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Parallels Desktop vs Workspace ONE UEM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

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)
7th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Workspace ONE UEM
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (10th), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) (5th), Identity and Access Management as a Service (IDaaS) (IAMaaS) (16th), Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Parallels Desktop is 5.9%, down from 15.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Workspace ONE UEM is 2.5%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Parallels Desktop5.9%
Workspace ONE UEM2.5%
Other91.6%
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
 

Featured Reviews

MH
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.
Vishal Bhatia - PeerSpot reviewer
Trainer/Consultant at Koenig Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Effective product tracking and monitoring enhances daily operations despite needing documentation improvement
The documentation part of Workspace ONE UEM can be confusing. The documentation is not comprehensive compared to other VMware solutions or Microsoft documentation. Most people struggle to connect the dots when looking at the documentation. Even the training material and PowerPoint slide decks that trainers use are sometimes too confusing or overwhelming, with too much content but not enough clarity. The support side has recently become weaker compared to what it used to be with VMware. This is another area that needs improvement. Since working with Workspace ONE UEM from when it was AirWatch, it has improved significantly over the last five years. However, there are still some gray areas and scope for improvement, especially in documentation and workflow between different aspects of the solution.

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."
"We've found the solution to be easy to use."
"VMware Workspace ONE has been stable so far."
"The bigger vendors like VMware, Insight, and MobileIron can assign engineers to customers. You can work with them to develop the right competency to use the product."
"The most valuable feature is single sign-on."
"The most valuable features are the ones that control the leaking."
"We've configured single sign-on for two or three enterprise customers, and it works very well."
"Its UI is extremely easy to use whether you're an advanced user or a novice user. When I first opened it up and had to learn the product, I was easily a novice. By the end of the third month, I was digging into the backend of the system and using it as a highly advanced user to accomplish what I needed to accomplish, and I was able to do it through the UI mostly."
"Remote management is most valuable. It allows you to manage multiple types of devices. It is not just limited to laptops or desktops. You can also manage IoT devices. If a device is lost or stolen, you can easily take control of the device without letting any information get leaked."
 

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."
"They need a more flexible pricing model."
"Windows 10 management is there, but VMware only recently developed that part, and it's not fully mature. Patch management and other integrations are there as well as the application-pushing part, command line, mandatory commands, etc. Some out-of-the-box solutions should be available to better integrate a broader range of applications and handle application push. That's the roadmap we should look at."
"Another concern is that support is getting reduced by Workspace ONE; some customers are saying there are support issues on Workspace ONE right now."
"I tried to use the tool on an encrypted disk, but it was inconvenient."
"One thing VMware needs to improve is compatibility with different operating systems."
"Patching, fixing, and training for VMware Workspace ONE are areas that need to be improved."
"The solution needs to adapt to the cloud based reality of the current world model. Some customers may have reluctance to this, but it is the next level for all of the big providers. Azure, AWS and Google are all on the forefront of cloud-based solutions."
"When it comes to deployment and maintaining security, there should be an integrated console where you have a singular view of all of the products from the same OEM."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"We've purchased various licenses for VMware Workspace ONE, including premium and gold tiers. These licenses include security measures and support for managing telecom expenses like data and voice usage."
"I think the pricing of the product needs advisement. It would be great to bundle the VM products together. I think the actual box itself should be included in the license. At present, it is not paired with the mobile device."
"The license is paid annually."
"We are paying about $145,000 a year on a three-year subscription with no ability to scale up or scale down within that class model."
"Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis."
"There is a licensing fee for the users, and we pay a low amount for our support costs."
"Our organization has stopped using the solution because it was expensive."
"VMware Workspace ONE has a yearly license. You have to buy the license for one year at a time."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
University
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise58
 

Questions from the Community

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How does VMware Workspace One compare with VMware Horizon 7?
VMware Workspace One has a powerful set of helpful features. The solution offers very good documentation, the initial setup is easy, and the product is very stable and reliable. I think the fact th...
What do you like most about VMware Workspace ONE?
The platform provides a stable environment for operations and quickly creates new environments. Additionally, it offers efficient flexibility.
 

Also Known As

No data available
VMware Workspace ONE, VMware AirWatch, Workspace ONE Assist, VMware Identity Manager, Workspace ONE Access, VMware Horizon Air
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Lytro, University of Washington, Slalom, Veeva Systems, Oklahoma Christian University
Australian Sports Commission, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Lomond School, Merck, United Bank, Medical College of Wisconsin, Latymer Upper School, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust, Dowling Aaron Inc., Trillium Lakelands District School Board, Harrogate Grammar School, Duke University Football, Delta Air Lines, Adventist Health System, Giochi Preziosi, Cramlington Learning Village, Intermountain Healthcare, Safexpress, TAG Aviation
Find out what your peers are saying about Parallels Desktop vs. Workspace ONE UEM and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
883,546 professionals have used our research since 2012.