Parallels Desktop vs Portable Virtualbox : Which is Better?

Parallels Desktop icon

Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop for Mac, by Parallels, is software providing hardware virtualization for Macintosh computers with Intel processors. Developed by Parallels IP Holdings GmbH

License: Commercial

Apps available for Mac OS X

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Portable Virtualbox icon

Portable Virtualbox

Portable-VirtualBox is a free and open source software tool that lets you run any operating system from a usb stick without separate installation. Developed by Runar Buvik

License: Open Source

Categories: Network & Admin

Apps available for Windows

Parallels Desktop VS Portable Virtualbox

Portable VirtualBox is a free, open-source virtualization solution that is lightweight and portable, making it ideal for users needing basic virtualization across different OS platforms. In contrast, Parallels Desktop offers a high-performance, user-friendly experience designed specifically for macOS users, but comes at a premium price and requires more system resources.

Parallels Desktop

Pros:

  • High performance
  • User-friendly interface
  • Robust support for macOS
  • Seamless integration with macOS
  • Advanced features like snapshots

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Only available for macOS
  • Resource-intensive
  • Less flexible in VM customization
  • Not portable

Portable Virtualbox

Pros:

  • Free to use
  • Lightweight and portable
  • Cross-platform compatibility
  • Open-source
  • Good community support

Cons:

  • Limited features compared to paid solutions
  • Performance can be slower
  • Requires manual setup
  • Less intuitive for beginners
  • Limited commercial support

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