Parallels Desktop licensing covers Parallels Desktop for Mac, the Parallels virtualization application that runs Windows, Linux and macOS virtual machines on Apple computers, and the Parallels Toolbox utility suite. Parallels sells Parallels Desktop in four editions. Standard and Pro are licensed under the End User License Agreement (EULA) per computing device, with a ceiling of five licences per user or organisation. Business and Enterprise are subscriptions under the Business User License Agreement (BULA), counted per device or, for Enterprise only, per user.[1][2] Both agreements are made with Parallels International GmbH and were current as of 2026-04-01.
The practical consequence for a licence manager is that an organisation’s first five copies may be bought from the online store under consumer-style terms, but a sixth copy moves the whole organisation into the Business Edition.[1] Business and Enterprise copies are then managed centrally through license keys, sublicenses and the Registered computers list in Parallels My Account.[6]
Editions
| Edition | Licence type | Agreement | Main differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Annual subscription or one-time purchase | EULA | 8 GB vRAM and 4 vCPUs per VM |
| Pro | Annual subscription | EULA | 128 GB vRAM and 32 vCPUs per VM; command line interface and developer tools |
| Business | Annual subscription | BULA | Centralized administration and license management, volume licensing, Jamf and Intune deployment |
| Enterprise | Subscription through Parallels sales or resellers | BULA | SSO/SAML with SCIM provisioning and per-user/device licensing |
The buy page states that Parallels Desktop is available “as either a one-time perpetual license or an annual subscription”, but “Pro and Business Editions are available only as annual subscriptions”.[3] The BULA confirms that the Business and Enterprise Editions are “only available under Subscription Licenses”.[2] The Enterprise Edition is not sold in the online store. It is bought from Parallels directly or through authorized resellers and deployed through the Parallels Management Portal.[4] Catalog proof: Parallels Desktop Pro and Business are annual subscriptions only; Parallels Desktop Business and Enterprise are subscription only.
Parallels Toolbox is licensed separately. The consumer version is subscription only, with each license key covering one computing device at a time plus a Parallels Desktop virtual machine.[1] Toolbox Business Edition, under the BULA, covers as many devices as the key permits (“Permitted Devices”). Extra devices need a new key, or the same key after deactivating an equal number of Permitted Devices.[2]
Metrics
Parallels Desktop licence (EULA). “Each license allows You to install and use one copy of the Software on a single computing device. You may have up to five licenses for the Software.” For an Entity, the limit of five applies “throughout Your organization”, and an organisation that needs more must buy the business edition under the BULA.[1] The EULA grant is “solely for Your private, personal, individual work-related and non-commercial purposes”. Business use beyond that scope therefore belongs under the BULA.[1] Catalog proof: One Parallels Desktop EULA licence per computing device; EULA caps Parallels Desktop Standard and Pro at five licences per organisation; EULA grant limited to personal and non-commercial purposes.
Business Edition computing device (BULA). A Business Edition Subscription License allows the customer to “Install a single copy of the Parallels Desktop Software on as many computing devices as the Subscription License permits”, and each installed copy may run multiple virtual machines.[2] A Business Edition activation “is tied to the hardware it is used on at the moment of activation”.[9] Catalog proof: Business Edition counts installed computing devices; Business Edition activation is tied to the hardware.
Enterprise Edition user (BULA option b). The Enterprise Edition may use the same per-device option or “Enable the running and operation of the Parallels Desktop Software for as many Devices or Users as the Subscription License permits”. The License Certificate confirms the option chosen.[2] In practice the per-user option is SSO activation through the organisation’s identity provider, introduced with Parallels Desktop 20.1. Enterprise Edition has “hybrid licensing”, so license-key and SSO activations can be used under the same licence.[5][14] Catalog proof: Enterprise Edition may be licensed per device or per user.
Counting / floors
Per-user seats. Under SSO activation a single user with Parallels Desktop on three Macs “is counted as 1 seat”. Seats are assigned when the user signs in with the corporate account. A seat is revoked automatically when the user leaves the organisation or “is inactive and doesn’t log in for a month”, and can then be used by someone else.[5] With optional SCIM integration, licences of people removed from the identity provider directory are revoked automatically.[18] SSO activation used to be available for Business Edition. It has moved to Enterprise Edition, although existing Business Edition customers with per-user licences can keep using it.[5] Catalog proof: Enterprise SSO user counts as one seat on several Macs; Inactive SSO seats are revoked after a month.
License keys and sublicenses. A subscription comes with one Primary license key. Administrators can create additional license keys, also called sublicenses, each with its own quota and expiry date. Parallels recommends activating Macs with an additional key rather than the primary one, because a leaked additional key is easier to revoke.[6] Quotas are either reserved or dynamic:
- Reserved seats are removed from the primary pool. Creating a five-seat reserved key from a 100-seat licence leaves 95 seats in the pool.
- Dynamic seats compete for the remaining pool. “A sum of dynamically allocated license seats across several user groups can exceed the overall remaining quota in your primary license”, and activations are then served first come, first served.[6]
When a key with a custom expiry date expires, its seats return to the primary pool. Reducing a key’s quota may deactivate some installations, and deleting a key deactivates all installations that use it.[6] Catalog proof: Parallels Desktop sublicense keys; Dynamic sublicense quotas can exceed the primary pool.
Adding seats. Licences added to an online subscription are charged for the current billing period at the time of the upgrade, and the renewal fee rises to the new total. Subscriptions bought from Parallels sales or a reseller are extended through them.[12] Catalog proof: Additional seats in an online subscription are prorated.
Moving licences between Macs
For Standard and Pro, signing in on a new Mac and choosing “Activate on This Mac” moves the licence: “the license will be automatically deactivated on the old Mac”.[10] Business and Enterprise seats are released by an administrator, who deactivates the old Mac under Registered computers in Parallels My Account.[9] The old Mac keeps running until it next checks in with the Parallels Licensing Server, which “could be anywhere from a few minutes to seven days”, unless prlsrvctl is run on it.[8] Administrators can also blacklist a computer. This deactivates Parallels Desktop and blocks re-activation with the same key.[15] Enterprise Edition licences can be assigned, reclaimed and redistributed through the management portal.[4] Catalog proof: Standard and Pro licence moves to a new Mac on activation; Deactivated seats free up only after the Mac checks in; Enterprise Edition licences are reassigned through the management portal.
These records give a licence manager a ready inventory. The Registered computers list can be filtered to show active, deactivated, blacklisted, expiring or expired installations.[17] Comparing it with the hardware inventory shows seats held by retired Macs, which still count until they are deactivated.
Virtualization & partitioning
The licence counts the Mac or the user, not the virtual machines. Each installed copy of the Business or Enterprise Edition “will allow the running of multiple Parallels Desktop Virtual Machines on each device”.[2] Parallels Tools, the drivers installed inside guest systems, may be distributed and installed to improve the performance of Parallels virtual machines.[1] The BULA forbids running parts of the software “on more than one device” and bypassing “license-key limits”.[2] Catalog proof: BULA restricts splitting software across devices.
Guest operating systems are not included. A Windows licence “is not included with Parallels Desktop and can be purchased separately from Microsoft”.[3] The EULA grants no licences for third-party operating systems and applications, and leaves it to the user to obtain them.[1] Catalog proof: Third-party operating system licences are not included.
Term, renewal and lifecycle
Business Edition subscriptions bought online start immediately and renew automatically while the payment method remains valid. Keys bought through sales channels start when registered in the business account.[13][7] For Business or Enterprise licences bought through sales channels “there is a grace period of 30 days after the current license expires”. Without renewal, Parallels Desktop “will stop working on your users’ computers”.[7][13] EULA subscriptions renew for the term on the License Certificate unless cancelled at least 30 days before expiry.[1] Catalog proof: Business licences from sales channels have a 30-day renewal grace period; EULA subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled 30 days before expiry.
A one-time Standard Edition purchase is a perpetual licence for one version. It “entitles You to use only the version of the Software for which You obtained that Perpetual License”. Active subscriptions update to new versions at no extra cost, and perpetual owners can buy a discounted upgrade.[1][3] Parallels’ lifecycle table defines End of Life as the “Last date the license keys for renewals and upgrades can be purchased for the product version”. Parallels Desktop 19 reached End of Maintenance and End of Life on 2026-08-25, and free email support for perpetual licences of version 20 ended on 2026-09-10.[11] Catalog proof: Perpetual licence covers only the purchased version; Perpetual licence upgrade; Parallels Desktop End of Life ends renewal and upgrade key sales.
Programs
- Evaluation software. Trials default to 30 days from first access unless the License Certificate states otherwise. They must then be deleted or licensed.[2]
- Affiliate deployment. One BULA subscription may be deployed in Affiliates with 50% or greater common voting control, if each Affiliate accepts the BULA.[2] Catalog proof: BULA subscription may be deployed to Affiliates.
- Lifecycle policy. Version support dates for perpetual licences.[11]
Audits and compliance
Parallels Desktop sends licence renewal requests to the Parallels Licensing Server on port 443 at random intervals.[7] Both agreements let Parallels monitor usage remotely through the software. The BULA adds a records-based audit, at most once a year, with costs shifted to the customer when unlicensed use exceeds 5%.[2] An Entity using EULA licences is subject to the same audit clause.[1] The details are in Parallels EULA, BULA and Products Licensing Terms. Catalog proof: BULA audit at most once a year with 5% cost shift; EULA entity audit shifts costs above 5% unlicensed use.
Out of scope
- Prices, which the online store renders dynamically, and Enterprise quotes.
- Educational and other discounted programs. Their eligibility terms were not reviewed, but the reseller rules forbid reselling “educational, trial, upgrade, OEM versions” as full commercial versions.[16]
- Parallels Desktop OEM bundles, licensed under the Specific Terms of the bundled software.