parallels@12 ☆

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Description:
Desktop virtualization software

Type: Cask | Latest Version: 12.2.1-41615@0 | Tracked Since: Sep 10, 2025

Links: Homepage | @parallels | formulae.brew.sh

Category: System utilities

Tags: virtualization windows macos hypervisor vm

Install: brew install --cask parallels@12

About:
Parallels Desktop is a Type-2 hypervisor that enables users to run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems simultaneously with macOS. Its main value is seamless integration, allowing guest OS applications to run directly from the macOS Dock and share files between systems.

Key Features:

Seamless integration of Windows apps with macOS
Coherence mode for running guest OS apps as native windows
Support for DirectX 11 and OpenGL 3.3 for accelerated graphics
Optimized performance for development and testing environments
Snapshot and rollback capabilities for virtual machines

Use Cases:

Running Windows-only software on a Mac without rebooting
Software development and testing across multiple operating systems

Alternatives:

VMware Fusion – Another major Type-2 hypervisor for macOS, often compared on performance and feature set.
UTM – Free, open-source virtualization software for macOS based on QEMU.
VirtualBox – Free, cross-platform virtualization solution, generally less integrated with macOS than Parallels.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 10, 2025 8:05pm	12.2.1-41615	0	VERSION_BUMP	e7c857e7
Jul 28, 2024 12:57pm	12.2.1-41615	0	VERSION_BUMP	7218ed04