Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) vs VMware ThinApp [EOL] comparison

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Parallels and Broadcom are both solutions in the Application Virtualization category. Additionally, 96% of Parallels users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Read 25 Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) reviews

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96% willing to recommend

VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Read 3 VMware ThinApp [EOL] reviews

100% willing to recommend

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

VMware ThinApp [EOL]

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) and VMware ThinApp [EOL] based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Citrix, Microsoft, Parallels and others in Application Virtualization.

To learn more, read our detailed Application Virtualization Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Application Virtualization

October 2026

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Helped 920,336 peers since 2012

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

Parallels Remote Applicatio...

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Virtualization (4th), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) (12th)

VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Average Rating

9.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

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.

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it_user769638

Associate Operations at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Streamlines checking our app after pushing an update, which helps cut costs

In the past we used multiple servers to load-balance the application and when we pushed updates to the application we would need to check it on all servers. But when it comes to VMware ThinApp we can do it on a file server or Isilon share and this helps cut costs and create a healthy environment. If we publish an application in Citrix through a server we should have more capacity. On multiple occasions, some applications need updates so at that point we need to disable the servers. But in this case there is no need for disabling user sessions, they can use it and we can do just gpupdate to update all servers in a row.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I feel the product's pricing is of good value; we have reviewed pricing on other software products, Citrix and products like that, and we realized that for the same basic functionality, we're paying pennies on the dollar, so we do appreciate that pricing level."

"Maintenance of software versions has been greatly simplified, ensuring that all users are using the same version of applications."

"It has been much easier to manage and has provided us with faster performance than Citrix."

"The most valuable feature is the HTML 5 Client, which makes it convenient to work from outside the office."

"Simplicity of the interface is a valuable feature."

"Setup was straightforward. Our particular use case involved an Active Directory forest involving two data centers and three domains. User authentication against Active Directory was the easiest to set up and validate of any application installed in the last three years."

"Valuable features include the ability to set up security groups for accessing certain apps, and the ability to add apps easily and centrally without touching the servers they’re hosted on."

"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."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) pros

"A great solution to get started with app virtualization, app mobility and deployment"

"In the past we used multiple servers to load-balance the application and when we pushed updates to the application we would need to check it on all servers, but when it comes to VMware ThinApp we can do it on a file server or Isilon share and this helps cut costs and create a healthy environment."

Cons

"All areas of the product could be improved especially for the IT department, facilitating the deployment of applications and their maintenance."

"HALB is not stable in our environment. When running two HALBs we have stability problems, so we use an active one and a passive for backup. Also, it would be nice to implement an upgrade of the environment without having to stop the servers. As it is, this must be done during off-hours."

"I think tech support needs to be improved because whatever support I get is through email, so it takes a very long time for them to reply."

"We have had significant, ongoing issues with printing."

"The customization of the web interface could possibly use some improvement."

"Since I've been here less than a year, I have had to upgrade the system three times. The first time was the major upgrade but they have upgraded twice since, and I think that's too many times in that time span."

"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."

"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."

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) cons

"There are some improvements needed regarding different types of options and still they are in research and build stage so once everything is set it will look good."

"There are some functional areas Thinapp could be improved. Perhaps including application specific or hardware specific virtual drivers"

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

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

"Parallels is a cost effective alternative to Citrix."

"Pricing is a little steep."

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

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

"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."

"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."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	10

No data available

Questions from the Community

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

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 ...

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Comparisons

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

Compared 14% of the time

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

Compared 13% of the time

Inuvika vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 10% of the time

Parallels Desktop vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 7% of the time

VMware Workstation vs Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

Compared 7% of the time

More Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) Competitors

Microsoft App-V vs VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Compared 31% of the time

Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) vs VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Compared 21% of the time

Numecent Cloudpager vs VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Compared 20% of the time

Inuvika vs VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Compared 15% of the time

Microsoft Virtual Server vs VMware ThinApp [EOL]

Compared 12% of the time

More VMware ThinApp [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS)

October 2026

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) report

Download Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Virtualization

October 2026

Download VMware ThinApp [EOL] product report

Also Known As

Parallels RAS

ThinApp

Overview

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) offers efficient remote application and desktop delivery across diverse devices, providing businesses with easy management and robust performance, ensuring stable and secure access.

RAS simplifies remote access through its user-friendly design, encompassing app publishing, device compatibility, and management capabilities. Users benefit from its HTML 5 Client convenience and impressive speed. With features like security groups and client compatibility, RAS excels in providing a stable and flexible environment. Its scalability across platforms and affordability makes it attractive for many organizations. However, areas such as printing stability, customization, and performance monitoring could benefit from further enhancements.

What are the key features of Parallels RAS?

App Publishing: Provides simple and efficient application distribution across devices.
Device Compatibility: Supports devices including Macs, Windows, and Android.
HTML 5 Client: Enables convenient access via web browsers.
Security: Incorporates security groups and robust measures.
Integration: Compatible with platforms including Windows RDS and VMware.

What benefits do users gain from Parallels RAS?

Ease of Use: Simplifies setup and management processes.
Performance: Ensures swift and stable application delivery.
Cost-Effective: Offers an affordable solution for remote access needs.
Diverse Access: Promotes secure, seamless access from multiple devices.

Industry implementations of Parallels RAS include its use as a client gateway and an alternative to Windows RDS. With support for Macs, Windows, Linux, and Android devices, it facilitates application publishing and migration from platforms like VMware. Organizations employ RAS for remote control, VDI, and ERP solutions, improving remote workforce operations and geographic application distribution.

Parallels

VMware ThinApp accelerates application deployment and simplifies application migration with agentless application virtualization. Deploy ThinApp packages on "locked-down" PCs and allow end users to run their favorite applications without compromising security. ThinApp eliminate application conflicts by isolating applications from each other and the underlying OS into a single executable file that can be easily deployed to many endpoints.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

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

Delhi International Airport, Telus Communications Company, Mansfield District Council, St Edmunds College, Sydney Adventist Hospital, ITSAM, Hertz International, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. , ASVZ, Appenzell Ausserrhoden Informatik, MTF, Stadt Hattingen, €sterreichisches Verkehrsbªro AG, DER Reisebªro GmbH & Co OHG, Thomas-Krenn.AG, BFI Wien, Metal One Pipe & Tubular Products Inc., NTT Neomeit

Buyer's Guide

Application Virtualization

October 2026

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