{"id":1519,"date":"2006-07-18T13:58:43","date_gmt":"2006-07-18T08:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T15:51:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T10:21:39","slug":"parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Parallels Desktop for Mac: Run Windows 11 on Your Mac (2026 Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When we first covered <strong>Parallels Desktop for Mac<\/strong> in July 2006, it was a $79.99 app that let Intel Macs run Windows XP at the same time as Mac OS X, instead of restarting into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/04\/bootcamp-installs-windows-xp-on-apple-mac-computers\/\">Boot Camp<\/a>. Today Parallels is the main way to run Windows on Apple silicon Macs, and it&#8217;s the virtualization option Microsoft authorizes for Windows 11 on M-series Macs. Here&#8217;s how it works in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Parallels Desktop for Mac\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/parallels-desktop-for-mac.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Parallels Desktop is a virtual machine app that runs Windows 11 (and Linux) inside a window on your Mac, alongside macOS apps. Install Parallels, and its Installation Assistant downloads and sets up Windows 11 for you. It&#8217;s a paid subscription with a free trial; you&#8217;ll also need a Windows license for long-term use.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aea4e750319f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aea4e750319f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/#How_Parallels_Desktop_works\" >How Parallels Desktop works<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/#How_to_install_Windows_11_with_Parallels\" >How to install Windows 11 with Parallels<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/#Features_worth_knowing\" >Features worth knowing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/#Limitations\" >Limitations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/#Alternatives\" >Alternatives<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/#Is_Parallels_Desktop_free\" >Is Parallels Desktop free?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/#Does_Parallels_slow_down_my_Mac\" >Does Parallels slow down my Mac?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/07\/parallels-desktop-for-mac-run-windows-and-mac-os-x-together\/#Can_I_play_Windows_games_with_Parallels\" >Can I play Windows games with Parallels?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Parallels_Desktop_works\"><\/span>How Parallels Desktop works<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Parallels creates a virtual PC on your Mac. On Apple silicon (M1 and later) it runs Windows 11 for Arm, which can run most regular x86 Windows apps through Microsoft&#8217;s built-in emulation. On Intel Macs it runs standard Windows. You can copy and paste, drag files between Mac and Windows, and share folders.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_install_Windows_11_with_Parallels\"><\/span>How to install Windows 11 with Parallels<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Download Parallels Desktop from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parallels.com\/products\/desktop\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">parallels.com<\/a> and install it.<\/li>\n<li>Open the Installation Assistant and choose to get Windows 11 from Microsoft.<\/li>\n<li>Parallels downloads and installs Windows automatically.<\/li>\n<li>Sign in or create a Parallels account, then activate Windows with a license key or buy one from Microsoft.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Features_worth_knowing\"><\/span>Features worth knowing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Coherence mode:<\/strong> hides the Windows desktop so Windows apps appear like Mac apps in your Dock.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Snapshots:<\/strong> save the state of Windows and roll back if something breaks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Resource settings:<\/strong> choose how many CPU cores and how much memory Windows gets.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Other systems:<\/strong> run Linux distributions or another copy of macOS for testing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Limitations\"><\/span>Limitations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Some games with anti-cheat software and apps that need kernel drivers don&#8217;t run on Windows for Arm.<\/li>\n<li>Virtual machines use extra memory; 16GB or more of Mac RAM is comfortable.<\/li>\n<li>Parallels is a subscription, not a one-time purchase like in 2006.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alternatives\"><\/span>Alternatives<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>VMware Fusion:<\/strong> free for personal use.<\/li>\n<li><strong>UTM:<\/strong> free, open source, more technical.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CrossOver:<\/strong> runs some Windows apps without Windows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Windows 365:<\/strong> a cloud PC streamed to your Mac.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Parallels_Desktop_free\"><\/span>Is Parallels Desktop free?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No, but there&#8217;s a free trial. Plans are sold as annual subscriptions.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_Parallels_slow_down_my_Mac\"><\/span>Does Parallels slow down my Mac?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Windows uses some CPU and memory while running. Pause or shut down the virtual machine when you don&#8217;t need it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_play_Windows_games_with_Parallels\"><\/span>Can I play Windows games with Parallels?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Many games work, especially older or less demanding titles. Games with anti-cheat software often don&#8217;t.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When we first covered Parallels Desktop for Mac in July 2006, it was a $79.99 app that let Intel Macs&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apple","category-computers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1519"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64684,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1519\/revisions\/64684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}