Parallels Access vs ScreenConnect comparison

Parallels and ConnectWise are both solutions in the Remote Access category. Parallels is ranked #18 with an average rating of 9.0, while ConnectWise is ranked #22. Parallels holds a 1.8% mindshare in VUS, compared to ConnectWise’s 2.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Parallels users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of ConnectWise users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Parallels Access and ScreenConnect are competing in the remote access software market. ScreenConnect has an advantage regarding feature richness and perceived long-term value, whereas Parallels Access is favored for cost-effectiveness and support options.

Features: Parallels Access allows users easy navigation from various devices, supports smooth mobile and desktop connectivity, and provides reliable remote control over computers. ScreenConnect offers expanded functionalities such as unattended access, robust system control, and seamless remote access across all devices, proving suitable for complex IT setups.

Room for Improvement: Parallels Access could enhance its feature set to better support larger organizations, improve its deployment features, and add more advanced remote access functionalities. ScreenConnect may need to work on its interface user-friendliness, address connectivity issues during network changes, and simplify remote access commands to ensure ease of use for less technical users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ScreenConnect provides a seamless deployment process with detailed customer service, making it easy for enterprises to integrate. Parallels Access, despite its straightforward installation and dependable support, lacks the finer deployment features that might appeal more to larger organizations with more complex IT environments.

Pricing and ROI: Parallels Access offers competitive pricing, catering to budget-conscious customers seeking effective functionalities. In contrast, ScreenConnect, though more expensive, offers a significant return on investment due to its extensive feature set, making it a worthwhile long-term investment for businesses with demanding remote access needs.

To learn more, read our detailed Parallels Access vs. ScreenConnect Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Access vs. ScreenConnect

March 2026

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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 Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 8.9%, down from 9.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Access is 1.8%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ScreenConnect is 2.9%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Remote Access Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Intune	8.9%
Parallels Access	1.8%
ScreenConnect	2.9%
Other	86.4%

Remote Access

Featured Reviews

AkashKamble

Sr MacOS specialist engineer at Cyber24

Enables management of multiple operating systems with a single license

The best feature is that it's a Microsoft product, so if anything goes wrong, we get quick support for anything required. Remote system functionality allows us to sit anywhere and take control of any device via remote management. We can enhance security for clients' laptops with built-in Microsoft Defender, which is available with the Microsoft Intune license. We use it for reporting purposes through endpoint analytics. When pushing scripting, there are two types available: remediation script and reservation script. Through endpoint analytics, you can push defender policies to clients. It helps with reporting, inventory updates, and monitoring tenant status health.

Read full review

Jason Parkinson

CEO at a non-profit with 1-10 employees

Allows users to access and operate their computers remotely

When you want to transfer a file from your iPad or remote device to the computer, the copy-and-paste feature doesn't always work. I'd have to turn on the Bluetooth a lot of times and transfer it that way on both devices, which was troublesome. However, it would sometimes randomly work. I could go on my iPad, find whatever I wanted to do, click copy, then go over to the computer through Parallels Access, click paste, and it would randomly work. I had to call Parallels many times. They would log in and try something, which would temporarily work, but then it wouldn't. When it worked, it made integration between the two things great. That was a very helpful feature that didn't get polished.

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Todd Blake

Senior IT Specialist at COMMUNITY HEALTH CONNECTIONS INC

Simple to set up, reasonable pricing, and useful remote control capabilities

I'm on the latest version of the solution. I just updated it yesterday. While we have the solution on-premises at this time, we'll likely move to the cloud later this year. They have a trial version that you can try. They have a free version that you can try as well. I use it myself to support my family. I would try the free version or the trial version depending on your business. They can set you up and you can get to see all the features. I would also advocate going to the cloud version. Don't bother with the on-prem. It's just easier to jump to the cloud. I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

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 best features in Microsoft Intune that I appreciate most are its centralized features."

"Its security is most valuable. It gives us a way to secure devices, not only those that are steady. We do have a few tablets and other devices, and it is a way for us to secure these devices and manage them. We know they're out there and what's their status. We can manage their life cycle and verify that they're updated properly."

"I have been using the Enterprise Application Management feature of Microsoft Intune, which enhances abilities when it comes to app discovery, deployment, and automatic updating."

"Among the most valuable features are the Company Portal that is built into Intune, and the update rings so that we can manage what types of future updates the devices get."

"We were able to deploy about 65 computers in under two weeks to a completely remote user base without touching any of the machines."

"Microsoft Intune is reliable, scalable, and user-friendly."

"It's not working perfectly, but Microsoft's Autopilot offers great visibility into automated deployment solutions."

"I rate Intune 10 out of 10."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"Parallels Access has flexible licensing policies, which is beneficial for customers who have intermittent usage or users who are on and off the system."

"It's great that the total deployment can happen completely remotely."

"We don't have problems with stability. Everything is good."

"Parallels Access gives me full access and control of the computer, and I can do anything I want remotely."

"It's got a very easy-to-use interface."

"Being able to flip quickly between however many monitors that I have running, detune the video for black and white, or with fewer colors to make it faster, is amazing."

"The flexibility to manage bandwidth and organize connections, and the price, make ConnectWise a really good choice."

"The remote management piece is the most valuable aspect of the solution for us due to the fact that we can support our clients after hours."

"It's very easy to use, very easy to understand. It gives us remote access to the PC without any issues."

"We took a crack at ScreenConnect and we really liked what we saw and how it worked properly."

"The product is really easy to deploy."

"I've noted an ROI while using the solution."

"We researched prior to evaluating any remote access solutions and decided that Screenconnect was our first choice; we initiated a trial and have not looked back at any other solutions."

More ScreenConnect pros

Cons

"Intune could be improved by expanding its third-party patching capabilities for a more comprehensive solution."

"The reports that are generated aren't so great. They don't give a lot of meaning so far, but that could be down to user knowledge than the actual reporting side of things. I'm not a big user of it, but I was a bigger user of MaaS360, and we used to be able to run weekly and monthly reports. In the case of any deviations. we'd get a warning immediately. That's not so easy to do or to get in place for Intune. This could be just a user issue, but when I compare both, that's the only thing that's lacking for me."

"Intune could add more features that are relevant to the core application control functions. For example, it would be helpful if it had more control over the on-prem environment from the cloud platform. Greater Teams availability in the Saudi market would also be helpful."

"The current Intune reporting functionality could benefit from some improvements."

"Due to the abundance of features, there's a lot to organize, which makes managing and setting up the solution challenging. The setup is immense, and it would be good to see improvement in this area."

"The solution can have some compliance problems in general and the end-point user can bypass easily the company policies in Intune."

"From an end-user perspective of Microsoft Intune, I haven't experienced any challenges since installation. However, some customers have reported experiencing slowness when using lower versions of the Android system."

"Packages on different identity provider platforms that are not supported present challenges for package installation."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"The solution may not scale well for enterprises."

"One challenge we do notice is that the application is limited to Windows servers only. If a customer has a Linux server, things get complicated. They should open it up a bit to be more compatible with different types of servers."

"They could improve the reporting."

"There is room for improvement in the pricing policy. The price point is pretty aggressive."

"When you want to transfer a file from your iPad or remote device to the computer, the copy-and-paste feature doesn't always work."

"At the moment, there's absolutely no specific feature that we actually need additionally since all the features that we need are available."

"On a Linux machine, there are different limitations that are not there on a Windows Server. Much more limitations exist on Linux deployments."

"The previous version of ScreenConnect was so old that it was blocked by Windows Defender, SmartScreen, and most anti-virus applications."

"Speed is a major factor in Automate, and the control panel is horribly slow."

"The recent redesign has made it slower and basically worthless."

"There is an issue which is pretty rare, but I find it at least when connecting from my mobile device. I am forced to refresh the screen by changing the screen quality to get screen updates. This only happens sometimes."

"There is one back-end issue that I am running into at some of locations where I login to provide support, and sometimes port 443 is blocked. That is what it uses to connect. So, I am having to do workarounds to get a session started."

"The solution should add the ability to video chat with the user on the other end."

More ScreenConnect cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for Intune and the competitor products are all within the same range, there is no true advantage when it comes to cost."

"For organizations that are a Microsoft shop, the pricing is compelling."

"With our standard E5 agreement with Microsoft, there have been no pricing concerns. Introductory professional services, like a fast-track service, were included with our E5 membership, and there have been no additional costs."

"The price of Intune is included with the license for Office 365, so we don't have to pay anything extra for it."

"Microsoft Intune is a cost effective choice. It is less expensive than other products on the market."

"We don't get Intune as a separate module. Most of the time, we use it within an enterprise agreement like E3 or E5. Those licenses are at a good price, but what is annoying is that every single year they go higher."

"Consider the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite rather than choosing specific sub-components, e.g. only Microsoft Intune."

"Its price is quite okay. I wish they provide certain additional features with the same license."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

"The licensing costs are about $100 per user."

"It is priced fairly."

"ConnectWise Control is not an overly expensive tool. Its pricing is reasonable."

"Good price and works well."

"It is priced well and it is still a great value. Although I have been reading a lot about Splashtop. They are getting pretty competitive on their pricing, including a fairly easy to use remote support for mobile applications, like iOS and Android."

"We pay $3,000 USD for the service, yearly upfront."

"We pay $85 per month for each user for a ConnectWise package with multiple solutions."

"Make sure you have enough licensing for all the techs that you have."

"I download the product for free with ConnectWise RMM's license."

More ScreenConnect pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

University

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

11%

Marketing Services Firm

10%

Performing Arts

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	124
Midsize Enterprise	53
Large Enterprise	168

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?

Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...

See all answers

What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...

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How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...

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What do you like most about Parallels Access?

Parallels Access gives me full access and control of the computer, and I can do anything I want remotely.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Parallels Access?

When you want to transfer a file from your iPad or remote device to the computer, the copy-and-paste feature doesn't ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Parallels Access?

Parallels Access is an amazing product and a total game changer. The solution allows me to access and operate my comp...

See all answers

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Comparisons

Jamf Pro vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 10% of the time

IBM MaaS360 vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 8% of the time

Workspace ONE UEM vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 7% of the time

ManageEngine Endpoint Central vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Entra ID vs Microsoft Intune

Compared 4% of the time

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Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Parallels Access

Compared 30% of the time

TeamViewer vs Parallels Access

Compared 17% of the time

MSP360 Connect vs Parallels Access

Compared 10% of the time

Splashtop Remote Support vs Parallels Access

Compared 10% of the time

VNC Connect vs Parallels Access

Compared 8% of the time

More Parallels Access Competitors

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs ScreenConnect

Compared 9% of the time

TeamViewer vs ScreenConnect

Compared 9% of the time

BeyondTrust Remote Support vs ScreenConnect

Compared 6% of the time

GoTo Resolve vs ScreenConnect

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Intune

March 2026

Download Microsoft Intune product report

Buyer's Guide

Remote Access

March 2026

Download Parallels Access product report

Buyer's Guide

ScreenConnect

February 2026

Download ScreenConnect product report

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

No data available

ConnectWise Control

Overview

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service designed for device management, security, and compliance. It supports automation and facilitates endpoint management for Windows, iOS, and Android devices, ensuring data protection and efficient policy enforcement.

Microsoft Intune offers seamless integration with tools like Windows Autopilot to automate device setup and deployment. Integrated with Azure Active Directory, it enhances policy management while providing robust reporting and analytics tools for compliance tracking. Despite its intuitive interface aimed at simplifying navigation and device security management, there are challenges such as compatibility issues with Linux and Mac, limited policy support for Android, and demands for better third-party integration. It's widely used for both corporate-owned devices and BYOD scenarios in dynamic IT environments.

What are the key features of Microsoft Intune?

Windows Autopilot: Automates device setup for rapid deployment.
Azure Active Directory Integration: Enhances user policy management.
Reporting and Analytics: Improves compliance visibility.
Mobile Application Management: Ensures app security without compromising personal data.
Cloud-Based Management: Allows management from any location.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Time Efficiency: Automation reduces time in policy enforcement and configuration updates.
Enhanced Security: Ensures data protection across corporate-owned and BYOD devices.
Improved Compliance: Advanced reporting tools enhance compliance visibility.
Flexible Management: Cloud-based nature supports management from any location.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, Microsoft Intune is implemented to ensure data protection and compliance with regulatory standards. Manufacturing sectors utilize Intune for managing a distributed workforce across global locations, while educational institutions employ it to secure and manage devices in learning environments supporting both students and faculty.

Microsoft

Parallels Access enables high-performance remote connectivity, letting users access their applications and files from any location.

Parallels Access offers a seamless remote access experience with its ease of operation and reliable connectivity. It supports application publishing and device control through a user-friendly interface, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes and individual users with specific needs. However, improvements are needed in reporting, server compatibility, and file transfer features, particularly for Mac and Unix users. Interaction with technical support can help but often provides temporary solutions.

What are the key features of Parallels Access?

Remote Deployment: Quick and easy to set up for remote access.
Application Publishing: Facilitates smooth application access from remote locations.
User Control: Offers comprehensive control over device access.
Scalability: Adapts from small to large-scale business needs.
Security: Provides a secure environment for data handling.

What benefits do users find in Parallels Access?

Ease of Use: Simple setup and maintenance save time.
Flexibility: Supports varied deployments efficiently.
Accessibility: Enhances device control, especially via mobile devices.
Collaboration: Easy to integrate into centralized management systems.

Parallels Access is widely used across industries such as CAD, ERP, and academia, allowing centralized management and virtual desktop infrastructure implementation. It supports system integrators and channel partners in improving customer service. Educational institutes find it valuable for CAD applications, whereas users operating devices via iPads find it especially transformative.

Parallels

ScreenConnect offers seamless connections to desktops, mobiles, and other devices with top-tier security features. Empowering businesses through customizable branding, it facilitates real-time problem-solving and adapts to specific access needs with granular control.

ScreenConnect stands out by providing robust remote access solutions, enhanced with security like AES-256 encryption and two-factor authentication. Users appreciate the customization options, enabling them to white-label software to reflect their brand. The Support Premium edition includes ScreenConnect View, a live streaming feature assisting with real-time hardware troubleshooting through mobile cameras. It integrates smoothly with existing systems, offering unattended access, automatic reconnection, and session recording. However, there's room for improvement in user configuration options, file transfer capabilities, and security recognition. Overall, it supports a wide range of devices and browsers, ensuring session continuity even through reboots, making the setup process straightforward.

What are the key features of ScreenConnect?

Remote Access: Facilitates easy access across devices and browsers with strong performance.
Security: Includes AES-256 encryption and two-factor authentication for secure interactions.
Customization: Allows extensive branding options to align with company identity.
ScreenConnect View: Enables live streaming for real-time troubleshooting via users' device cameras.
Session Management: Offers unattended access and session recording for quality control.
Configurability: Provides granular permissions to tailor access according to team requirements.

What benefits and ROI can users expect from ScreenConnect reviews?

Ease of Use: Users find it intuitive for support and troubleshooting.
Cost-Effective: Competitive pricing enhances ROI.
Integration: Easy incorporation with existing security protocols and management tools.
Remote Management: Provides effective remote access reducing on-site support needs.
Efficiency: Increases productivity with robust performance and seamless functionality.

Businesses apply ScreenConnect for remote support, assisting with IT tasks and troubleshooting, often using unattended access functionalities. It's popular among teams of various sizes, aiding companies in managed services and client interactions. The tool's effectiveness makes it suitable for on-site-like remote assistance, though improvements in dual monitor management and domain integration are desired. User feedback highlights the necessity for enhanced onboarding, more intuitive configuration, and advanced reporting features, making it a versatile choice for remote support across industries.

ConnectWise

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

Gilt Groupe K.K.

Jon Rosen Systems

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Access vs. ScreenConnect

March 2026

Free Report: Parallels Access vs. ScreenConnect

Find out what your peers are saying about Parallels Access vs. ScreenConnect and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

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