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Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) 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 #9 with an average rating of 8.3, while Red Hat is ranked #15 with an average rating of 6.0. Parallels holds a 2.1% mindshare in VD, compared to Red Hat’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Parallels users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 50% of Red Hat users who would recommend it.
Parallels Remote Applicatio...
Read 25 Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) reviews
  • 1,586 Views
  • 1,061 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
Red Hat Enterprise Virtuali...
Read 2 Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops reviews
  • 390 Views
  • 301 Comparison Views
50% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops and Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) compete in virtualization solutions. Parallels RAS seems to have the upper hand due to its comprehensive features and perceived value for the price.

Features: Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops values robust security, scalability, and integration with existing Red Hat infrastructure. Parallels RAS stands out with ease of use, application delivery, and versatility across various devices and environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Parallels RAS offers a straightforward deployment model and strong customer service. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops has powerful management tools integrating with existing Red Hat systems, suitable for companies invested in the Red Hat ecosystem.

Pricing and ROI: Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops offers competitive pricing for businesses using Red Hat services, focusing on long-term cost-effectiveness. Parallels RAS presents a higher upfront cost but is considered worth the investment due to advanced features and faster time to value.

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To learn more, read our detailed Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops
April 2025
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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

Parallels Remote Applicatio...
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
9th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Application Virtualization (4th)
Red Hat Enterprise Virtuali...
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
15th
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
2.4
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 2.1%, down from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops is 0.7%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
 

Featured Reviews

JohanSkibdahl - PeerSpot reviewer
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
RobertThompson 1 - PeerSpot reviewer
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

"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."
"We can publish apps and desktops on Terminal Servers and seamlessly share printers. We also combine Parallels with Deepnet Security to get two-factor authentication."
"It provides flexible access to Windows applications from many types of devices."
"Parallels Desktop allows me to run both Mac and Windows operating systems on a single machine, eliminating the need for separate Windows hardware."
"The solution is powerful, and it has good speed and performance."
"We can provision the servers without the need for another third-party solution."
"One valuable feature is the ability to securely use a wide range of devices to access the company's infrastructure."
"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."
More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pros
"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."
"The improvement to our organization is managing all our KVM-based virtual machines in a management environment."
 

Cons

"Currently in the RD Session Hosts – Sessions section, I can see what server a user is logged into but not what app he is using. Being able to do so would be immensely helpful when a non-technical user is complaining of issues, but I can’t tell which app he is using, and he is actually logged into multiple servers since they serve multiple apps."
"It would be great if there were more sophisticated GPO templates/options."
"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."
"The product does not utilize SQL for reporting purposes. Also, it does not support some hypervisors similar to Citrix. These particular areas need improvement."
"Improvement is needed in performance monitoring of the client's endpoint, and automatic re-connection of the client in the event of circuit disruptions (this works well generally but can present challenges)."
"From a seller's point of view, there are a lot of things that they could do better in the sales cycle."
"We use several gateways because access to our secret zone requires two-factor user authentication. It is a lot of hassle differentiating among users with or without two-factor. Of course, we could use two farms, but that would mean more management too."
"We would like the ability to provide a popup message, such as a maintenance notification. That same notification on the Parallels client would be awesome."
More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons
"The best improvement for oVirt 4.2 is to enable backup features for major backup products of virtual machines."
"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."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is not expensive. I rate its pricing a three or four out of ten."
"I recommend testing Parallels and comparing it to your needs. Compare the prices against what you are able to do with the product and its alternatives. Parallels is not a cheap product."
"Parallels is a cost effective alternative to Citrix."
"I don't like the subscription model because it feels like I have to pay every month. If Parallels could go back to the professional license, it would be much better."
"Just compare it to Citrix and you will see the value in it."
"We currently use Parallels side-by-side with an Azure cloud-hosted solution. This may be from a lack of product knowledge on my part, but we still need to work out the most effective way to shut down servers outside of hours, thereby reduce hosting costs. I am not entirely convinced Parallels does this well yet."
"Pricing is a little steep."
"The pricing has always been competitive, and the new SPLA licensing model works great for our business and clients."
More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pricing and cost advice
"I use the free developer stuff right now."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
University
20%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)?
The solution is powerful, and it has good speed and performance.
See all answers
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...
See all answers
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 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?
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 ...
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

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Compared 11% of the time
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Compared 8% of the time
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Compared 6% of the time
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Compared 43% of the time
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Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Logo
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
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)
April 2025
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) reportDownload Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) product report
Buyer's Guide
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
April 2025
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops reportDownload Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops product report
 

Also Known As

Parallels RAS
Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops
 

Overview

ApplicationServer delivers applications, data and virtual desktops from a central location, providing continuous availability, resource-based load-balancing and complete network transparency.
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

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
Casio, Telef‹nica, British Airways
Buyer's Guide
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops
April 2025
Free Report: Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops
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