Parallels Desktop vs Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops comparison

Parallels and Red Hat are both solutions in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category. Parallels is ranked #8, while Red Hat is ranked #14 with an average rating of 6.0. Parallels holds a 6.8% mindshare in VD, compared to Red Hat’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Parallels users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 50% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.

Parallels Desktop

Read 2 Parallels Desktop reviews

4,968 Views
4,968 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Red Hat Enterprise Virtuali...

Read 2 Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops reviews

498 Views
498 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Parallels Desktop

Red Hat Enterprise Virtuali...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops and Parallels Desktop are competing in the virtualization solutions category. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops holds an advantage in pricing and support, while Parallels Desktop stands out with advanced features.

Features: Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops offers robust scalability, enterprise integration, and support for cost-conscious buyers. Parallels Desktop provides seamless application compatibility, high performance for running Windows applications on Mac, and cross-platform support.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops requires complex deployment with significant infrastructure and dedicated IT resources but offers comprehensive customer support. Parallels Desktop allows simple installation and operation with minimal technical requirements, supported by prompt customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops offers competitive pricing focused on long-term savings and lower total cost of ownership, providing substantial ROI over time. Parallels Desktop features a higher initial setup cost but balances this through flexibility and enhanced productivity, offering ROI via improved operational efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed Parallels Desktop vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Desktop vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

December 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 881,082 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

Parallels Desktop

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

8th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Red Hat Enterprise Virtuali...

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

14th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

2.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Parallels Desktop is 6.8%, down from 15.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops is 0.8%, down from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Parallels Desktop	6.8%
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops	0.8%
Other	92.4%

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

Mark Hardy

Payments Architect at Self Employed

A great platform to develop interoperable code on

The decision to transition away from Intel chips to their silicon. They are processing, and there are many examples. Instead of not having a product to use for a while, they have just released it now. However, if you're seeking a product that is industry-ready regularly or has plans to make it so, considering the upcoming changes, I recommend trying out Parallels Desktop in beta. When you're only dealing with Windows, we do much in the Windows version, but it is not improving the Windows operating system. If you're hosting a Windows platform or another version of the machine, the code will have limitations. Windows is not a walled garden, with no significant volatility or instability. Windows is quite versatile. I never encountered intrusive ads or unused features, which is quite good. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Read full review

RobertThompson 1

Information Security Manager at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

Free version available but hard to understand

Personally, I don't think it has any commendable features. The biggest thing about it is that, compared to what you can do with VMware and Horizon, it just seems like there's an awful lot of extra work involved with the Red Hat virtualization. It doesn't just work out of the box. You have to read through about six different documents, and everybody's experience is different. So it's kind of annoying. That would be the main thing. If you're not a Linux geek, it's very hard to understand. And it's probably because I came out of the Windows world. I learned this as part of my cross-training, but I just found the way that it happens with VMware and all that stuff to be easier to use.

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 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."

"Parallels Desktop integrates seamlessly with macOS. It works better than VMware on Apple operating systems."

"The improvement to our organization is managing all our KVM-based virtual machines in a management environment."

"There's lots of good support out there in the community."

"The most valuable features are automated deployment and transparent movement for virtual machines over all our locations."

Cons

"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."

"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."

"The biggest thing about it is that, compared to what you can do with VMware and Horizon, it just seems like there's an awful lot of extra work involved with Red Hat virtualization."

"The best improvement for oVirt 4.2 is to enable backup features for major backup products of virtual machines."

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"I use the free developer stuff right now."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

14%

Computer Software Company

12%

University

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

22%

Manufacturing Company

21%

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops?

I use the free developer stuff right now.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops?

I've used it more as a user than as an administrator setting it up. Just mainly getting access to legacy systems and programming that's not Windows 11 compatible.

See all answers

Comparisons

VMware Fusion Pro vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 57% of the time

VMware Workstation vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 14% of the time

Azure Virtual Desktop vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 6% of the time

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 4% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Parallels Desktop

Compared 3% of the time

More Parallels Desktop Competitors

Horizon 8 vs Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

Compared 56% of the time

Oracle VDI vs Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

Compared 28% of the time

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

Compared 16% of the time

More Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

December 2025

Download Parallels Desktop product report

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

December 2025

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops report

Download Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops product report

Also Known As

No data available

Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

Overview

Parallels Desktop optimizes the virtualization experience on Mac, catering to professionals needing dual OS capabilities for seamless integration.

Designed for Mac users seeking efficient virtualization, Parallels Desktop enables Windows applications to run alongside macOS without rebooting. It integrates smoothly with current workflows, offering robust performance and comprehensive connectivity, supporting diverse professional needs.

What are its key features?

Coherence Mode: Effortlessly blend Windows and macOS applications for a unified desktop experience.
Resource Allocation: Dynamic adjustment of CPU and RAM helps maintain performance based on your tasks.
Seamless Integration: Easily access Mac files from Windows applications, ensuring fluid cross-platform interactions.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Increased Productivity: Simultaneously run multiple operating systems, enhancing multitasking capabilities.
Enhanced Compatibility: Access various applications, broadening tool availability across platforms.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces costs by eliminating the need for additional hardware or separate setups.

Parallels Desktop transforms industry practices by enabling diverse sectors such as education and finance to optimize software use without disruptions. In education, it supports a wide range of applications needed for enhanced learning experiences. Financial firms utilize dual systems for versatile data management and analysis.

Parallels

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops complete desktop environments are hosted virtually. Users connect to these virtual desktops using either inexpensive thin clients or re-purposed PCs. No data is actually stored on the thin client - it's stored in a secure centralized location and can be accessed from anywhere. Red Hat Virtualization is an open, software-defined platform that virtualizes Linux and Microsoft Windows workloads. Built on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM), it features management tools that virtualize resources, processes, and applications providing a foundation for a cloud-native and containerized future.

Red Hat

Sample Customers

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

Casio, Telef‹nica, British Airways

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Desktop vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

December 2025

Free Report: Parallels Desktop vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

Find out what your peers are saying about Parallels Desktop vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Parallels Desktop vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops report.

See our list of best Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) vendors.

We monitor all Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.