Nerdio vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) comparison

Nerdio and Parallels are both solutions in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category. Nerdio is ranked #10 with an average rating of 9.5, while Parallels is ranked #13. Nerdio holds a 2.0% mindshare in VD, compared to Parallels’s 3.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Nerdio users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Parallels users who would recommend it.

Nerdio

Read 2 Nerdio reviews

750 Views
750 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Read 25 Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) reviews

1,910 Views
1,795 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Nerdio

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Nerdio and Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Nerdio vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Nerdio vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

March 2026

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Helped 883,824 peers since 2012

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

Nerdio

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

10th

Average Rating

9.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

13th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Virtualization (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Nerdio is 2.0%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 3.1%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Nerdio	2.0%
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)	3.1%
Other	94.9%

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

Maarten Bruijnesteijn

IT Infrastucture Engineer at PPG

Automation capabilities enhance cost-saving and scaling efforts

The auto-heal functionality needs improvement. Currently, the feature is limited because it only allows one heal condition and doesn't support multiple triggers. The capability to use different conditions, like the presence of online users during a failed installation, is missing. The current state makes it less useful, but I have even submitted a feature request for a better solution.

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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

"Nerdio is completely an automation platform offering auto-scaling and flexibility."

"The customer service from Nerdio is excellent, and I even know the CEO personally and have a positive experience, rating it nine out of ten."

"The most valuable features of Nerdio are its automation capabilities, specifically the autoscale and auto-heal functionalities."

"The solution is one hundred percent stable and very much straightforward."

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

"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."

"Setup was straightforward. Our particular use case involved an Active Directory forest involving two data centers and three domains. User authentication against Active Directory was the easiest to set up and validate of any application installed in the last three years."

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

"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."

"It is a stable solution."

"Its price and ease of use are the most valuable. It is simple and has good performance."

"Parallels Desktop allows me to run both Mac and Windows operating systems on a single machine, eliminating the need for separate Windows hardware."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pros

Cons

"They should start providing the certifications on Nerdio for training and enhancements, mainly for the open community of IT."

"The auto-heal functionality needs improvement."

"They should start providing the certifications on Nerdio for training and enhancements, mainly for the open community of IT."

"The auto-heal functionality needs improvement. Currently, the feature is limited because it only allows one heal condition and doesn't support multiple triggers."

"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."

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

"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."

"The main issue we have with all of our users is printing. Randomly, a printer will disconnect or someone won't connect to it and I will have to reset the print service and then nobody can print. That's the big headache we've had over the course of the five years."

"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."

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

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

"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."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The product is not expensive. I rate its pricing a three or four out of ten."

"It is very affordable."

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

"It is inexpensive compared to one of its competitors."

"Pricing is a little steep."

"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."

"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."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Computer Software Company

10%

Insurance Company

Computer Software Company

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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 Nerdio?

It is competitively priced in the market.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Nerdio?

They should start providing the certifications on Nerdio for training and enhancements, mainly for the open community of IT. It should not be restricted to partners only, yet available to everyone.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Nerdio?

During the implementation and management stage, I use Nerdio Manager for enterprise for deploying and quickly rolling out virtual desktops to end users. Once I complete the production rollout, I st...

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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...

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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

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Nerdio

Compared 20% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Nerdio

Compared 17% of the time

Horizon Cloud Service vs Nerdio

Compared 16% of the time

Azure Virtual Desktop vs Nerdio

Compared 13% of the time

Parallels Desktop vs Nerdio

Compared 3% of the time

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

Compared 15% of the time

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

Compared 15% of the time

Parallels Desktop vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 8% of the time

Amazon WorkSpaces vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 8% of the time

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

March 2026

Download Nerdio product report

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

February 2026

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) report

Download Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) product report

Also Known As

No data available

Parallels RAS

Overview

Nerdio is the definitive solution for Microsoft Azure deployment, packaging, pricing, management, and optimization.

Nerdio for Azure empowers MSPs to build successful cloud practices in Azure, and we will do whatever it takes to help them succeed.

Nerdio

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

BeMo, Northstar Technologies

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

Nerdio vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

March 2026

Free Report: Nerdio vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Find out what your peers are saying about Nerdio vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

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