Parallels Desktop for Mac

Last updated: 5 October 2026

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What Parallels Desktop does

Parallels Desktop is a virtualisation app. You install Windows inside it, and Windows then runs as a guest on your Mac, with its programs opening in their own windows. You can also run Linux, or a second copy of macOS, the same way.

Most people buy it for one program. Common examples are Windows-only accounting or trading software, the Windows version of Excel (which still has features the Mac version lacks), and engineering tools such as SolidWorks or Revit. Developers use it to test software on several operating systems at once.

A Windows licence is not included. You can download Windows and set it up inside Parallels, but you need to buy a licence from Microsoft to activate it. If you already own one, it may work, depending on its terms.

Standard, Pro or Business: which Parallels Desktop edition

All three editions run the same Windows apps. The difference is how much of your Mac a virtual machine can use, and the tools around it.

• Standard Edition: each virtual machine gets up to 8 GB of memory and 4 processor cores. Sold as a yearly subscription or as a one-time licence.
• Pro Edition: up to 128 GB of memory and 32 processor cores per virtual machine, plus a command-line interface and developer tools. Subscription only.
• Business Edition: everything in Pro, plus central licence management, deployment through Mac management tools and volume licences for teams. Subscription only.

For Office, accounting software or a browser that only works properly on Windows, Standard is enough. If you run CAD, graphics-heavy programs or more than one virtual machine at a time, the 8 GB cap on Standard will hold you back, so pick Pro. Pro costs £5.50 more a year at the October prices.

What your Mac needs for Parallels Desktop 27

Version 27 is the current release, and it needs a Mac with Apple silicon: any M-series chip, or the A18 Pro in the MacBook Neo. If your Mac has an Intel chip, Parallels Desktop 26 is the last version that supports it.

• Memory: 8 GB minimum, 16 GB or more for graphics-heavy work or several virtual machines.
• Storage: 600 MB for Parallels itself, plus at least 16 GB for Windows. An SSD is recommended.
• macOS: Sonoma 14.7 or newer, Sequoia 15.5 or newer, Tahoe 26, or the next macOS when it is released.
• Graphics: full hardware acceleration needs an M3 chip or newer.

The full list, with footnotes for older macOS versions, is on the Parallels Desktop system requirements page.

Parallels Desktop prices in the UK

These are the prices parallels.com showed on 5 October 2026:

• Standard Edition: £49.49 a year, down from £89.99
• Pro Edition: £54.99 a year, down from £99.99
• Business Edition: £77.99 a year, down from £119.99

A subscription includes every new version and unlimited phone and email support. The one-time licence, available on Standard only, lets you keep using the version you bought, but it does not include the next major version. Each version supports a set list of macOS releases, so if you update macOS every year, the subscription is the safer buy.

Parallels did not show an end date for the 45% discount. Check the price in your basket, and the renewal price, before you pay. Our link opens the Parallels buy page, where the sale prices already show, so you do not need a discount code.

Try it free for 14 days

The free trial gives you Parallels Desktop Pro for 14 days. Install the one Windows program you need it for and run a normal working session from start to finish. You also have 30 days to ask for a refund after buying.

Limits to know before you buy

• The Windows licence: it is a separate cost, paid to Microsoft.
• The yearly fee: Pro and Business are subscription only, so the cost comes round every year.
• The Standard memory cap: 8 GB per virtual machine is fine for office software but tight for design and engineering work.
• Intel Macs: version 27 does not support them.
• Arm Windows: on Apple silicon you run the Arm version of Windows 11. Microsoft warns that some hardware, games and apps will not work, including those that rely on DirectX 12. Test your program in the free trial first.

See Parallels Desktop prices

Parallels Desktop FAQs

Do I need a Windows licence to use Parallels Desktop?

Yes. Parallels does not include one. You can install Windows without a licence, but you need one from Microsoft to activate it.

Does Parallels Desktop work on Intel Macs?

Version 26 does. Version 27, the current release, needs an Apple silicon Mac with an M-series or A18 Pro chip.

Is there a one-time purchase?

Only for the Standard Edition. You keep the version you bought, but new major versions are not included. Pro and Business are yearly subscriptions.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. Parallels offers 14 days of the Pro Edition free, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases.

Standard or Pro: which do I need?

Standard covers office software and most everyday Windows programs. Pick Pro for CAD, graphics-heavy programs, development tools or more than one virtual machine at once, because it lifts the memory limit from 8 GB to 128 GB.

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