Both run virtual machines on a Mac. Licence terms and supported guest systems change over time, so we compare them against vendor information and flag what to confirm. First, make sure you need a virtual machine at all.
Side by side#
| Parallels Desktop | VMware Fusion | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Parallels | VMware |
| Best for | Running Windows and other operating systems in virtual machines | Running virtual machines on a Mac |
| Price | Price not yet verified | Price not yet verified |
| Our rating | Not yet rated | Not yet rated |
| Hands-on testing | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| Official site | Visit | Visit |
Where they overlap#
Only Parallels
- Coherence mode shows Windows apps as Mac windows
- Guided setup, including downloading Windows
- Subscription pricing, per its profile
Both
- Run Windows, Linux and macOS guests
- Apple silicon support
- Snapshots
- Shared folders and clipboard
Only Fusion
- Free for personal use under current terms, per its profile
- Flexible networking controls
- Fits teams already on VMware
Which fits you?#
Parallels or Fusion?
1/3
What is the main use?
Feature differences#
| Parallels | Fusion | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows, Linux and macOS guests | Yes | Yes |
| Optimised for Apple silicon | Yes | Yes |
| Windows apps in Mac windows | Yes | Check the vendor |
| Guided Windows download and setup | Yes | Check the vendor |
| Free for personal use | No | Partly |
| Fine-grained network controls | Partly | Yes |
Pricing comparison#
Prices show in the table above once verified. The pattern from the profiles: Parallels is sold by recurring plan, and Fusion has been free for personal use under Broadcom's terms, which have changed more than once. Confirm the licence for your situation before you rely on it.
Performance considerations#
We have no measurements. We plan to run the same Windows for Arm guest on one Mac under both and record start-up time, idle memory and responsiveness. Both ask for a slice of your RAM and disk, so check headroom first. The storage size calculator helps with disk planning, and why a MacBook runs slowly helps if a VM bogs the host down.
Pros and cons#
Parallels Desktop#
Pros
- Strong Windows-on-Mac integration
- Quick setup
- Fast on Apple silicon, per its profile
Cons
- Recurring cost
- Heavy on RAM and disk
- Limited for GPU-heavy gaming
VMware Fusion#
Pros
- Free for personal use under current terms
- Flexible networking
- Familiar to VMware teams
Cons
- Less seamless Windows integration
- Licensing has changed repeatedly
- Downloads sit behind a vendor portal
Best for different users#
- Occasional Windows app user: Parallels, if the price is acceptable.
- Developer or student: Fusion, if the licence terms suit you.
- Team standardised on VMware: Fusion.
- Wants to avoid both: see Parallels Desktop alternatives.
Final recommendation#
Confirm you need a VM, then try each tool's trial or free tier on your real workload. We will update this page with results once testing is done. Until then, read the Parallels Desktop review and Mac virtualization explained.
Written by
Guides are researched, written, and maintained by the Atypical Mac User editorial team. Every procedure is checked against the current version of macOS before it is marked as published.
Last updated . First published .
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