Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs VMware Fusion Pro comparison

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs. VMware Fusion Pro

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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

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

13th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Virtualization (4th)

VMware Fusion Pro

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

3rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 2.9%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Fusion Pro is 13.7%, down from 24.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
VMware Fusion Pro	13.7%
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)	2.9%
Other	83.4%

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

JohanSkibdahl

CEO at Etcetera Networks

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.

Read full review

Bruce Lundberg

Linux HPC Systems Administrator at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Create custom virtual environments quickly with minor macOS integration issues

The primary advantage of VMware Fusion Pro is its simplicity in creating custom virtual machines. It allows quick construction and provides connectivity to full VMware server systems, enabling remote management. It facilitates downloading images from main VMware servers for local testing. The ability to construct a virtual environment on my laptop meets my needs, even ones I wasn't aware of.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It has allowed us to centralize the software location so we don't have to update the software client on 70 computers."

"It provides flexible access to Windows applications from many types of devices."

"The connection is compressed so we don't need a lot of resources to run it."

"Simplicity of the interface is a valuable feature."

"You have the opportunity to virtualize applications in different locations. Everything is in one pane or one window, which is quite good."

"We can publish apps and desktops on Terminal Servers and seamlessly share printers. We also combine Parallels with Deepnet Security to get two-factor authentication."

"Allows us to publish applications accessible by current-generation HTML5 browser or OS-specific client (Windows, Android, iOS), and it supports popular single sign-on and multi-factor authentication protocols."

"The solution is powerful, and it has good speed and performance."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pros

"VMware Fusion Pro offers simplicity of use and stability."

"The whole point of it is to run Windows VMs on a Mac. This is the most valuable feature. There is snapshotting, but we don't really use that. The Pro version allows me to actually attach to the Windows ESXi infrastructure at the backend, and I'm able to create a session that I can attach to the VMware hooks at the backend, so one is running a VM, and the whole operating system is running on the actual Mac. The other one is literally a frontend to the VMs that are running in the infrastructure at the backend. These are the two main features I use."

"The most important feature of VMware Fusion is that it helps me rapidly launch a new OS."

"It is a highly stable solution."

"VMware Fusion Pro offers simplicity of use and stability."

"The primary advantage of VMware Fusion Pro is its simplicity in creating custom virtual machines."

"The most value that it provides is that it is versatile."

"Veeam Backup and Replication is the common product for backing up virtual machines."

More VMware Fusion Pro pros

Cons

"The customization of the web interface could possibly use some improvement. Little things, like being able to place a background image instead of just choosing from a palette of colors, would be nice."

"A potential improvement could be reducing the dependency on Microsoft solutions for Parallels RAS."

"Currently in the RD Session Hosts – Sessions section, I can see what server a user is logged into but not what app he is using. Being able to do so would be immensely helpful when a non-technical user is complaining of issues, but I can’t tell which app he is using, and he is actually logged into multiple servers since they serve multiple apps."

"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."

"We would like the ability to provide a popup message, such as a maintenance notification. That same notification on the Parallels client would be awesome."

"We use several gateways because access to our secret zone requires two-factor user authentication. It is a lot of hassle differentiating among users with or without two-factor. Of course, we could use two farms, but that would mean more management too."

"Sometimes you need to understand how to use load balancing and the gateway in order to scale, which means the team may need some additional technical knowledge."

"Generally, it is a very good solution. The main thing that I would improve is their presence here in Mexico. They don't have strong local support here in Mexico. They should have a worldwide presence so that we don't have to do everything through the people in the US. The initial setup was a little bit complex because we were migrating from Citrix. For customers who are migrating from another platform like VMware or Citrix, it would be great if they can provide an automated migration solution."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons

"I would like to see newer and updated cloud functions."

"VMware Fusion's licensing cost needs improvement."

"Its installation process could be simpler."

"Additionally, enhancing the API interactions could improve the ability to manage VS and deploy various kinds of guests."

"Fusion is not meant to be scalable. It runs on desktops and laptops, indicating limitations in scalability."

"Fusion is not meant to be scalable as it runs on desktops and laptops."

"The way they handle snapshotting can be improved. One time, I moved a machine from one to another, and I tried to pull it up on the second machine, but it didn't work. This was because I had not cleaned up the snapshot before I deleted it and moved it across. So, when I tried to pull it up, it wouldn't let me bring it up. The backups for the VMs themselves can also be improved. I pretty much have to rely on Windows backups and not something on VMware. That's where it needs improvement. I am able to upload from my Fusion into the ESXi easily. I'm able to spin something up on Fusion and push it into the big arena, but the reverse is not as easy, that is, trying to pull something down from that. I would love to have a functionality where I could pull something from the VMware infrastructure into Fusion, but I'm not sure if I can take something from ESXi and pull it into Fusion."

"The only issue I've experienced with VMware Fusion Pro is that it doesn't register correctly with the main macOS system, causing repeated notifications about background installations."

More VMware Fusion Pro cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is not expensive. I rate its pricing a three or four out of ten."

"The pricing has always been competitive, and the new SPLA licensing model works great for our business and clients."

"It justifies the price. In terms of licensing, initially when we got the product it was an unlimited licensing strategy. We knew would grow in the coming years. So initially, we took a plan which had no limit. After a year or so the strategy changed and we were being limited to 105 licenses, that was the minimum... If there was flexibility for increasing the number of licenses that would be great because you never know how much you are going to grow in the next year."

"Parallels is a cost effective alternative to Citrix."

"Just compare it to Citrix and you will see the value in it."

"Work with the vendor, as this is a fairly new product and they want use cases. Deals can be made."

"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."

"Pricing is a little steep."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pricing and cost advice

"Starting with version 12, it is now free on a Mac for personal use. Fusion Pro has a cost."

"The cost varies depending on the season and whether it is scaled up or scaled down, but I would guess that it's approximately $1,000 per month."

"I rate the product's pricing a seven or eight. It is highly-priced."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

15%

Computer Software Company

13%

University

11%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

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.

What is your primary use case for Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)?

The primary use case of Parallels is to offer it to customers as a hosted service. I help them to migrate from other solutions like VMware to Parallels RAS. I recommend it to companies that prefer ...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Fusion?

The pricing of VMware Fusion Pro is reasonable. The licensing covers all minor version updates, while major updates require payment every three years. Buying it once can sustain you for years witho...

What needs improvement with VMware Fusion?

In future updates of VMware Fusion Pro, I think there should be another community to input features. It is an infrastructure tool that may need embedding some AI to help or catching up with the new...

What is your primary use case for VMware Fusion?

My specialty is about IBM AS/400 applications, so I got to be in contact with several packages, including LX, which is why I had this research on your website.I'm mostly interested in ERP packages;...

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

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Product Reports

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Download Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) product report

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) report

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Download VMware Fusion Pro product report

Also Known As

Parallels RAS

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Overview

ApplicationServer delivers applications, data and virtual desktops from a central location, providing continuous availability, resource-based load-balancing and complete network transparency.

Parallels

VMware Fusion Pro allows Mac users to run Windows virtual machines, leveraging its interface with Windows ESXi infrastructure. The platform is user-friendly, enabling efficient OS launches and providing snapshot and cloning capabilities for a stable experience.

VMware Fusion Pro empowers Mac users with robust virtualization capabilities, including the ability to run Windows VMs and interface seamlessly with Windows ESXi infrastructure. The platform is noted for its rapid custom VM construction and remote management through full VMware server systems. Despite its advantages, users indicate areas for improvement, particularly in snapshotting, backup processes, and resource demands. Compatibility with operating systems and integration with macOS are additional concerns, with enhancements in security, cloud functionality, and API interface desired. Installation complexity and command-line interface improvements are also highlighted by users.

What are the key features of VMware Fusion Pro?

Windows VM Support: Runs Windows virtual machines on Mac efficiently.
ESXi Infrastructure: Interfaces with Windows ESXi for seamless operations.
Snapshot & Cloning: Allows creating backups and clones of virtual machines easily.
Custom VM Construction: Enables rapid development of custom VMs tailored to needs.
Network Simulations: Supports network setup simulations for testing and development.
Remote Management: Connects to full VMware server systems for comprehensive management.

What benefits or ROI can users expect from VMware Fusion Pro?

Cost-Efficiency: Reduces infrastructure costs through effective virtualization.
Stability: Offers a stable platform for running various operating systems.
Versatility: Accommodates different networking and testing configurations.
Resource Efficiency: Optimizes existing computing resources for performance improvements.
User Experience: Provides a user-friendly interface for easy navigation and management.

VMware Fusion Pro is widely implemented for running Windows on Mac, managing networking servers, and testing on Apple laptops. It is used by developers and system administrators for creating virtual environments, while users in industries such as networking and software development utilize it for building test machines, evaluating software, and managing ERP packages on IBM AS/400 systems. The solution is preferred for virtualization tasks in sectors requiring robust, reliable tools that support both Mac and Windows environments seamlessly, supporting script writing and general virtual machine management.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

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

NetApp

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs. VMware Fusion Pro