Horizon Cloud Service vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) comparison

Omnissa and Parallels are both solutions in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category. Omnissa is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.0, while Parallels is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.0. Omnissa holds a 1.1% mindshare in VD, compared to Parallels’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Omnissa users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Parallels users who would recommend it.

Horizon Cloud Service

Read 11 Horizon Cloud Service reviews

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940 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Read 25 Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) reviews

1,549 Views
1,040 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Horizon Cloud Service

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Parallels RAS and Horizon Cloud Service compete in the realm of remote application delivery and cloud services. Parallels RAS holds the upper hand for smaller budgets due to its affordability and simplicity.

Features: Parallels RAS offers easy setup, high compatibility across diverse environments, and strong security features. Horizon Cloud Service provides dynamic scalability, seamless integration with VMware's ecosystem, and superior graphics support.

Room for Improvement: Parallels RAS could enhance scalability, improve graphic capabilities, and expand advanced integration options. Horizon Cloud Service may benefit from streamlining deployment complexity, lowering upfront costs, and simplifying compatibility with non-VMware environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Parallels RAS supports straightforward deployment and provides responsive customer support, making it quick to implement. Horizon Cloud Service features complex deployment but benefits from deep VMware platform integration and extensive training resources.

Pricing and ROI: Parallels RAS is more cost-effective with lower initial setup fees and quicker ROI, fitting cost-sensitive plans. Horizon Cloud Service's higher initial investment is offset by its potential for substantial long-term returns, thanks to its rich features and performance advantages.

To learn more, read our detailed Horizon Cloud Service vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

April 2025

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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

Horizon Cloud Service

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

11th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) (4th)

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

9th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Virtualization (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Horizon Cloud Service is 1.1%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 2.1%, down from 2.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

Featured Reviews

SivaKuppala

Enterprise Architect at Wipro Limited

Centralized management enhances multi-cloud flexibility with cost efficiency improvements

The cost of Horizon Cloud Service is high, however, it could be optimized. The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help. Improvements in application performance, especially for resource-heavy applications like intensive 3D workloads, are needed. More built-in automation for routine tasks like patching and upgrading could reduce administrative effort.

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

"The most valuable feature of VMware Horizon Cloud is all of its capabilities together."

"The most valuable feature of VMware Horizon Cloud is the ability to manage a great number of desktops at once and the remote access for users that are working from outside of the office or from different offices in the country."

"The interface is much easier to use compared to Microsoft and other VDI vendors that are well known on the market. I like VMware so much more than the others. With Horizon Cloud, you don't need to spend a lot of money upfront to buy the infrastructure. You can use it the on the cloud, so it lowers the barriers to entry. It's easier to test it and get started. Some clients stay in the cloud, but others prefer to go on-premise. It depends on the nature of the client."

"Horizon Cloud Service provides deployment flexibility across multiple clouds with a scalable architecture that easily scales virtual desktops and applications up or down based on demand."

"The product’s on-premise version has the ability to create an image of any updates or changes in the system."

"The product allows a VPN connection, adding extra value to its features."

"The main benefit of Horizon Cloud Service is that it is cloud-based, allowing our organization to leverage the service without having to manage all infrastructure directly."

"Horizon Cloud Service provides deployment flexibility across multiple clouds with a scalable architecture that easily scales virtual desktops and applications up or down based on demand."

More Horizon Cloud Service pros

"The most valuable feature is the ease with which you can publish applications to different groups of users, by integrating with Windows Active Directory."

"Allows us to publish applications accessible by current-generation HTML5 browser or OS-specific client (Windows, Android, iOS), and it supports popular single sign-on and multi-factor authentication protocols."

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

"Parallels Desktop allows me to run both Mac and Windows operating systems on a single machine, eliminating the need for separate Windows hardware."

"Simplicity of the interface is a valuable feature."

"Client compatibility with many systems makes it very versatile. The reporting that is included is awesome."

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

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

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pros

Cons

"The cost of Horizon Cloud Service is high, however, it could be optimized. The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help."

"There should be more emphasis on the Workspace One access part of the solution. This is essentially identity management provided with Horizon. There needs to be some kind of integration because you are able to have all of these desktops on any device, but you have to have this other component to make it easier from a single sign-on perspective. That's why there should be an emphasis on Workspace One access. It actually comes free with the product, but people don't really know how powerful it can be."

"The licensing model is complex, particularly for hybrid deployments, and simplifying it could help."

"It is very expensive. Its price needs to be improved. They can do a better job with external resources such as a USB or a hard drive. When I tried to connect using these external resources, it failed a lot of times. I had to do a shared connection with a local laptop and then connect from a network standpoint, rather than through VMware Horizon point. They definitely have weaknesses with external connections. A lot of companies probably don't let people use external connections because it defeats the purpose of having a cloud solution and keeping the data in a secure area. You can copy to an external device, and you can lose the data. A lot of companies may not focus on this feature, but if you are providing it, you should make it work."

"The licensing model needs to be adjusted, as a cloud license is currently required even for on-premises devices."

"In the design phase, sometimes the tools for designing Horizon solutions have issues when they're calculating the number of nodes and platforms needed to support the VDI systems."

"It can be very expensive to scale up because each part of scaling up requires you to have new components of the infrastructure."

"The product has a lot of bugs."

More Horizon Cloud Service cons

"We use several gateways because access to our secret zone requires two-factor user authentication. It is a lot of hassle differentiating among users with or without two-factor. Of course, we could use two farms, but that would mean more management too."

"The customization of the web interface could possibly use some improvement. Little things, like being able to place a background image instead of just choosing from a palette of colors, would be nice."

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

"From a seller's point of view, there are a lot of things that they could do better in the sales cycle."

"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."

"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."

"We have had significant, ongoing issues with printing. It would be great to have a best practice for dealing with printing that we can offer to our customers."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"VMware Horizon Cloud is an expensive solution. This solution is approximately 30 percent more than Microsoft Azure Cloud. There can be extra costs."

"VMware Horizon Cloud is a low-cost solution. The model that they have is consumption-based. However, some features are expensive."

"It is too expensive as compared to other solutions because of which we don't use it that much. We tend to go more for Hyper-V or Azure just because VMware licensing is quite up there. We sway people away from VMware Horizon Cloud. We have some clients who already have it. They stay on it for a little while, and then most of them end up moving off when we provide them a better solution that isn't as license heavy cost-wise."

"For what you get, it is very compelling. You've got to look at the total cost of ownership of this type of piece of software in terms of being able to utilize it as a cloud service. I don't have to run everything on-premises. When you look at the total cost of just being able to use it and then being able to point it to any public or private cloud, it is very compelling. You have one less thing to manage."

"Initially, the product is cheap, but it starts to get expensive when users try to scale out."

"I rate VMware Horizon Cloud pricing a ten out of ten."

"There is a license required for the use of this solution and there are different tier levels available."

"We currently use Parallels side-by-side with an Azure cloud-hosted solution. This may be from a lack of product knowledge on my part, but we still need to work out the most effective way to shut down servers outside of hours, thereby reduce hosting costs. I am not entirely convinced Parallels does this well yet."

"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."

"Comparable performance to Citrix for our use case at a significantly lower cost. Pricing is clear and there are relatively few options or other pricing considerations when compared to similar products. Just be sure not to forget the Microsoft licensing that goes along with a Parallels deployment."

"Parallels is a cost effective alternative to Citrix."

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

"It is inexpensive compared to one of its competitors."

"I recommend testing Parallels and comparing it to your needs. Compare the prices against what you are able to do with the product and its alternatives. Parallels is not a cheap product."

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

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

13%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about VMware Horizon Cloud?

The tool remains pretty stable.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware Horizon Cloud?

The cost is considered normal, not remarkable but not outrageous. In terms of expense, compared to other virtualization products, I would rate it as a six.

See all answers

What needs improvement with VMware Horizon Cloud?

The licensing model needs to be adjusted, as a cloud license is currently required even for on-premises devices. Horizon Cloud Service should continue improving their protocol and work with other h...

See all answers

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

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

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

Comparisons

Horizon 8 vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 36% of the time

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 14% of the time

Amazon Appstream vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 14% of the time

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 13% of the time

Workspace ONE UEM vs Horizon Cloud Service

Compared 9% of the time

More Horizon Cloud Service Competitors

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

Compared 34% of the time

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

Compared 25% of the time

Horizon 8 vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 11% of the time

Parallels Desktop vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 8% of the time

Workspace ONE UEM vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 5% of the time

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service

May 2025

Download Horizon Cloud Service product report

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

May 2025

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) report

Download Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) product report

Also Known As

VMware Horizon Cloud, VMware Horizon DaaS

Parallels RAS

Overview

The VMware Horizon Cloud Service delivers feature-rich virtual desktops and applications using a purpose-built cloud platform that is scalable across multiple deployment options, including fully managed infrastructure from VMware, public cloud infrastructure from Microsoft Azure, or on-premises hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI). The service supports a cloud-scale architecture that makes it easy to deliver virtualized Windows desktops and applications to any device, anytime. And, with a flexible subscription model and turnkey solutions, organizations can easily get up and running and scale quickly.

Omnissa

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

Marriott, Sprint

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

Buyer's Guide

Horizon Cloud Service vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

April 2025

Free Report: Horizon Cloud Service vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Find out what your peers are saying about Horizon Cloud Service vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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