Azure Virtual Desktop vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) comparison

Azure Virtual Desktop vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

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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

Azure Virtual Desktop

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

5.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

13th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Virtualization (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Azure Virtual Desktop is 9.0%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 2.8%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Azure Virtual Desktop	9.0%
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)	2.8%
Other	88.2%

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

Makarand-Shrikhande

Sr. Architect at LTI - Larsen & Toubro Infotech

Enables flexible remote application access with auto-scaling and hybrid work support

The use cases include providing application access to users through Azure Virtual Desktop using MSIX App Attach or remote app, enabling remote users like BPO or contact center resources to connect and work on applications, and allowing vendors to access specific applications securely without a…

Read full review

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Azure Virtual Desktop provides users the ability to do remote work in a secure environment that is easy to manage."

"The cost-effectiveness of Azure Virtual Machines is one of the most valuable features."

"Scalability is very straightforward with Azure Virtual Desktop."

"The auto-scaling option allows provisioning additional virtual desktops based on user demand, making it scalable and flexible."

"The integration of Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams within Azure Virtual Desktop helps customers enhance collaboration because it works seamlessly."

"Azure Virtual Desktop enables anyone connecting to Microsoft to use MFA (multi-factor authentication), totally secured to connect and has end-to-end encryption through tunnel encryption."

"Azure Virtual Desktop is stable and provides a 100% stable experience."

"The ability to spin up virtual machines quickly and speedily in Azure has been really valuable."

More Azure Virtual Desktop pros

"It provides flexible access to Windows applications from many types of devices."

"It is a stable solution."

"We use RAS to publish cloud desktops to our clients. The ability to easily publish resources to a subset of users is what we find most valuable."

"The solution is powerful, and it has good speed and performance."

"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."

"We use Cloudpaging to package and deploy the vast majority of our applications to our standard Windows 10 desktops. With the use of Parallels integration into Software2 AppsAnywhere hub, this means we can use the same packages to deliver Windows applications to almost any device - Windows, mac OS, iOS, Android, Linux, Xbox One, PS4 - just by ticking a box."

"The management capability from the RAS portal provides greater control than using pure MS inbuilt into RDS capabilities."

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

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pros

Cons

"The main issue is the response time, which needs improvement to be faster."

"The delivery of applications is a tedious process."

"One of the issues I had was the ability to add an internet proxy. I would like to see built-in proxy and internet filtering."

"The costs are a bit difficult to predict upfront."

"Azure could improve its uptime and the scaling aspect, as it lacks intelligent scaling."

"The costs are a bit difficult to predict upfront. When I am trying to sell it to a customer as a consultant, it is hard to give them a fixed price."

"There are challenges when upgrading the OS from Windows 10 to Windows 11, such as facing a black screen during testing. It is essential for Microsoft to ensure better testing and smoother transitions when decommissioning previous versions."

"My overall rating of Azure Virtual Desktop is five out of ten. While the stability and cost-effectiveness are commendable, there is room for improvement in technical support."

More Azure Virtual Desktop cons

"Sometimes you need to understand how to use load balancing and the gateway in order to scale, which means the team may need some additional technical knowledge."

"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."

"The product does not utilize SQL for reporting purposes. Also, it does not support some hypervisors similar to Citrix. These particular areas need improvement."

"It needs Windows scaling on Android/iOS devices. At present, the concept of delivering apps to Android and iOS devices is appealing, but the reality is the screen size on these devices is so small that, unless there is some scaling option, it is not really usable."

"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."

"A potential improvement could be reducing the dependency on Microsoft solutions for Parallels RAS."

"Opening a ticket should be available from the actual RAS console. It is cumbersome to go to a portal, hunt around for five minutes for a link to open a ticket, answer questions meant to direct you towards FAQs instead of live support, then fill out information (license #, version #, etc.) which could more easily be supplied by sending a ticket straight from the console with all of that information automatically specified."

"We would like to be able to re-label the OTP (One Time Password) popup so our users can easily recognize that they are to put in their DUO code on that line. Most users see OTP and ask what that is."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Pricing is a little steep."

"It is not that high. It is in the medium range. Of course, it could be lower, but the price is not the issue."

"I don't like the subscription model because it feels like I have to pay every month. If Parallels could go back to the professional license, it would be much better."

"Parallels is a cost effective alternative to Citrix."

"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."

"The pricing has always been competitive, and the new SPLA licensing model works great for our business and clients."

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

"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."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

47%

Outsourcing Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Virtual Desktop?

The usual amount customers pay for this tool varies. I have seen large deployments catering to 500 or 700 users. Enterprises do use it, and they pay quite a bit for this.

What needs improvement with Azure Virtual Desktop?

Areas of Azure Virtual Desktop that could be improved or enhanced include the cost part and the auto-scaling part. There is a new dynamic auto-scaling feature which is in preview as of now, and wit...

What is your primary use case for Azure Virtual Desktop?

The usual use cases for Azure Virtual Desktop are for developers trying to have a development environment, and there are a couple of kinds of environments. One is dedicated instances and one is the...

What do you like most about Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)?

The solution is powerful, and it has good speed and performance.

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...

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.

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Azure Virtual Desktop

Comparisons

Compared 87% of the time

Parallels Desktop vs Azure Virtual Desktop

Compared 4% of the time

Horizon Cloud Service vs Azure Virtual Desktop

Compared 3% of the time

Oracle VDI vs Azure Virtual Desktop

Compared 2% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Azure Virtual Desktop

Compared 1% of the time

More Azure Virtual Desktop Competitors

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

Compared 21% of the time

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

Compared 16% of the time

Amazon WorkSpaces vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 9% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 9% of the time

Horizon Cloud Service vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 3% of the time

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) Competitors

Product Reports

Azure Virtual Desktop

Download Azure Virtual Desktop product report

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Download Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) product report

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) report

Also Known As

No data available

Parallels RAS

Overview

Azure Virtual Desktop enables scalable remote work with integration to Microsoft 365, enhancing collaboration and productivity. It offers secure access to desktops from anywhere, supported by features such as automation tools and robust security measures.

Azure Virtual Desktop is a powerful cloud-based platform facilitating remote work, disaster recovery, and secure access to applications. It supports multiple users, allowing efficient management of host pools and provides flexibility for consultants and contractors. Challenges include unpredictable costs and the need for improved scalability, better application delivery, and seamless transition from Windows 10 to 11. While it boosts hybrid work capabilities, further enhancements in intelligent scaling and integration with proxies are needed. Organizations use it for development, ensuring data security and management simplicity, but seek dynamic auto-scaling and cost optimization.

What are the key features of Azure Virtual Desktop?

Scalability: Efficient resource adjustment based on demand
Microsoft 365 Integration: Enhances collaboration and productivity
Security: Includes MFA, end-to-end encryption, and Azure Active Directory integration
Hybrid Work Capabilities: Enables secure desktop access from any location
Automation Tools: Streamlines deployment and reduces manual efforts

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Azure Virtual Desktop?

Cost-Effectiveness: Flexible licensing and resource scaling adapt to demand
Enhanced Productivity: Integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 for improved collaboration
Comprehensive Security: Provides robust features like MFA and encryption
Remote Work Efficiency: Supports multiple users with secure, anytime access

Azure Virtual Desktop is widely implemented across industries like technology, consulting, and finance. Firms utilize it for secure remote work, offering access to applications and data while maintaining stringent security protocols. It is particularly beneficial in scenarios requiring disaster recovery and seamless multi-session capabilities for globally dispersed teams.

Microsoft

ApplicationServer delivers applications, data and virtual desktops from a central location, providing continuous availability, resource-based load-balancing and complete network transparency.

Parallels

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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

Azure Virtual Desktop vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)