Free, open-source alternatives to Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop creates virtual machines on a Mac so that another operating system, most often Windows, runs alongside macOS. It handles installation, shared folders, snapshots and integration features that let guest apps appear next to Mac apps.

The open-source apps below create and run virtual machines on a Mac too. UTM uses Apple's virtualisation framework or QEMU emulation, so it can also run guests built for other processor architectures, while VirtualBox is a long-standing cross-platform virtualiser now available for Apple silicon hosts. VirtualBuddy is narrower, focusing on macOS virtual machines on Apple silicon with guided installs of current and beta releases. Guest operating systems and their licences are obtained separately, and desktop integration features vary between them.