Did you switch from Windows to Mac recently? Do you need to use a Windows program on your Mac? Parallels Desktop is the ideal solution for running Windows, Linux or Ubuntu on your Mac and using two operating systems simultaneously on one single device.

What are the key features of Parallels Desktop?

Parallel Execution: Easily switch from macOS to another operating system (such as Windows, Linux or previous macOS) versions, having access to the unique applications from each of them. Parallels Desktop even supports the recently launched Windows 11.
File Sharing: You can copy and paste text and images, transfer, drag and drop files and folders between Mac and Windows programs.
Stability and Performance : Use Windows software without slowing down your Mac, even those that require heavy resources like Microsoft Visual Studio.
Appearance: You can use your Parallels Windows 10 virtual machine in a dedicated window, in full-screen mode, or in picture-in-picture mode.
Touch Bar: Use the special abilities of your Mac Touch Bar to control Windows applications.
Quick Access: Open Windows applications directly from the Dock in macOS
Boot Camp: Have you previously installed a copy of Windows 10, 8 or 7 using Boot Camp? You can use that same installation in Parallels Desktop if you have an Intel-based Mac. This feature is not yet available for the Parallels M1 version.
Optimized Configuration: Choose what will be the main for your Windows Parallels virtual machine (games, productivity, design, software tests, etc.) and the installation wizard will automatically optimize its settings and performance accordingly.
Security: It is possible to encrypt your virtual machine and prevent its modification through your macOS administrator password.

Click here for a full list of all supported operating systems.

Is Parallels Desktop free?

The download offered on this page will give you a free trial version that you can use for 14 days. After this period, it is necessary to acquire a single-user license for $99.99. Alternatively, there is a subscription version that costs $79.99 a year. This subscription entitles you to free upgrades to newer versions and remote access to your Mac from any Android/iOS device or browser.

Is Parallels Desktop safe?

Parallels Mac is a reliable and safe to use software that has no known history of security issues and other vulnerabilities. Though it is important to realize that any virtualized operating system is just as vulnerable to viruses as the native version of that OS. Therefore it is recommendable to activate an antivirus software in the quest operating system.

What are the system requirements for Parallels Desktop?

Operating System: macOS 12 Monterrey, macOS Big Sur 11, macOS 10.15 Catalina, macOS 10.14 Mojave, or macOS 10.13 High Sierra.
Processor: Chip Apple M1, Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, i5, i7, i9, Intel Core M or Xeon.
Memory: 4 GB RAM.
Graphics Card: Apple M1, Intel, AMD Radeon, or NVIDIA.
Storage: 600 MB for the installation of Parallels Desktop and 16 GB to install the Parallels Windows 10 Virtual Machine.