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 #11 with an average rating of 7.5, while Red Hat is ranked #14 with an average rating of 6.0. Parallels holds a 2.6% mindshare in VD, compared to Red Hat’s 0.8% 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

1,577 Views
1,498 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Red Hat Enterprise Virtuali...

Read 2 Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops reviews

443 Views
443 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Red Hat Enterprise Virtuali...

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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.

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

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs. Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

July 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)

11th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Virtualization (4th)

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 August 2025, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 2.6%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops is 0.8%, 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

CEO at Etcetera Networks

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.

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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.

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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

"Simplicity of the interface is a valuable feature."

"One valuable feature is the ability to securely use a wide range of devices to access the company's infrastructure."

"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."

"You have the opportunity to virtualize applications in different locations. Everything is in one pane or one window, which is quite good."

"The most valuable feature is the ease with which you can publish applications to different groups of users, by integrating with Windows Active Directory."

"It permits us to control the applications that our users are able to get to, in a seamless manner. We're able to distribute applications to users' desktops, just like those applications are on each user's computer, but they're not."

"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."

"It is a stable solution."

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

"Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is an expensive solution, and its pricing could be improved."

"If the solution crashes, then all the customers connected through that agent, lose their session."

"Generally, it is a very good solution. The main thing that I would improve is their presence here in Mexico. They don't have strong local support here in Mexico. They should have a worldwide presence so that we don't have to do everything through the people in the US. The initial setup was a little bit complex because we were migrating from Citrix. For customers who are migrating from another platform like VMware or Citrix, it would be great if they can provide an automated migration solution."

"HALB is not stable in our environment. When running two HALBs we have stability problems, so we use an active one and a passive for backup. Also, it would be nice to implement an upgrade of the environment without having to stop the servers. As it is, this must be done during off-hours."

"The solution's application virtualization feature needs improvement."

"It would be great if there were more sophisticated GPO templates/options."

"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)."

"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."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons

"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

"I think the new pricing is a little bit high. If the price was lower, we could use it for many more customers. If there was one improvement to be made to this product, it would be a small-business version, at a much lower price point."

"It is inexpensive compared to one of its competitors."

"Comparable performance to Citrix for our use case at a significantly lower cost. Pricing is clear and there are relatively few options or other pricing considerations when compared to similar products. Just be sure not to forget the Microsoft licensing that goes along with a Parallels deployment."

"It justifies the price. In terms of licensing, initially when we got the product it was an unlimited licensing strategy. We knew would grow in the coming years. So initially, we took a plan which had no limit. After a year or so the strategy changed and we were being limited to 105 licenses, that was the minimum... If there was flexibility for increasing the number of licenses that would be great because you never know how much you are going to grow in the next year."

"Just compare it to Citrix and you will see the value in it."

"Pricing is a little steep."

"Parallels is a cost effective alternative to Citrix."

"Work with the vendor, as this is a fairly new product and they want use cases. Deals can be made."

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

10%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

University

20%

Manufacturing Company

17%

Government

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

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.

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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...

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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?

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

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 21% of the time

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 20% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 9% of the time

Amazon WorkSpaces vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 9% of the time

Parallels Desktop vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 7% of the time

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) Competitors

Horizon 8 vs Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

Compared 51% of the time

Oracle VDI vs Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops

Compared 31% of the time

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

Compared 18% of the time

More Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

August 2025

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) report

Download Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) product report

Buyer's Guide

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

August 2025

Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops report

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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

July 2025

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