Parallels Access vs ScreenConnect comparison

Parallels and ConnectWise are both solutions in the Remote Access category. Parallels is ranked #23, while ConnectWise is ranked #17. Parallels holds a 1.7% mindshare in VUS, compared to ConnectWise’s 3.1% 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 Mar 29, 2026

Parallels Access and ScreenConnect are in the remote access solution category. ScreenConnect seems to have an upper hand due to its robust features and scalability, making it more appealing for complex business needs.

Features: Parallels Access provides excellent mobile accessibility and application control across various devices, making it ideal for users focused on mobility. ScreenConnect offers extensive customization and integration capabilities, including unattended access, remote management of machines, and the ability to tune video connections, which are beneficial for comprehensive remote support.

Room for Improvement: Parallels Access could enhance scalability for larger businesses and further improve advanced security measures. Some users may also seek more extensive customization options and deeper integration capabilities. ScreenConnect might benefit from simplifying the initial learning curve and offering more competitive pricing. Improved user interface upgrades and streamlined complex deployments could also enhance user experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Parallels Access offers straightforward setup, perfect for efficient, quick deployments, especially for smaller teams. ScreenConnect, with its more complex deployment model, compensates with enriched customer service designed for IT professionals needing more intricate support solutions.

Pricing and ROI: Parallels Access provides a cost-effective solution with a competitive initial setup cost, appealing to budget-conscious buyers. ScreenConnect has higher pricing but justifies this with advanced capabilities that can lead to higher ROI for enterprises seeking comprehensive functionalities. Parallels Access is attractive for those watching initial costs closely, while ScreenConnect provides strong long-term investment value.

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

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Access vs. ScreenConnect

June 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 June 2026, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 6.3%, down from 10.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Access is 1.7%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ScreenConnect is 3.1%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Remote Access Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Intune	6.3%
ScreenConnect	3.1%
Parallels Access	1.7%
Other	88.9%

Remote Access

Featured Reviews

OluwashileAdeniyi

Senior Infrastructure Security Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees

Centralized endpoint security has improved and supports hybrid work and BYOD policies

Regarding what I dislike about Microsoft Intune and its downsides, I would say that more Mac controls are needed because we have limited Mac and Linux control. When comparing controls and policies between Windows, Mac, and Linux, Windows has almost everything you can think of, while Mac and Linux have limited types of control. You cannot implement certain things on Mac and Linux that you can on Windows. The limited controls are a major issue. Additionally, if Microsoft could find a way to embed servers into Microsoft Intune, that would be beneficial. Microsoft Intune is not really designed for servers or Windows servers. It is more tailored towards Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems. Windows servers are not fully supported. Enterprise organizations usually have both servers and endpoints, which are users' workstations. For servers, most people look for other solutions such as SCCM, which is Configuration Manager. However, SCCM is what Microsoft Intune is trying to replace. Both SCCM and Microsoft Intune belong to Microsoft. Microsoft is trying to transition organizations into Microsoft Intune, the native cloud solution. However, because this update is still in process, servers are not fully compatible with Microsoft Intune and cannot be managed by it. The current policy that has emerged from issues with clients is what they call co-management, which is relatively new, and I do not know if adoption is significant. Many legacy or older customers who have been using these products for decades still have SCCM. When it is time for them to manage their Windows devices, they use what is called cloud attach. Cloud attach is a term whereby your SCCM is connected to your Microsoft Intune. Most people do not know about it, but I have deployed it for several organizations. Cloud attach and co-management work together so that your device is in SCCM, but some policies are pushed from Microsoft Intune. It is like two different solutions working hand in hand. That is what they call co-management. Microsoft Intune does not bring all of your endpoint and security management tools into one place, which is the goal and how it should be. However, as I mentioned, servers are not included. If we talk about end users, Microsoft Intune does bring all your devices together. In a typical enterprise environment, you have end users with workstations, laptops, company-issued phones, and bring your own devices. You can create policies for all of these. However, for the backend, your servers do not have much coverage. Servers are not really covered by Microsoft Intune in that way.

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Binish Parikh

Vice President at ARK Infosolutions Pvt Ltd

Easy-to-deploy and good for small as well as large setups

There is room for improvement in the pricing policy. The price point is pretty aggressive. Since it is not very resource hungry, it doesn't require dedicated servers like high-end solutions do, so it's easier for customers to integrate it into their own solutions. In future releases, maybe more support for Macs and Unix so that customers with setups on those platforms can also benefit from the solutions.

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Todd Blake

Senior IT Specialist at a healthcare company with 11-50 employees

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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution’s most valuable feature is its ease of use."

"I have seen a return on investment with Microsoft Intune, as it has saved me resources; previously, I managed my infrastructure with a team of around six to seven members, but after transitioning to the Microsoft Intune hybrid model, I am able to manage it with just one resource, allowing me to cut costs significantly, around 50-60 lakhs."

"With on-premises Active Directory, the main challenge was that we had no control when a user was working from home. We didn't know what exactly a user was doing and whether the AV was up to date or not. Intune provides better control of their machines."

"The user experience with Microsoft Intune is excellent because we can manage users and maintain security and policies anywhere they are."

"For our customer, it meant no on-premise systems configuration infrastructure or identity management services were required."

"The aspects I find most valuable are the managing the data and applications. I can also restrict the users to install any applications. I can also wipe the data if the phone was missplaced or stolen. These are the basics for me."

"The standout features of Intune are its excellent mobile device management and highly effective application management capabilities."

"If you need only to load a specific profile and you don't have deep security functionalities, et cetera, Intune is very nice and good."

More Microsoft Intune pros

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

"What seems to be the most valuable from the customer side is the ease of operation, and the overall experience they have."

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

"The application used to publish for mobile devices is very good and the desktop publishing is very, very good."

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

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

"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 much easier to use ProtectWise Control than to use, for instance, TightVNC or VNC Viewer."

"It's very easy to use. Provides connections that are always on. It was nice to be able to see a list of end-points and see whether or not they were connected so I could troubleshoot any network issues I had."

"The ConnectWise ScreenConnect tool is very good for remote access."

"ScreenConnect is our backup solution for remote access."

"We like the fact that on our website we can have the ConnectWise bit embedded, and it has instructions for the end-user about what they need to do. Previously, on LogMeIn, we used to have to almost talk them through everything... ConnectWise has step-by-step instructions, depending on the browser."

"Setup was very straightforward. All I had to do was write a GPO on my domain controller and it automatically installed the agent that I downloaded from the software. I literally had to do nothing."

"Better than TeamViewer and useful for fixing problems remotely."

"You can bring up a command prompt remotely and execute commands without having to disturb the user."

More ScreenConnect pros

Cons

"It would be interesting to integrate the server side of Intune. Some group policy updates we have on the Windows Server side and possibly some on the client side could also be included."

"If your MDM has to be really specific, perhaps Intune is not the better option."

"I have a lot of Apple products in my environment. It would be nice to have an improved integration of Apple products with Microsoft Intune without Jam."

"There are areas that have room for improvement in Microsoft Intune, particularly regarding integrations."

"Most of the customers in the business do not use Intune because it doesn't support that much policy for Android."

"Intune could be improved by organizing different solutions, like Defender and Sentinel, into a single package. This would allow us to focus on security while Microsoft manages other areas. Having a unified solution would drive better management of various sectors. Although the Intune user experience is good, we should continue enhancing it."

"Intune's server management could be better. If it could incorporate more features from System Center into Intune's Configuration Manager, it would be beneficial."

"We haven't really gone through all the features of Intune. We are just discovering them. Every day, we see a new feature that we want to apply, but what will be great for Intune is to be able to deploy apps in a simple fashion. We should be able to easily install various apps on the Windows platform, iOS, and Android. Currently, we have to write some scripts. It's not as straightforward as we would like it to be. It should be simplified so that we can do it just with three clicks—next, next, finish—without needing to write a script."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"They could improve the reporting."

"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."

"The solution may not scale well for enterprises."

"The scalability is great for small or medium-sized businesses. However, it may not scale well for enterprise-level entities."

"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."

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

"The ability to autolock Windows desktop on remote computers after a remote session disconnects would be ideal."

"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."

"If it had Chrome capability, that would be great; being able to use it on a Chrome device. Right now, I can't use it on my Chrome device."

"Something that I would like to see in the future is mobile video streaming. They do provide audio conferencing, but seeing the problem makes it easier to solve the problem. If they had video streaming, if a client had a physical problem with something and I couldn't get remote access, the client could use his mobile phone to show me the problem. In these cases, even if a client's systems were down, I could help, so long as I had a mobile phone environment."

"The only slowdown I've seen is when quality settings are set to high - and this is primarily on Windows 10 machines that show a picture on the lock-screen prior to the password entry screen."

"I would like ConnectWise Control to be more transparent on the real costs to renew their license."

"There can be some complexities when running patches or when building up all the profiles, making them areas where improvements are required."

"An option I would want would be to have a shortcut on my desktop, to click on it, and immediately be able to select which system I wanted to access and which computer in that system I wanted to access, and have fewer steps that I would have to physically go through to do so."

More ScreenConnect cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's reasonable. They're not giving it away, but it's reasonable."

"I rate Intune an eight out of ten for affordability. It's bundled with the 365 licensing, which is competitive overall."

"Microsoft Intune is included in the E5 license at no additional cost."

"Pricing can be improved."

"The pricing is not cheap, especially with inflation. They've had to increase their prices. It's not excessive, but alright."

"Microsoft Intune's costliness stems from licensing fees and the overhead associated with its management, user experience, and device remediation."

"We work with the subscription rather than a server license. I think it's economical this way because we don't have to have a server license for that, and I think that works in our favor."

"If you're ever going to buy an Office 365 environment, then pricing is reasonable given all that it does, but if you're not, then you might find the pricing expensive."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

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

"For the price we pay, we definitely feel it's worth it, but there are some contenders in the market that are coming out now, whose products are as good; they are offering more features and the price is actually less than ConnectWise. All things considered, the biggest thing is the lack of patching in ConnectWise. If they could integrate that into the product, that would be a game changer, if offered at the same price point."

"We pay an annual licensing fee."

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

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

"It is priced fairly."

"Pricing is fair for Control and the licensing is simple."

"I think the product's pricing is a good value. I paid $600 a year and that was fine for me. It was about $50 a month. Licensing is all very straightforward."

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

More ScreenConnect pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Government

University

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Transportation Company

Construction Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	192
Midsize Enterprise	62
Large Enterprise	185

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?

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What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?

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Compared 11% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Intune

June 2026

Download Microsoft Intune product report

Buyer's Guide

Remote Access

June 2026

Download Parallels Access product report

Buyer's Guide

ScreenConnect

May 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 is a fast and reliable remote access software, enabling users to connect to computers from anywhere. It streamlines operations by allowing access to applications, files, and multiple computers seamlessly.

Parallels Access provides a stable, user-friendly platform with superior desktop and mobile capabilities. Designed for both small and large businesses, it emphasizes ease of use and secure remote access, enhancing user independence, particularly for those with physical limitations. However, it faces challenges including scalability issues for enterprises and aggressive pricing. Reporting and compatibility particularly with Linux and Unix servers need enhancement, alongside integration issues like the copy-and-paste function between iPads and computers.

What are the key features of Parallels Access?

Remote Deployment: Facilitates easy setup for businesses.
Scalability: Supports small to large business needs.
User Independence: Assists users with physical limitations through enhanced control.
Mobile Publishing: Offers superior capabilities for mobile users.
Secure Platform: Ensures high-level security for remote operations.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Operational Efficiency: Offers flexibility by controlling computers via iPads.
Centralized Management: Saves hardware resources.
Application Publishing: Allows independent application deployment.
Use Case Flexibility: Supports CAD and ERP applications.

Entities integrate Parallels Access into their services for remote application access, focusing on efficiency through centralized management. It supports industries such as engineering and education with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solutions, enabling flexibility and enhancing operational efficiency. Companies work alongside system integrators and channel partners to tailor offerings to customer needs.

Parallels

ScreenConnect enables seamless remote access to desktops and mobile devices with robust security features, minimizing customer downtime and safeguarding interactions.

ScreenConnect stands out with its customization options, allowing users to white-label their software and showcase brand identity in every support interaction. With AES-256 encryption and two-factor authentication, security is integral. The Support Premium edition includes ScreenConnect View, allowing real-time troubleshooting via mobile camera streams. Configurability and granular permissions ensure tailored access for team members, while unattended access and session persistence enhance usability and productivity. Integration capabilities and tool-sharing optimize efficiency, making it ideal for IT service providers.

What features make ScreenConnect unique?

Robust Remote Access: Facilitates seamless connectivity across devices.
Unattended Access: Allows remote management without user presence.
Customization: Offers white-labeling to match brand identity.
Session Persistence: Maintains connections across reboots.
File Transfers: Enables easy exchange of files during sessions.
Integration Capabilities: Enhances software functionality through third-party connections.
Session Groups and Triggers: Organizes sessions efficiently.

What benefits should users look for?

Stable Connectivity: Ensures consistent remote access.
Security: Features robust encryption and authentication measures.
Efficiency: Optimizes IT support processes and resource management.
Customization: Tailors the software to individual brand needs.
Ease of Use: User-friendly interface for straightforward operation.
Scalability: Adapts to the growing demands of organization.

Organizations use ScreenConnect for remote support, providing IT teams with a tool to assist clients efficiently from anywhere. Managed service providers leverage features like unattended access to troubleshoot and manage IT issues across multiple devices. ScreenConnect's adaptability makes it suitable for companies with remote employees, ensuring seamless support and connectivity.

ConnectWise

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

Gilt Groupe K.K.

Jon Rosen Systems

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Access vs. ScreenConnect

June 2026

Free Report: Parallels Access vs. ScreenConnect

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

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