Up to Date
Optimized for the latest Windows 10 updates and ready for macOS Catalina (10.15).
Sometimes, Mac users need to run Windows software. Maybe there’s a program you need for work that doesn’t offer a Mac version, or maybe you occasionally need to test websites in Internet Explorer. Whatever you need Windows for, Parallels is the best tool for the job. Jan 17, 2007 I don't know how Parallels grabs memory, so I can only presume I'm also watching a gradual memory leak with my installation of Parallels 3120 RC1. When I first start up Windows, Parrallels Desktop uses about 210 MB.
Ultimate Flexibility
Works with OS X, Windows 10, 8.1, and 7, Google Chrome™,Linux and Unix, and macOS Server. No more having to choose between PC or Mac.
Touch Bar
Add Windows applications to Touch Bar™ for instant access and customization.
Connect Devices
Jan 29, 2007 At work I basically use Parallels with Coherance (love it) with Office 2003 for Windows and Outlook (which I keep open on a second monitor all the time) the integration between the Mac environment and the Windows Apps is great. Parallels Desktop 2.5.3120 Parallels Desktop for Mac is the first solution for Intel-Macs that give you the flexibility of running Windows on a Mac OS X simultaneously without rebooting.
USB, USB-C, Thunderbolt and FireWire devices connect with Windows. Pair your Bluetooth® devices—including Xbox One controller, stylus pen and printer—to work with both Windows and macOS.
Retina® Display Support
Smart resizing and independent screen resolutions for separate displays.
One-Click Tuning
Select productivity, games, design, software testing, or development, and Parallels Desktop will optimize your VM settings and performance for you.
Instant Access
Launch and access Windows applications right from the Mac Dock.
Save Disk Space
Get the most out of your Mac with automatic Disk Space optimization.
Office 365 Integration
Allows Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents in Safari to open in their native Windows Office application.
Works with Boot Camp
Reuse your existing Boot Camp installation. Converting a virtual machine from Boot Camp is easy—just follow our installation assistant at startup.
Volume License Key
Unified volume license key, centralized license management, and advanced security features are available in Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition.
Travel Mode
Extend battery life while away from a power source.
Bonus! Parallels® Toolbox
Over 30 one-touch tools—clean your drive, take screenshots, download a video, and more, all with just a single click.
Bonus! Remote Access
Remote access to your Mac from any iOS device, Android device, or browser with Parallels Access®.
24/7 Support
Premium 24/7 phone, email, and social support after activation.
- Share Mac applications with Windows
- Automatic resolution change
- Single cloud storage space between Mac and Windows
- Drag and drop files between Mac and Windows
- Copy and paste files or text between Mac and Windows
- Launch Windows applications right from the Dock
- Move your PC to Mac in a few easy steps
- Assign any USB devices to your Mac or Windows
- Retina display support for Windows
- Volume control synchronization
- Open any site in Microsoft Explorer right from Safari® browser
- Apply macOS Parental Control to Windows applications
- Windows alerts in Mac Notification Center
- Mac dictation inside Windows applications
- See the number of unread emails in the Dock
- “Reveal in Windows Explorer” in macOS files menu
- Virtual machine encryption
- Linked clones for VMs*
- Vagrant provider*
- 32 vCPUs and 128 GB vRAM*
- Nested virtualization for Linux*
- Drag and drop files in macOS guests
- Real-time virtual disk optimization
- Create VM from VHD and VMDK disks*
- Drag and drop to create VM
- Disk Space Wizard optimizes your disk space
- Shared folders and printers for Linux VMs
- Windows applications in Launchpad
- Power Nap in Windows
- Use Force Touch to look up definitions
- New virtual machine wizard
- Mission Control support
- Presentation Wizard prevents most projector issues
- Drop files onto Outlook to create a new message
- Multi-language keyboard sync
- Picture-in-Picture view
- Share Bluetooth between Mac and Windows
- macOS guest support
- Spaces functionality for Windows applications
- Mission Control exposes your Windows applications
- DirectX support
- Thunderbolt support
- Licensing portal*
- Firewire support
- USB-C and USB 3.0 support
- Work without risk with Snapshots
- Safeguard your VM with encryption
- 2 GB video memory support
- Finder tabs work with Windows applications
- AVX512 instruction set support
- Mojave support
- Disk usage optimizations
- Report disk space left on Mac
- Express installation of Windows 10
- Native Mojave screenshots
- Auto allocation of video memory
- “Free Up Disk Space” wizard
- Free OS downloads
- Coherence for external displays
- Continuity camera support
- Touch Bar support
- Shared smart card reader
- Multi-monitor support
- 4K shared camera support
- CPU usage indicator
- Mojave Quick Look support
- Pressure sensitivity support
- Resource usage monitor
- OpenGL support
- Offer to import Boot Camp
- Auto-detect games keyboard
- And many more…
*Available with Parallels Desktop Pro Edition and Business Edition subscriptions
- 8.0Excellent
Pros
- ✓Runs Windows and Linux VMs on Macs
- ✓Improved integration between Mac and Windows apps
- ✓Supports macOS Sierra and Windows 10 Anniversary Update
Cons
- ✕Business and Pro Editions require annual subscription
- ✕Virtual machines require lots of memory and storage
- ✕Poor documentation for first-time users
Parallels Desktop is celebrating its tenth birthday this year, and its regular cycle of annual updates has helped to consolidate its position as the leading virtualization tool for Mac users who need to run Windows apps on their office computers.
Last year's update followed the launch of Windows 10; it was a major upgrade that focused on supporting new Windows technologies, such as the Cortana voice-driven virtual assistant. This year's Parallels Desktop 12 is a more modest update, but it does include a number of useful features that make it a worthwhile upgrade for existing users.
Desktop options
Like its predecessor, Parallels Desktop 12 provides three options for different types of users. The standard Parallels Desktop 12 is designed for home and education use, and allows you to buy a one-off, single-user licence for £64.99 (inc. VAT, or £54.16 ex. VAT), or a two-user licence for £97.49 (inc. VAT, or £81.25 ex. VAT). Existing owners of the standard edition can upgrade to version 12 for £34.99 (inc.VAT, or £29.16 ex. VAT).
There is also a Pro Edition that includes additional features for developers, and a Business Edition that provides extended technical support, as well as tools for IT managers who need to manage multiple virtual machines within their organisation. The Pro and Business Editions both require an annual subscription of £79.99 (inc. VAT, or £66.66 ex. VAT), which includes automatic upgrades for each new version. However, the core features and improvements in Parallels Desktop 12 are common to all three versions, and even the standard edition will be perfectly adequate for many business users who simply need to run a few Windows apps every now and then.
Parallels performance
Some of the new features in Parallels Desktop 12 are clearly aimed at home users, such as the ability to run the Xbox streaming app for Windows on the Mac. But there are also a number of timesaving improvements that will appeal to business users. Parallels continues to finetune the program's performance, and we found that we were able to suspend or resume a Windows 10 virtual machine on our office iMac in just three seconds -- that's around 50 percent faster than with the previous version.
There's a new Always Ready mode that automatically launches a specific virtual machine when you boot the Mac, but leaves it paused in the background so that it's instantly available as soon as you need to open a Windows app. Your Windows apps can also be assigned a series of 'behaviors', such as always opening in full-screen mode, or automatically hiding the Windows desktop and other apps.