Alternatives Parallels Desktop 2024– Which One To Choose? And Why?

Top 5 Alternatives Parallels Desktop

Here are the best Alternatives Parallel Desktop-

1. VMWare Fusion 

Fusion is another virtualization software that allows you to create a “virtual machine”. The software gives you the ability to simulate the hardware of a conventional Windows PC. Fusion goes head to head with Parallels Desktop, and it has come out on top in many areas.

Its UI is user-friendly, it loads much faster than Parallels (though not as fast as Virtual Box), and it’s also significantly cheaper than Parallels.

For anyone who has used virtualization software before, the process of using VMWare Fusion is very similar to other programs in its category.

Anyone who has been using a Mac and Parallels will know how to use Fusion by heart – it works in exactly the same way with loads of options for optimizing your VM (although it does lack the ability to save custom disk images, which is a minor annoyance).

There are two main features that stand out: the first is Fusion’s excellent use of multi-monitor support. Depending on how you set up your VM, the number of monitors in Windows may vary (my test system has four).

Each screen can be selected for display, and the VM will be displayed in its own window on each. You can also set screen resolutions for single monitors – this is particularly useful if you want to use both screens at once without having to make do with a very small resolution like 800 x 600.

The second major feature that Fusion has over Parallels is improved installation performance. In theory, Fusion should be faster because it uses the new (and very fast) UEFI boot that Apple has been including with Mac over the last few years.

This makes startup times much lower, and it’s one of the fastest loading virtualization platforms on Windows I’ve ever used.

2. CrossOver 20

CodeWeavers CrossOver for Mac is based on Wine. You have to pay £32/$39 for CrossOver – or £48/$59 with extra telephone technical support

And the really good news is that CrossOver 20, which launched in November 2020 has already brought Windows apps to M1 Macs.

CrossOver emulates Intel Windows binaries via Rosetta 2 on the ARM Mac – the benefit of CrossOver is that a Windows installation doesn’t need an emulator and can run natively on your machine without any performance penalty.

The downside though, as you might expect from a program like this, is that it’s not perfect and there are some incompatibilities between certain Windows apps and CrossOver.

So there is the trade-off between performance and compatibility – the more you take advantage of Windows tools, the less compatible it’ll be with other Mac tools.

But if you’re looking to do more work in Windows, for the time being, it’s a great option because Vista and Server 2008 (and later) support an ARM processor without any virtualization hardware or software.

3. Apple Boot Camp

Apple Boot Camp is a dual-boot system that allows users to switch between macOS and Windows. This technology is important because it means that Mac devices can run the maximum number of software packages.

In comparison, other virtualization software such as Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, and VirtualBox only allows users to run one operating system at a time on their device.

The primary reason to use Apple Boot Camp is if you need to run both macOS and Windows software from your device without having to reboot.

If you have an older Intel-based Mac model, then this may be your best option for running Windows. If you are using a newer machine based on the M1 chip, then it is better to either use Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or VirtualBox to run Windows.

4. VirtualBox 

VirtualBox is a virtualization program that has been made available as an open-source program by Oracle. VirtualBox is free for personal use, but more at home in a corporate environment.

VirtualBox is just like Parallels Desktop and VMWare Fusion which both allow you to create a virtual machine that can run Windows and Windows apps from within macOS itself.

If you want it for personal or educational use then VirtualBox is free – it’s actually been made available as an open-source program by Oracle (Oracle also makes Wine available as an open-source program).

You might think of Oracle as a big database company, but they basically own the core code which runs these virtualization programs.

VirtualBox allows you to create a virtual machine that can run Windows and Windows apps from within macOS.

That means instead of installing Microsoft Windows completely, you just set up an identical copy of it in VirtualBox – which is much quicker than installing the software and is also more secure (as your main operating system remains untouched).

You’ll need to install VirtualBox from the Oracle website (you’ll find a link on this page). It’s also available through the Mac App Store, but it costs £40 for use at home.

5. Backblaze

Backblaze is changing the way people think about and store their data.

Their robust, scalable low cost cloud backup services provide personal online protection for businesses with enterprise level storage solutions that are affordable in both size requirements or price point – all without sacrificing any critical capabilities you need to operate your company.

They offer storage for all types of data, from movies and music to personal photos or business documents. A company that specializes in digital storage.

They offer cloud backup services to individuals and businesses alike, which can be completely transparent or mixes their own technology with external sources such as IBM’s Softlayer (a private server).