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Parallels Desktop vs VMware Workstation comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

Customer Service

No sentiment score available
No sentiment score available
VMware's support varies, praised for issue resolution but criticized for slow responses; smaller businesses prefer pay-as-you-go options.
 

Room For Improvement

No sentiment score available
Sentiment score
4.7
VMware Workstation needs enhanced performance, easier configuration, better compatibility, and improved pricing, usability, and support for greater user satisfaction.
The biggest challenge is compatibility between VMware and Parallels because the two systems are incompatible.
There are some issues with transferring data from Parallels to the Mac.
 

Scalability Issues

No sentiment score available
Sentiment score
7.1
VMware Workstation is praised for scalability, handling many users, but efficiency and resource constraints highlight areas needing improvement.
You can allocate resources from your internal machine, reducing the resources available to active users and providing more resources to Windows.
 

Setup Cost

No sentiment score available
No sentiment score available
VMware Workstation pricing is seen as both affordable and expensive, varying by licensing, user needs, and region.
It's a little more expensive than VMware.
If you want the standard version, it is more expensive but more advanced.
 

Stability Issues

No sentiment score available
Sentiment score
8.4
VMware Workstation is praised for stability and performance, despite high RAM usage and minor issues in virtual networks.
Parallels Desktop is stable and without any system crashes.
 

Valuable Features

No sentiment score available
Sentiment score
8.3
VMware Workstation offers easy installation, supports multiple OS, powerful snapshots, hardware compatibility, and an intuitive interface for efficient VM management.
Parallels Desktop integrates seamlessly with macOS.
I like how, with Parallels, you can either boot into Mac or Windows to get better control over the resources of the laptops since you're sharing the resources in dual mode.
 

Categories and Ranking

Parallels Desktop
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
7th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware Workstation
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
2nd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
54
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Parallels Desktop is 14.6%, up from 7.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Workstation is 16.9%, up from 14.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
 

Featured Reviews

Grant-Donald - PeerSpot reviewer
It integrates seamlessly with macOS, but it's not compatible with VMware
Parallels Desktop does the same thing as VMware but for Apple users Parallels Desktop integrates seamlessly with macOS. It works better than VMware on Apple operating systems.  The biggest challenge is compatibility between VMware and Parallels because the two systems are incompatible. It can be…
Shambhu Narayan  Singh - PeerSpot reviewer
An easy-to-manage solution that has really good customer support compared to other market players
VMware Workstation makes it easy to manage all the resources that we are handling. VMware Workstation has reduced our infrastructure cost. If someone wants machines, I can create them easily using the solution. VMware Workstation is easier to manage than other workstations like Oracle Workstation. VMware Workstation is an easy-to-manage solution, and its support is really good compared to other market players. Overall, I rate VMware Workstation an eight out of ten.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions are best for your needs.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
11%
University
10%
Educational Organization
8%
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Parallels Desktop?
I like how, with Parallels, you can either boot into Mac or Windows to get better control over the resources of the laptops since you're sharing the resources in dual mode.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Parallels Desktop?
If you want the standard version, it is more expensive but more advanced. You get what you pay for. These products cost money, and the company has to make a profit.
What needs improvement with Parallels Desktop?
There may have been some issues with device drivers on my Mac. Similarly, there are some issues with transferring data from Parallels to the Mac.
Which VMware solution would you go with - Workstation or vSphere?
VM Workstation’s setup is so easy, you can use it almost instantly, it works well with Windows and Linux. We like VM Workstation primarily to test environments to determine how well a solution will...
What do you like most about VMware Workstation?
The product is stable, very easy to deploy, easy to use, easy to configure, and easy to set up.
What needs improvement with VMware Workstation?
The product's integration capabilities are an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required.
 

Learn More

Video not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Lytro, University of Washington, Slalom, Veeva Systems, Oklahoma Christian University
Akademiska Hus
Find out what your peers are saying about Parallels Desktop vs. VMware Workstation and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.