Parallels Desktop offers a limited Standard version for home and student users that costs a one-time fee of $79.99 as well as a subscription-based Pro edition for $99.99 per year. Subscription options (starting at $241 per year) are available for corporate users who need heavy-duty levels of support. Currently, upgrades to Version 12 from older versions of VMware Fusion respectively cost $79 and $99 for the Player and Pro editions. You will need to pay a fee if you ever want to upgrade to a new whole-number version of VMware Fusion, however. VMware Fusion primarily functions as a traditional license-based app, meaning that you buy it once and own it forever. You also get the ability to encrypt or clone a VM. With this tier, you get network customization and simulation features, plus the option to connect to VMware’s vSphere cloud-based hypervisor tool. VMware Fusion Pro is slightly more expensive at $199. If you intend to use VMware Fusion Player for commercial use, a license costs $149. The latter is free for personal or non-commercial use, which makes it the obvious first choice for users who don’t want to pay for virtualization software. Like Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion comes in two versions: a full professional version (VMware Fusion 12 Pro) and a lightweight version (VMware Fusion Player).
