Parallels Desktop vs UTM

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.

UTM is a system emulator and virtual-machine host for macOS and iOS that can run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems. Its QEMU backend supports more than 30 processor types, including x86_64, ARM64, ARM32, MIPS, PPC, and RISC-V. On Apple Silicon, UTM uses Apple’s Hypervisor framework for ARM64 systems; Intel Macs can virtualize x86/x64, while Apple Silicon can emulate those architectures at lower performance. Apple Virtualization is also available for macOS and Linux on Apple Silicon. Virtual machines can run with a graphical display, terminal console, or headless, and support snapshots, nested virtualization, and multiple displays. The Mac app supports USB devices, bridged or shared networking, and external-drive storage; iOS supports shared directories, clipboard sharing, and port forwarding. macOS guests are limited to ARM-based Macs running macOS Monterey or later. Windows GPU acceleration is unavailable, and Linux hardware OpenGL acceleration is experimental. The GitHub version is free; the Mac App Store version costs 9.99 USD once and adds automatic updates.