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)

9th

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)

4th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 2.1%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware Fusion Pro is 25.3%, up from 10.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

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

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

"It is robust. We have some 75 users using it and it doesn't lag. It's very speedy."

"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."

"Its price and ease of use are the most valuable. It is simple and has good performance."

"Valuable features include the ability to set up security groups for accessing certain apps, and the ability to add apps easily and centrally without touching the servers they’re hosted on."

"The stability is ok - once I finished the setup, the system was quite stable."

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

"The most valuable feature is the ease with which you can publish applications to different groups of users, by integrating with Windows Active Directory."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pros

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

"For me, VMware Fusion Pro has been invaluable, allowing me to meet all my needs with a single system."

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

"It is a highly stable solution."

"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."

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

"The product is easy to use and has a simple user interface."

More VMware Fusion Pro pros

Cons

"If the solution crashes, then all the customers connected through that agent, lose their session."

"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."

"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."

"From a seller's point of view, there are a lot of things that they could do better in the sales cycle."

"It needs Windows scaling on Android/iOS devices. At present, the concept of delivering apps to Android and iOS devices is appealing, but the reality is the screen size on these devices is so small that, unless there is some scaling option, it is not really usable."

"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."

"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."

"A web-based management interface for administration and reporting would be nice, instead of needing to log into a remote server."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons

"VMware Fusion's licensing cost needs improvement."

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

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

"Its installation process could be simpler."

"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."

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

"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. This is a minor inconvenience."

More VMware Fusion Pro cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"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."

"Comparable performance to Citrix for our use case at a significantly lower cost. Pricing is clear and there are relatively few options or other pricing considerations when compared to similar products. Just be sure not to forget the Microsoft licensing that goes along with a Parallels deployment."

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

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

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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

16%

Government

13%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

12%

University

10%

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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.

What do you like most about VMware Fusion?

The product is easy to use and has a simple user interface.

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?

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. This is a min...

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Parallels Desktop vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

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Workspace ONE UEM vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

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VMware Workstation vs VMware Fusion Pro

Compared 50% of the time

Parallels Desktop vs VMware Fusion Pro

Compared 48% of the time

Horizon 8 vs VMware Fusion Pro

Compared 1% of the time

Workspace ONE UEM vs VMware Fusion Pro

Compared 1% of the time

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs VMware Fusion Pro

Compared 0% of the time

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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 enables Mac users to efficiently run Windows environments, serving tasks like network support and virtual server management, all while maintaining cross-platform flexibility and robust virtualization capabilities.

Offering a seamless virtualization experience, VMware Fusion Pro supports a wide range of computing needs on Mac systems. It efficiently manages virtual machines, integrates well with Windows ESXi infrastructure, and eases OS deployment. The platform’s functionality includes testing on Apple devices, virtualization with Cisco Modeling Labs, and conducting virtual machine maintenance. Users appreciate its ability to facilitate a flexible, reliable virtual environment with consistent updates and support.

What are the key features of VMware Fusion Pro?

Windows VM on Mac - Run Windows operating systems seamlessly on Mac devices.
ESXi Integration - Provides compatibility and integration with Windows ESXi infrastructure.
Snapshot and Cloning - Simplifies backup and recovery with snapshot and cloning options.
Efficient OS Launch - Quick and effective operating system deployment capabilities.
User-Friendly - Intuitive interface supporting diverse computing tasks.

What benefits and returns can users expect from VMware Fusion Pro?

Versatility - Ideal for leveraging cross-platform compatibility.
Practicality and Reliability - Consistent performance with stable environment management.
Flexible Testing - Simplifies testing processes on Apple laptops.
Improved Backup Processes - Enhanced efficiency in backup management.

VMware Fusion Pro finds applications in industries requiring advanced virtualization such as IT, where it aids network server support and testing environments. Educational institutions employ it for virtual labs and environments, while enterprises use it to manage various OS applications and employee computing needs.

VMware

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