Parallels Desktop 4+

Good for a trial, download from Parallels if you buy

tl;dr just get it from the Parallels website. Knocking a star because this version isn't feature complete, more details below.

Software engineer / gamer who decided to join the Apple ecosystem here. I can honestly say Paralells has been the easiest Virtualization software to get from 0 to productivity within an hour. Running on a M1 Macbook Pro from 2021 and the VM performance feels native. The paid version is worth the money.

That said the product description around the app store version here needs some work:
* It's not obvious that this is a free trial and then a paid subscription product. I knew it was a paid product but I saw a lot of 1 star reviews from peple who felt tricked / sticker shocked. This is preventable with a proper disclaimer.
* Seamless mode is not supported in the app store version. If you buy Parallels, this is probably one of the reaons why. It leaves a bad taste in someone's mouth to spend $90 on a product to have a key feature missing because you have to reinstall and everything you google says it should "just work".
* The Parallels KB needs some info on how to migrate from the app version to the full version and/or detect existing VMs. I at first thought my existing Windows VM was gone when I removed the app store copy and installed the full Parallels version.

masOS and Windows is a dream.

I am 1000% an Apple guy. The products are beautiful and extremely user friendly and the ability to sync my iPhone to my Macbook to my Mac mini is flawless. There is something about Windows though- the simplistic beauty of the Command Prompt, the customizability of certain features and the ability to change/alter drivers, devices, etc. gives the user a great deal of control over the machine. And to think- I downloaded this software to update my Xbox One controller's firmware. I'm loving Parallels Desktop!

Developer Response ,

Hello,
Thank you for the awesome review! We work hard to meet expectations like yours.
Thanks,
Parallels Team

Would be 5, but Subscription Key Never Received

I tried parallels and loved it so I purchased a subscription on the App store. When I did, I did not receive a subscription key. I desparately needed access for work, so I had to purchase another key on the parallels website. Now I have paid parallels twice in the amount of $99 for only one subscription...support does not answer the phone. They also only allow messaging on twitter or facebook or an extremely dated online forum that I was unable to post to. Worth noting, the email address associated with the purchase and my account are the same...I have no idea why I didn't receive the key on my first purchase, but now I will just have to contact apple support and dispute the charge through my credit Card company.

Developer Response ,

Hello,
The support options are likely limited since you signed into another account on Parallels My Account website (not the one where your license key is registered).
We'd really appreciate if you contacted us by email at scs@parallels.com, and we will do our best to help you with that.

Thanks,
Parallels Team