Parallels Desktop vs Proxmox VE

Parallels Desktop runs Windows and Linux virtual machines on a Mac, so users can run Windows applications alongside macOS. Supported hosts include Intel Macs running macOS Catalina 10.15 or later and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS Big Sur 11 or later. It is authorized by Microsoft for Windows 11 on Apple Silicon and supports current macOS, Windows, and Linux versions. Listed Windows applications include Excel, Power BI, Access, and QuickBooks. Virtual machines support snapshots, nested virtualization, and GPU acceleration. Standard permits up to 8 GB of vRAM and four vCPUs per VM; Pro raises those limits to 128 GB and 32 vCPUs. Pro also supports command-line workflows and Jenkins and Vagrant integrations. Business adds centralized administration, license management, and Jamf and Intune deployment integrations, while Enterprise includes encrypted VMs under organizational control. The product is paid and offers a 14-day trial. Standard and Pro include unlimited phone and email support, and subscribers get 24/7 chat. Qualifying direct purchases have a 30-day money-back guarantee; renewals are excluded.

Proxmox VE is an open-source, self-hosted server virtualization platform that manages KVM virtual machines and Linux Containers from an integrated web interface. A bare-metal installation includes a 64-bit Debian GNU/Linux operating system with a Proxmox kernel; installation uses the selected server and removes existing data on selected disks. Administrators can also manage the system through a command-line interface and REST API. The cluster stack supports multi-node management from any node, with high availability monitoring and automatic action when a VM or container fails. Running VMs can migrate between cluster nodes without noticeable end-user downtime. Storage options include NFS, SMB/CIFS, iSCSI, Ceph, GlusterFS, LVM, ZFS and directory storage. Proxmox Backup Server integration provides incremental encrypted backups, live restore and single-file recovery. The software is free to download under GNU AGPLv3. Paid subscriptions are per occupied physical CPU socket; each cluster server needs coverage at the same subscription level. The maker is Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Vienna, Austria.