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Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.0
Citrix DaaS offers cost savings and efficiency with enhanced security and remote access, benefiting larger implementations despite high initial costs.
Sentiment score
7.9
Parallels RAS is valued for cost prevention and business continuity, despite challenges in quantifying its exact return on investment.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.5
Citrix DaaS customer service is generally well-rated, though technical support experiences vary based on location and individual expectations.
Sentiment score
7.6
Parallels Remote Application Server support is generally well-rated, with some issues in initial support stages and time differences.
The first level often wastes time because I usually have to escalate to an engineer for proper support.
Citrix support is better than Microsoft support.
For Parallels RAS, the support is rated eight out of ten.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Citrix DaaS is highly scalable, allowing seamless deployment and integration across platforms, with efficient adaptability to increased demands.
Sentiment score
7.9
Parallels RAS efficiently scales to support thousands of users, though some find load balancing and usage optimization challenging.
It supports over 100 apps and 20,000 users in our organization, demonstrating impressive scalability.
Citrix DaaS offers vast scalability options as workloads can be deployed across multiple data centers like Azure, Google, or AWS.
I can start from fifteen users and scale it to nearly any size.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Citrix DaaS is stable and reliable, excelling with proper configuration and management, ensuring minimal downtime and strong performance.
Sentiment score
7.3
Parallels Remote Application Server is stable for most users, though issues with version 13, licensing, and connectivity exist.
Citrix DaaS allows for satisfactory stability by facilitating workload deployment in various data centers including Azure, Google, or AWS.
 

Room For Improvement

Citrix DaaS needs improvements in performance, user experience, integration, support, pricing flexibility, and administrative tools for better efficiency.
Parallels RAS could improve by enhancing monitoring, integration, interface, support, web management, cost, and expanding application and hypervisor compatibility.
More direct access to engineers would speed up resolution.
Creating App-V applications is not an easy task and could take from hours to weeks without success.
A potential improvement could be reducing the dependency on Microsoft solutions for Parallels RAS.
 

Setup Cost

Citrix DaaS is premium-priced, offering robust features, but its complex, costly licensing faces competition from VMware and Microsoft.
Parallels RAS is valued for its cost-effectiveness and clear licensing but desired more flexible growth options by some users.
Citrix DaaS is considered expensive, especially for companies that do not require multi-cloud.
No additional fees for maintenance or support are required.
 

Valuable Features

Citrix DaaS offers seamless remote access with quick deployment, high security, and optimized management, enhancing productivity and user satisfaction.
Parallels RAS provides ease of use, stability, broad compatibility, and cost-effective remote access for diverse devices and infrastructures.
The scalability of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is impressive, supporting over 100 apps and a user base of 20,000 within our organization.
With Citrix, all connections are outgoing, minimizing firewall vulnerability.
In terms of Parallels Desktop, the coherence mode that allows Mac and Windows applications to run seamlessly side by side is highly regarded.
 

Categories and Ranking

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...
Ranking in Application Virtualization
1st
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
127
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (4th), Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (1st)
Parallels Remote Applicatio...
Ranking in Application Virtualization
4th
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
13th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Application Virtualization category, the mindshare of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is 25.8%, up from 25.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 16.7%, up from 15.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Virtualization Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)25.8%
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)16.7%
Other57.5%
Application Virtualization
 

Featured Reviews

Mohd Abdul Aziz Shah Sulaiman - PeerSpot reviewer
High security has ensured safe access that's very lightweight
The security layer is very high because I cannot copy-paste outside of the VDI. Screenshots are not possible, as everything will appear black. Within the VDI, users are focused on their specific tasks. It is a lightweight application that incorporates multi-factor authentication. It allows contact centers to work from home, using the VDI for application access while ensuring the person accessing the machine is the one doing the work. The security layer is robust, preventing copy-pasting outside the VDI or screenshotting.
JohanSkibdahl - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
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872,655 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise68
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
My focus has primarily been on publishing virtual applications.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
I have found that Citrix DaaS is still a complex product, especially on the desktop side, which affects scalability. Although it works well on the apps side, the desktop aspect still has room for i...
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 ...
 

Also Known As

XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps), Citrix Workspace
Parallels RAS
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Exelon, Aeronamic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Alameda County Medical Center, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Aloysius Stichting, Amarchand Mangaldas, AmBev, Amnet Technology Solutions, Arval
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
Find out what your peers are saying about Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
872,655 professionals have used our research since 2012.