Microsoft App-V vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) comparison

Microsoft and Parallels are both solutions in the Application Virtualization category. Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4, while Parallels is ranked #4. Microsoft holds a 21.1% mindshare in AV, compared to Parallels’s 15.8% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Parallels users who would recommend it.

Microsoft App-V

Read 9 Microsoft App-V reviews

1,353 Views
1,353 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Read 25 Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) reviews

1,675 Views
553 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Microsoft App-V

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Microsoft App-V and Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) compete in the application virtualization category. Parallels RAS seems to have the upper hand due to its expanded feature set and ease of use.

Features: Microsoft App-V offers application isolation, centralized management, and seamless Windows integration. In contrast, Parallels RAS provides application delivery, desktop virtualization, and enhanced security features, positioning it as a robust solution for diverse environments.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft App-V could enhance user-friendliness and reduce complexity in setup. A broader platform support would be advantageous. Enhancements in cloud integration capabilities could be another area of focus. Parallels RAS might benefit from a more competitive pricing model, expanding integrations with non-Windows systems and simplifying its advanced feature configurations for easier implementation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Parallels RAS is known for its easy deployment and responsive customer support, making it simple for IT administrators to manage. Microsoft App-V integrates well within Windows ecosystems but can be more complex to set up initially, which might require more specialized knowledge.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft App-V offers a cost-effective option for Microsoft-based infrastructures, though its complexity might lead to hidden costs. Parallels RAS, while potentially higher in upfront cost, provides a comprehensive suite that can yield better long-term ROI by enhancing operational efficiencies, justifying the investment for many organizations.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft App-V vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft App-V vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

September 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

Microsoft App-V

Ranking in Application Virtualization

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Ranking in Application Virtualization

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (13th)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Application Virtualization category, the mindshare of Microsoft App-V is 21.1%, down from 21.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 15.8%, up from 15.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Virtualization Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft App-V	21.1%
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)	15.8%
Other	63.099999999999994%

Application Virtualization

Featured Reviews

Francois Gotti

Senior Infrastructure Engineer at IQEQ

Streaming has impressed but integration and support require improvement

The problem with Microsoft App-V is that there is no choice since Microsoft has decided to stop it, and we are searching for alternatives. Microsoft App-V needs to evolve, possibly with better integration with other solutions, particularly since we use Citrix and want to integrate App-V packages more efficiently. The management of packages should be easier, possibly through a web console for visibility in versioning, and options to convert packages when changing technologies. Many companies avoid using tools like Admin Studio due to high costs. Additionally, Microsoft App-V has been slow, and users experience delays when launching applications, which presents significant challenges.

Read full review

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

"I would recommend Microsoft App-V for its simplicity and efficiency."

"The most interesting and powerful feature for us is the fact that we can upgrade any kind of app instantly."

"We can deploy applications incredibly fast."

"I appreciate the process of being able to change or review my answers."

"It is very easy to use from an administration point of view."

"From my experience with Microsoft App-V, the feature I liked the most is the streaming."

"It is easy to scale. You can quickly deploy additional instances. Rollbacks are easy because there is an automatic backup every hour. Deploying the application is straightforward and efficient."

"Microsoft App-V is a simple, very good working product that just works."

More Microsoft App-V pros

"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."

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

"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."

"We use RAS to publish cloud desktops to our clients. The ability to easily publish resources to a subset of users is what we find most valuable."

"It is robust. We have some 75 users using it and it doesn't lag. It's very speedy."

"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."

"It has allowed us to centralize the software location so we don't have to update the software client on 70 computers."

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

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pros

Cons

"The downside is that Microsoft bought this product and they are going to discontinue it in 2026. This is worrisome for us."

"The process was streamlined but didn't make our work simple. We encountered an issue with the person responsible for designing the website."

"Regarding improvements in Microsoft App-V, I would appreciate seeing the successor, MSIX, work better, as nothing is going to be implemented anymore since it is end of life by the end of the year."

"If it were possible to integrate App-V with a cybersecurity solution then we could implement a documentation registry, which would be useful."

"The reporting features could be improved."

"Microsoft App-V has been slow, and users experience delays when launching applications, which presents significant challenges."

"There is definitely room for improvement with Microsoft App-V, especially in terms of enhancing troubleshooting resources and user guidance."

"Microsoft App-V is more suited for legacy software usage, and trying to make it work in that context usually feels tricky and unreliable."

"Currently in the RD Session Hosts – Sessions section, I can see what server a user is logged into but not what app he is using. Being able to do so would be immensely helpful when a non-technical user is complaining of issues, but I can’t tell which app he is using, and he is actually logged into multiple servers since they serve multiple apps."

"A potential improvement could be reducing the dependency on Microsoft solutions for Parallels RAS."

"Sometimes you need to understand how to use load balancing and the gateway in order to scale, which means the team may need some additional technical knowledge."

"If the solution crashes, then all the customers connected through that agent, lose their session."

"From a seller's point of view, there are a lot of things that they could do better in the sales cycle."

"We would like to be able to re-label the OTP (One Time Password) popup so our users can easily recognize that they are to put in their DUO code on that line. Most users see OTP and ask what that is."

"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."

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

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Clients do not pay licensing fees."

"The pricing of this product is competitive."

"Work with the vendor, as this is a fairly new product and they want use cases. Deals can be made."

"Pricing is a little steep."

"It justifies the price. In terms of licensing, initially when we got the product it was an unlimited licensing strategy. We knew would grow in the coming years. So initially, we took a plan which had no limit. After a year or so the strategy changed and we were being limited to 105 licenses, that was the minimum... If there was flexibility for increasing the number of licenses that would be great because you never know how much you are going to grow in the next year."

"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."

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

"I don't like the subscription model because it feels like I have to pay every month. If Parallels could go back to the professional license, it would be much better."

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

"Parallels is a cost effective alternative to Citrix."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Government

10%

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft App-V?

Regarding pricing, I believe flexibility would help retain customers. Costs could be more adaptable to meet varying budgets.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft App-V?

There is definitely room for improvement with Microsoft App-V, especially in terms of enhancing troubleshooting resources and user guidance.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft App-V?

I have been using Microsoft App-V for quite some time, and I can describe my use cases, which include various applications that enhance productivity.

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 Desktop, it is a yearly cost of a couple of hundred euros. No additional fees for mai...

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 Desktop, there is nothing specific that needs improvement.

See all answers

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 ...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 55% of the time

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Compared 29% of the time

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

Compared 20% of the time

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

Compared 16% of the time

Amazon WorkSpaces vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

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Horizon 8 vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 8% of the time

Inuvika vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft App-V

October 2025

Download Microsoft App-V product report

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

October 2025

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) report

Download Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) product report

Also Known As

App-V, MS App-V

Parallels RAS

Overview

Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) enables you to make applications available to end users without installing the applications directly on end user computers. App-V transforms applications into centrally managed services that are never installed and don't conflict with other applications.

Microsoft

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

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), GDDKiA, P&V, Etisalat Lanka, Hellenic Petroleum

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

Microsoft App-V vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

September 2025

Free Report: Microsoft App-V vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft App-V vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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