Horizon Cloud Service vs Parallels Desktop comparison

Omnissa and Parallels are both solutions in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category. Omnissa is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.0, while Parallels is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.0. Omnissa holds a 1.1% mindshare in VD, compared to Parallels’s 14.3% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Omnissa users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Parallels users who would recommend it.

Horizon Cloud Service

Read 11 Horizon Cloud Service reviews

1,066 Views
394 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Parallels Desktop

Read 2 Parallels Desktop reviews

4,984 Views
4,438 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Horizon Cloud Service

Parallels Desktop

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Parallels Desktop and Horizon Cloud Service compete in virtualization and cloud solutions. Parallels Desktop is often praised for its pricing and service support, while Horizon Cloud Service is noted for its robust features, providing value that often justifies its higher cost.

Features: Parallels Desktop is known for its seamless integration with macOS, user-friendly installation, and impressive performance capabilities, making it suitable for individual users and small businesses. Horizon Cloud Service offers comprehensive enterprise-level features, including scalability and security, appealing to larger organizations with complex needs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Parallels Desktop offers a straightforward deployment process with efficient customer support, focusing on personalized assistance. Horizon Cloud Service involves a more complex deployment model tailored for extensive cloud environments but provides extensive documentation and a dedicated support structure.

Pricing and ROI: Parallels Desktop has an attractive initial investment, especially appealing to smaller firms seeking cost-effective solutions, achieving swift ROI. Horizon Cloud Service requires a higher setup cost, often leading to extended ROI timelines, yet promises long-term gains for organizations leveraging its advanced functionalities.

To learn more, read our detailed Horizon Cloud Service vs. Parallels Desktop Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service vs. Parallels Desktop

June 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:

Categories and Ranking

Horizon Cloud Service

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

11th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (4th)

Parallels Desktop

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

6th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Horizon Cloud Service is 1.1%, down from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Desktop is 14.3%, up from 7.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

SivaKuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

Centralized management enhances multi-cloud flexibility with cost efficiency improvements

The cost of Horizon Cloud Service is high, however, it could be optimized. The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help. Improvements in application performance, especially for resource-heavy applications like intensive 3D workloads, are needed. More built-in automation for routine tasks like patching and upgrading could reduce administrative effort.

Read full review

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…

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

"The interface is much easier to use compared to Microsoft and other VDI vendors that are well known on the market. I like VMware so much more than the others. With Horizon Cloud, you don't need to spend a lot of money upfront to buy the infrastructure. You can use it the on the cloud, so it lowers the barriers to entry. It's easier to test it and get started. Some clients stay in the cloud, but others prefer to go on-premise. It depends on the nature of the client."

"The tool remains pretty stable."

"Its advanced management features are the most valuable, especially power management. One of the really important things was to be able to have power management in a consumption world. This means that unlike a Microsoft environment, you could actually turn off virtual desktops or have them start up and shut down. If you're consuming resources in the public cloud, you want to be able to do that because when you're not using those, such as at the weekend, you want to be able to turn them off. So, the advanced options for managing the BDIs are very important."

"The main benefit of Horizon Cloud Service is that it is cloud-based, allowing our organization to leverage the service without having to manage all infrastructure directly."

"I honestly liked the application itself because it was just like using a desktop. You could copy and paste, inside and outside, and you could use multiple monitors. You could access it anytime, anywhere, no matter whether you were in the office or out of the office. I could leave the office, go somewhere, go back in, and everything would be there. I could just leave it up and running. I absolutely love this feature in VMware Horizon Cloud."

"The product’s on-premise version has the ability to create an image of any updates or changes in the system."

"The product allows a VPN connection, adding extra value to its features."

"VMware Horizon Cloud is easy to use and the full development cloud is very good. The main features of VMware are included. It's a cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure software that allows you to permit the virtual desktops and applications to any device from the single unified management control. These are managed from the dedicated remote session desktop."

More Horizon Cloud 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."

Cons

"It is very expensive. Its price needs to be improved. They can do a better job with external resources such as a USB or a hard drive. When I tried to connect using these external resources, it failed a lot of times. I had to do a shared connection with a local laptop and then connect from a network standpoint, rather than through VMware Horizon point. They definitely have weaknesses with external connections. A lot of companies probably don't let people use external connections because it defeats the purpose of having a cloud solution and keeping the data in a secure area. You can copy to an external device, and you can lose the data. A lot of companies may not focus on this feature, but if you are providing it, you should make it work."

"There should be more emphasis on the Workspace One access part of the solution. This is essentially identity management provided with Horizon. There needs to be some kind of integration because you are able to have all of these desktops on any device, but you have to have this other component to make it easier from a single sign-on perspective. That's why there should be an emphasis on Workspace One access. It actually comes free with the product, but people don't really know how powerful it can be."

"The licensing model needs to be adjusted, as a cloud license is currently required even for on-premises devices."

"In the design phase, sometimes the tools for designing Horizon solutions have issues when they're calculating the number of nodes and platforms needed to support the VDI systems."

"It can be very expensive to scale up because each part of scaling up requires you to have new components of the infrastructure."

"The cost of Horizon Cloud Service is high, however, it could be optimized. The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help."

"The product has a lot of bugs."

"The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help."

More Horizon Cloud 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."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"VMware Horizon Cloud is a low-cost solution. The model that they have is consumption-based. However, some features are expensive."

"It is too expensive as compared to other solutions because of which we don't use it that much. We tend to go more for Hyper-V or Azure just because VMware licensing is quite up there. We sway people away from VMware Horizon Cloud. We have some clients who already have it. They stay on it for a little while, and then most of them end up moving off when we provide them a better solution that isn't as license heavy cost-wise."

"For what you get, it is very compelling. You've got to look at the total cost of ownership of this type of piece of software in terms of being able to utilize it as a cloud service. I don't have to run everything on-premises. When you look at the total cost of just being able to use it and then being able to point it to any public or private cloud, it is very compelling. You have one less thing to manage."

"Initially, the product is cheap, but it starts to get expensive when users try to scale out."

"I rate VMware Horizon Cloud pricing a ten out of ten."

"VMware Horizon Cloud is an expensive solution. This solution is approximately 30 percent more than Microsoft Azure Cloud. There can be extra costs."

"There is a license required for the use of this solution and there are different tier levels available."

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

13%

University

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about VMware Horizon Cloud?

The tool remains pretty stable.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Horizon Cloud?

The cost is considered normal, not remarkable but not outrageous. In terms of expense, compared to other virtualization products, I would rate it as a six.

See all answers

What needs improvement with VMware Horizon Cloud?

The licensing model needs to be adjusted, as a cloud license is currently required even for on-premises devices. Horizon Cloud Service should continue improving their protocol and work with other h...

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 laptops since you're sharing the resources in dual mode.

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 cost money, and the company has to make a profit.

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 data from Parallels to the Mac.

See all answers

Comparisons

Horizon 8 vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 32% of the time

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 13% of the time

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 12% of the time

Amazon Appstream vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 11% of the time

Workspace ONE UEM vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 8% of the time

More Horizon Cloud Service Competitors

VMware Fusion Pro vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 79% of the time

VMware Workstation vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 13% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 2% of the time

Azure Virtual Desktop vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 2% of the time

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 1% of the time

More Parallels Desktop Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service

June 2025

Download Horizon Cloud Service product report

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

May 2025

Download Parallels Desktop product report

Also Known As

VMware Horizon Cloud, VMware Horizon DaaS

No data available

Overview

The VMware Horizon Cloud Service delivers feature-rich virtual desktops and applications using a purpose-built cloud platform that is scalable across multiple deployment options, including fully managed infrastructure from VMware, public cloud infrastructure from Microsoft Azure, or on-premises hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI). The service supports a cloud-scale architecture that makes it easy to deliver virtualized Windows desktops and applications to any device, anytime. And, with a flexible subscription model and turnkey solutions, organizations can easily get up and running and scale quickly.

Omnissa

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

Sample Customers

Marriott, Sprint

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

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service vs. Parallels Desktop

June 2025

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