of all necessary components, such as load balancer and gateways, in a monthly fee is also beneficial. In terms of Parallels Desktop, the coherence mode that allows Mac and Windows applications to run seamlessly side by side is highly regarded.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It is easy to scale. You can quickly deploy additional instances. Rollbacks are easy because there is an automatic backup every hour. Deploying the application is straightforward and efficient."
"I would recommend Microsoft App-V for its simplicity and efficiency."
"It is very easy to use from an administration point of view."
"The most interesting and powerful feature for us is the fact that we can upgrade any kind of app instantly."
"We can deploy applications incredibly fast."
"Simplicity of the interface is a valuable feature."
"We use RAS to publish cloud desktops to our clients. The ability to easily publish resources to a subset of users is what we find most valuable."
"It is robust. We have some 75 users using it and it doesn't lag. It's very speedy."
"You have the opportunity to virtualize applications in different locations. Everything is in one pane or one window, which is quite good."
"Ease of use in publishing apps and installing the agent. The Interface is fairly intuitive after some tinkering. Although I inherited the app only two-thirds deployed, I was able to complete the deployment and service it over the last year without referring to any documentation."
"The most valuable feature is the ease with which you can publish applications to different groups of users, by integrating with Windows Active Directory."
"Client compatibility with many systems makes it very versatile. The reporting that is included is awesome."
"It is a stable solution."
 

Cons

"If it were possible to integrate App-V with a cybersecurity solution then we could implement a documentation registry, which would be useful."
"The process was streamlined but didn't make our work simple. We encountered an issue with the person responsible for designing the website."
"The reporting features could be improved."
"The downside is that Microsoft bought this product and they are going to discontinue it in 2026. This is worrisome for us."
"The product does not utilize SQL for reporting purposes. Also, it does not support some hypervisors similar to Citrix. These particular areas need improvement."
"A potential improvement could be reducing the dependency on Microsoft solutions for Parallels RAS."
"We have had significant, ongoing issues with printing. It would be great to have a best practice for dealing with printing that we can offer to our customers."
"We would like to be able to re-label the OTP (One Time Password) popup so our users can easily recognize that they are to put in their DUO code on that line. Most users see OTP and ask what that is."
"Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is an expensive solution, and its pricing could be improved."
"It would be great if there were more sophisticated GPO templates/options."
"If the solution crashes, then all the customers connected through that agent, lose their session."
"From a seller's point of view, there are a lot of things that they could do better in the sales cycle."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing of this product is competitive."
"Clients do not pay licensing fees."
"I recommend testing Parallels and comparing it to your needs. Compare the prices against what you are able to do with the product and its alternatives. Parallels is not a cheap product."
"The pricing has always been competitive, and the new SPLA licensing model works great for our business and clients."
"I think the new pricing is a little bit high. If the price was lower, we could use it for many more customers. If there was one improvement to be made to this product, it would be a small-business version, at a much lower price point."
"Parallels is a cost effective alternative to Citrix."
"I don't like the subscription model because it feels like I have to pay every month. If Parallels could go back to the professional license, it would be much better."
"It is not that high. It is in the medium range. Of course, it could be lower, but the price is not the issue."
"Pricing is a little steep."
"The product is not expensive. I rate its pricing a three or four out of ten."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Virtualization solutions are best for your needs.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Government
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Healthcare Company
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft App-V?
It is way more expensive than other platforms. It is almost twice the price of other platforms. I rate the product’s pricing an eight or nine out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with Microsoft App-V?
The process was streamlined but didn't make our work simple. We encountered an issue with the person responsible for designing the website. They installed a plugin that disrupted the services and m...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft App-V?
We use the solution for the Docker container.
What do you like most about Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)?
The solution is powerful, and it has good speed and performance.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)?
The pricing for Parallels RAS is straightforward with a monthly fee for a minimum of 15 licenses. For Parallels Desktop, it is a yearly cost of a couple of hundred euros. No additional fees for mai...
What needs improvement with Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)?
A potential improvement could be reducing the dependency on Microsoft solutions for Parallels RAS. As for Parallels Desktop, there is nothing specific that needs improvement.
 

Also Known As

App-V, MS App-V
Parallels RAS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), GDDKiA, P&V, Etisalat Lanka, Hellenic Petroleum
Arsari Group _ PT Netmarks Indonesia, Izhevsk Elektromekhanicheskiy Zavod (IEMZ) _ Kupol, Abilene Diagnostic Clinic, Fylde Borough Council, YARSTROYREZE LLC, VSK Insurance House, Melenkovsky District of Vladimirskaya Oblast, Sofrigam SA, Antenna International, KingsGate Community Church, Norwegian American Hospital, Island Hotels Group, Medway Council, Medway Council, Voices of September 11th, MacDonald Training Center, Kansas Childrenês Service League, Scope,Next Generation Clubs, WTC Communications, Opera Australia, HSE Integrated, Danier, Bridgwater College, Kern County Mental Health, Tony Tiendas, Spears Manufacturing, Managed Insurance Services Inc., Intuitive Medical Software, M.J. Soffe, Mazda Motors, Israel Military Industries (IMI), Telfair, Upic Solutions, Teleflora, Fisher & Company
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft App-V vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.