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

Citrix and Parallels are both solutions in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category. Citrix is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.4, while Parallels is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.0. Citrix holds a 12.8% mindshare in VD, compared to Parallels’s 12.3% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Citrix users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Parallels users who would recommend it.

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...

Read 127 Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) reviews

8,588 Views
6,613 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Parallels Desktop

Read 2 Parallels Desktop reviews

4,956 Views
4,956 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Read 25 Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) reviews

1,577 Views
1,498 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citri...

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service), Parallels Desktop, and Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about VMware, Citrix, Omnissa and others in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).

To learn more, read our detailed Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

August 2025

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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:

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) is 12.8%, up from 11.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Desktop is 12.3%, up from 9.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 2.6%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

Grant Waddell

Head of IT Architecture & Operations Support at Lyntia

User-friendly and easily accessible, but cost could be made cheaper

We use Citrix Workspace on Citrix Cloud. We have all of our servers on the AWS public cloud. There are a number of tools that we can implement that would save us costs. However, we've stuck to Citrix for convenience. If the prices keep increasing, we will have to consider other solutions. Users need to understand the tool's limitations correctly and what they require from a usability perspective. They should also understand the configuration of security policies. In some cases, people are unable to download or upload files onto their PCs, which is necessary for them to do their work. Users should understand the limitations of the product or the configuration options. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

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Grant-Donald

Information Security Consultant at Excellenta

It integrates seamlessly with macOS, but it's not compatible with VMware

Parallels Desktop does the same thing as VMware but for Apple users Parallels Desktop integrates seamlessly with macOS. It works better than VMware on Apple operating systems. The biggest challenge is compatibility between VMware and Parallels because the two systems are incompatible. It can be…

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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

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Citrix Workspace's standout feature is its flexibility."

"The most valuable feature of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is the security and it is easy to work with."

"The ease of access and the confidentiality and security that it provides is what we like best."

"It virtualizes the application on your desktop."

"The solution provides everything in one integrated platform. When it comes to monitoring their solution, it is really easy. We have all the information in one place so we can have the right information at the right moment. We can be proactive when it comes to dealing with performance, maintenance, and security issues."

"It allows us to mute users who adhere to a policy of not allowing direct VPN access for security reasons. It is easy to use."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the desktop virtualization, which allows me to connect from anywhere."

"Because of the solution's ubiquity, it is easier to find answers to problems than with competitive products."

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) pros

"Parallels Desktop integrates seamlessly with macOS. It works better than VMware on Apple operating systems."

"I like how, with Parallels, you can either boot into Mac or Windows to get better control over the resources of the laptops since you're sharing the resources in dual mode."

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

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

"Client compatibility with many systems makes it very versatile. The reporting that is included is awesome."

"It permits us to control the applications that our users are able to get to, in a seamless manner. We're able to distribute applications to users' desktops, just like those applications are on each user's computer, but they're not."

"We use Cloudpaging to package and deploy the vast majority of our applications to our standard Windows 10 desktops. With the use of Parallels integration into Software2 AppsAnywhere hub, this means we can use the same packages to deliver Windows applications to almost any device - Windows, mac OS, iOS, Android, Linux, Xbox One, PS4 - just by ticking a box."

"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."

"Thin client management (Windows 10 client) provides an easy way to lock down client connection to the remote infrastructure. Policies are very helpful for preconfiguring client behavior. Finally, client management is easy."

"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."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pros

Cons

"There are many latency and slowness issues, which are things looked after by Citrix."

"If there are connectivity issues, there are stability issues."

"The only thing we have found to be detrimental is when we have tried to find training. I realize that we're looking at it at the worst time possible, with a pandemic going on, but it seems that most of the training offered is learn-by-yourself online."

"It would help if it were a little simpler. It's a bit complicated and we have hired Citrix administrators. But it's a good solution."

"They can simplify the process of printers. Printers were quite a difficult issue. It took us a long time to iron this issue out. We have the most simple use case where people connect from home to either a virtual machine or their physical desktop. We tried more complex solutions like Machine Creation Services, and they were more overhead than they were worth for us. I found them difficult to work with and confusing, and they were not worth the work for us."

"We have had issues with certain aspects, which is why we are looking for alternatives. For example, the firewall solution from Citrix is a bit complicated. Integration is hard."

"When I needed support for a couple of things, three people intervened. Each time, three people gave me a different answer. In the end, they did not manage to give the right answer. At a certain point, they stopped replying."

"The product has some bugs, making it an area of concern where improvements are required."

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) cons

"The biggest challenge is compatibility between VMware and Parallels because the two systems are incompatible. It can be challenging if you are switching between Windows and Mac. I recommend sticking with one product because there isn't good compatibility between the different products."

"There may have been some issues with device drivers on my Mac. Similarly, there are some issues with transferring data from Parallels to the Mac."

"The product does not utilize SQL for reporting purposes. Also, it does not support some hypervisors similar to Citrix. These particular areas need improvement."

"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 have had significant, ongoing issues with printing. It would be great to have a best practice for dealing with printing that we can offer to our customers."

"Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is an expensive solution, and its pricing could be improved."

"It would be great if there were more sophisticated GPO templates/options."

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

"HALB is not stable in our environment. When running two HALBs we have stability problems, so we use an active one and a passive for backup. Also, it would be nice to implement an upgrade of the environment without having to stop the servers. As it is, this must be done during off-hours."

"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."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"You have to do some hard work in order to get the suitable licenses."

"My company opts for the yearly subscription model to pay towards the licensing costs attached to the solution."

"You can buy an on-cloud or on-prem license. You can switch between on-cloud users and on-prem users. Its licensing is cheap. It is from $8 to $15 per user. It is not that expensive when you compare the cost of buying new hardware with the cost of the license. For example, at $15 per user, it costs around $180 for a year, which is cheaper than buying a $600 PC that at a certain stage, you will again have to change because its hardware is not supported. It may also get damaged or stolen. So, you can compare the cost of the actual hardware that you have to buy and the time spent in supporting the clients with the cost of its license."

"Implementing Citrix DaaS with thin clients, rather than physical laptops, has resulted in savings of 27% to 29%. Additionally, moving 1,000 users from physical laptops to thin clients and VDI solutions can save around 40,000 kilograms of carbon emissions, benefiting both the environment and the company's economy, provided thin clients are used."

"I suggest using the concurrent user licensing scheme."

"Their licensing model used to be on a per-year basis, where you would negotiate the cost per user for a year. For instance, if you had 25,000 users, you could negotiate the cost accordingly. However, they are transitioning to a subscription-based model where the cost is incurred monthly."

"It's costly in the market. But it is not expensive for the company. For the company, it's relatively inexpensive because the core of the work is compensated with the price."

"In terms of pricing with the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, I think it has gotten better over the years. Citrix has found more dynamic ways to be able to revive licensing models that fit many different scenarios that organizations have. We have been able to evolve our own licensing over the years to accommodate our situations between concurrent versus user device licenses. Now, when we move into the Citrix Workspace realm, we definitely have some awesome options there."

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) pricing and cost advice

Information not available

"Parallels is a cost effective alternative to Citrix."

"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."

"The pricing has always been competitive, and the new SPLA licensing model works great for our business and clients."

"I think the new pricing is a little bit high. If the price was lower, we could use it for many more customers. If there was one improvement to be made to this product, it would be a small-business version, at a much lower price point."

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

"It is very affordable."

"We currently use Parallels side-by-side with an Azure cloud-hosted solution. This may be from a lack of product knowledge on my part, but we still need to work out the most effective way to shut down servers outside of hours, thereby reduce hosting costs. I am not entirely convinced Parallels does this well yet."

"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."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

20%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

13%

University

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?

My focus has primarily been on publishing virtual applications.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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. ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Parallels Desktop?

I like how, with Parallels, you can either boot into Mac or Windows to get better control over the resources of the l...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Parallels Desktop?

If you want the standard version, it is more expensive but more advanced. You get what you pay for. These products co...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Parallels Desktop?

There may have been some issues with device drivers on my Mac. Similarly, there are some issues with transferring dat...

See all answers

What do you like most about Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)?

The solution is powerful, and it has good speed and performance.

See all answers

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 Deskt...

See all answers

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 D...

See all answers

Comparisons

Azure Virtual Desktop vs Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)

Compared 47% of the time

Amazon Appstream vs Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)

Compared 7% of the time

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)

Compared 6% of the time

Rocket Exceed TurboX vs Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)

Compared 4% of the time

Amazon WorkSpaces vs Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)

Compared 3% of the time

More Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) Competitors

VMware Fusion Pro vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 73% of the time

VMware Workstation vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 15% of the time

Azure Virtual Desktop vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 3% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 2% of the time

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 1% of the time

More Parallels Desktop Competitors

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 21% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 9% of the time

Amazon WorkSpaces vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 9% of the time

Workspace ONE UEM vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 7% of the time

VMware Workstation vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 6% of the time

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)

August 2025

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) report

Download Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) product report

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

August 2025

Download Parallels Desktop product report

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

August 2025

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) report

Download Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) product report

Also Known As

XenDesktop, XenApp (Citrix Virtual Apps), Citrix Workspace

No data available

Parallels RAS

Interactive Demo

Citrix

Demo not available

Parallels

Demo not available

Parallels

Overview

Enable secure, flexible work with the leader in virtual apps and desktops

Deliver desktop as a service (DaaS) from any cloud or datacenter

Get started with Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) in minutes to provide a familiar, high-performance digital workspace experience to your users. We’ll manage the infrastructure and security. You focus on your business.

Citrix

Parallels Desktop is a virtualization software for Mac that allows users to run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems alongside macOS without rebooting. It provides a seamless experience for users who need access to different operating systems on a single machine.

As a powerful cross-platform solution, Parallels Desktop is designed for developers, testers, and users who require flexibility in operating multiple systems concurrently. It efficiently manages resources, offering significant advantages for those who need Windows applications on a Mac without compromising on performance. Its intuitive setup and strong integration with macOS make it highly appealing to technical teams looking for productivity enhancements.

What features stand out in Parallels Desktop?

Coherence Mode: Integrates Windows applications with macOS for a unified user experience.
Resource Allocation: Allows users to fine-tune resources dedicated to each virtual machine for optimal performance.
Cross-Platform Data Transfer: Enables easy sharing of files and data between operating systems.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Increased Productivity: Seamless access to Windows applications on Mac can enhance workflow efficiency.
Cost-Effective Solution: Reduces the need for multiple devices, saving on hardware costs.
Improved Flexibility: Offers the ability to run testing environments on a single device, increasing operational flexibility.

In industries like software development and design, Parallels Desktop is often implemented to streamline operations, allowing professionals to simultaneously utilize macOS and Windows tools. This adaptability proves essential in environments that demand the use of diverse software applications, ensuring continuity and productivity.

Parallels

ApplicationServer delivers applications, data and virtual desktops from a central location, providing continuous availability, resource-based load-balancing and complete network transparency.

Parallels

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

Lytro, University of Washington, Slalom, Veeva Systems, Oklahoma Christian University

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

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

August 2025

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