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

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
4.6
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is efficient and feature-rich but expensive, appreciated for task management and problem-solving, not revenue-generating.
Sentiment score
7.9
Parallels RAS is valued for cost prevention and business continuity, despite challenges in quantifying its exact return on investment.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has helped us to be efficient; we are a team of five serving the entire region of Africa and the Middle East, and it has truly improved our overall efficiency as a team.
System Engineer, Grid Software MEA at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
By unlocking a locked situation, I mean we couldn't connect to a server in any other way, so we had to use RDP.
AWS Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.0
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services customer service experiences vary widely, with issues in responsiveness and documentation quality impacting user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
7.6
Parallels Remote Application Server support is generally well-rated, with some issues in initial support stages and time differences.
Interacting with Amazon's customer support seems to route the request to the correct team almost immediately, resulting in quicker responses.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I would rate the customer support of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services a 10.
Sr. Compliance Analyst at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
For Parallels RAS, the support is rated eight out of ten.
CEO at Etcetera Networks
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.3
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is scalable but may face complexity and cost challenges, especially in larger deployments.
Sentiment score
7.9
Parallels RAS efficiently scales to support thousands of users, though some find load balancing and usage optimization challenging.
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services scales very well; I could scale it to however many users I would want.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
My impression is that most of the solutions, especially today, make sense for large corporations with 2000 seats or more.
CEO & Owner at Mono AS
I can start from fifteen users and scale it to nearly any size.
CEO at Etcetera Networks
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is highly stable and reliable, with occasional disconnections but generally consistent daily performance.
Sentiment score
7.3
Parallels Remote Application Server is stable for most users, though issues with version 13, licensing, and connectivity exist.
 

Room For Improvement

Users report Microsoft Remote Desktop Services needs better integration, security, cross-platform capabilities, improved UI, and performance enhancements.
Parallels RAS could improve by enhancing monitoring, integration, interface, support, web management, cost, and expanding application and hypervisor compatibility.
I also understand that this tool is in an end-of-life state now, with Microsoft actively pushing people towards Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services can be improved by better integrating it within Teams or providing a Teams integration to connect to customer support teams or other systems' accesses using Remote Desktop internally, rather than as a separate individual tool.
technology consultant at Bank of America
If there were an easier way to save logins so that I do not need to keep entering passwords for different servers every time I need to access a specific server, that would be beneficial.
System Engineer, Grid Software MEA at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
A potential improvement could be reducing the dependency on Microsoft solutions for Parallels RAS.
CEO at Etcetera Networks
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers fair pricing with flexible licensing, though additional costs can arise from complex client access licensing.
Parallels RAS is valued for its cost-effectiveness and clear licensing but desired more flexible growth options by some users.
These licenses are not cheap, as they add up in cost.
Chief Technology Officer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
I understand it can get quite expensive and also complex to manage these different licenses.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was that the licensing was acceptable, but I think the cost was fair.
Sr. Compliance Analyst at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
No additional fees for maintenance or support are required.
CEO at Etcetera Networks
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services offers secure, reliable remote access, easy setup, centralized management, and seamless integration with Microsoft platforms.
Parallels RAS provides ease of use, stability, broad compatibility, and cost-effective remote access for diverse devices and infrastructures.
The main benefits that Microsoft Remote Desktop Services provide to me include streamlining my working process, ensuring security, and offering flexibility to connect to virtual desktops and apps from multiple devices.
Technology Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services has helped my team save time and improve productivity because we had Microsoft servers that were impossible to connect from our MacBook Pro laptops, and once we started using RDP, we could connect and move forward to deliver the project.
AWS Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
I have noticed the increase in security from using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services through improved compliance, as we are able to confirm 100 percent that data which needs to stay within the country does so because it only exists on the server.
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
In terms of Parallels Desktop, the coherence mode that allows Mac and Windows applications to run seamlessly side by side is highly regarded.
CEO at Etcetera Networks
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Remote Desktop Se...
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
86
Ranking in other categories
Remote Access (3rd)
Parallels Remote Applicatio...
Ranking in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
13th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Application Virtualization (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) category, the mindshare of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services is 5.9%, down from 7.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) is 3.1%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services5.9%
Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)3.1%
Other91.0%
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2795433 - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud Ops Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Secure remote access has protected sensitive country data and supports strict compliance needs
I understand from the IT team managing Microsoft Remote Desktop Services that it is complex to set up the multiple roles, certificates, and networks required. Networking is quite complicated. Even though on the data center side it is quite simple, maintaining the farm of other connections that connect to that server is the complex piece. I understand there are more modern systems replicating what this solution does, which are easier to use, such as Azure Virtual Desktop within Microsoft Azure Cloud or Amazon WorkSpaces, which I have used before. Rather than having to manage all the complex networking, you could abstract it away a little further in the cloud for easier use. I also understand that this tool is in an end-of-life state now, with Microsoft actively pushing people towards Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365. I do not believe further features will be rolled out due to its end-of-life state, making it a legacy solution now.
JohanSkibdahl - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
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884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise34
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Remote Desktop Services was that the licensing was acceptable, but I think the cost was fair.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Remote Desktop Services?
Microsoft Remote Desktop Services could be improved because when I am connected to a larger screen like an external monitor, the window for remote desktop is not able to fill the screen entirely bu...
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.
What is your primary use case for Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)?
The primary use case of Parallels is to offer it to customers as a hosted service. I help them to migrate from other solutions like VMware to Parallels RAS. I recommend it to companies that prefer ...
 

Also Known As

Remote Desktop Services
Parallels RAS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bank Alfalah Ltd.
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
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Remote Desktop Services vs. Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.