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Parallels Desktop alternatives: 3 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Parallels Desktop: subscription pricing, with higher limits only in Pro, and mac only. We ranked 3 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Parallels Desktop, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. UTM currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1UTM logoUTMOpen sourceYesmacOS, iOS5 of 566.5
  1. UTM logo

    1. UTMTop pick

    Best for: Mac users who want free Linux, Windows or retro-OS virtual machines without paying for Parallels

    Open sourcemacOS, iOS

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Parallels Desktop

    Free and open source; fine for Linux and lighter Windows use if you can give up some polish.

    Pros

    • Free and open source, with the same features in the paid App Store copy
    • Runs ARM guests near native speed and emulates many old architectures
    • Scriptable through AppleScript and the utmctl command-line tool

    Cons

    • x86 guests on Apple silicon run through slow emulation
    • Graphics and game support trail Parallels Desktop
    • Mac and iPad only
    Visit UTM Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is UTM a good Parallels Desktop alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free; App Store copy is optional support
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Virtualization
    Apple Hypervisor for ARM64 guests
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
    macOS guests
    Apple silicon, macOS Monterey or later
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)
    Command line
    utmctl and AppleScript
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mac.getutm.app(opens source in a new tab)

The best Parallels Desktop alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

UTM logo

Best Parallels Desktop alternative for most people

UTM

Free and open source; fine for Linux and lighter Windows use if you can give up some polish.

VirtualBox logo

Best Parallels Desktop alternative for a free option

VirtualBox

Free VM app that also runs on Windows and Linux hosts, useful for cross-platform labs.

OrbStack logo

Best Parallels Desktop alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

OrbStack

Lighter and cheaper if what you actually need is Linux machines and containers for development.

UTM logo

Best Parallels Desktop alternative for open source

UTM

Free and open source; fine for Linux and lighter Windows use if you can give up some polish.

UTM logo

Best Parallels Desktop alternative for Mac

UTM

Free and open source; fine for Linux and lighter Windows use if you can give up some polish.

VirtualBox logo

Best Parallels Desktop alternative for Windows

VirtualBox

Free VM app that also runs on Windows and Linux hosts, useful for cross-platform labs.

VirtualBox logo

Best Parallels Desktop alternative for Linux

VirtualBox

Free VM app that also runs on Windows and Linux hosts, useful for cross-platform labs.

Parallels Desktop alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Parallels Desktop?

UTM ranks first right now. Free and open source; fine for Linux and lighter Windows use if you can give up some polish. VirtualBox and OrbStack follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Parallels Desktop?

Yes. UTM (open source), VirtualBox (open source) and OrbStack (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Parallels Desktop?

Yes: UTM and VirtualBox.

Which Parallels Desktop alternatives work on Linux?

VirtualBox runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Parallels Desktop?

The complaints we hear most: subscription pricing, with higher limits only in Pro; mac only; standard edition caps each VM at 8 GB vRAM and 4 vCPUs.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Parallels Desktop, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.