[Licensing] Use one license on several personal computers

Thanks for the link! I should have added - only one instance can be activated at a time

 

Hello, your most welcome.

 

Just adding my voice to the chorus; I've been a happy VMware user for many years, at home and at work, and I'm currently a Parallels subscriber because and only because VMware keeps failing to deliver a usable product on M1. I do a lot of work in VMware, some in Fusion, and the lack of a working M1 Fusion has led me here. While having Parallels makes my M1 Mac minimally usable, the rest of my computers and environments mean I'm native on VMware's stack, not yours, and if they deliver a working M1 Fusion in the next year (which is very likely), my subscription will not get renewed.

It's not a threat (what do you care about one license more or less?), but instead an opportunity to win mindshare. There is an awful lot VMware delivers that you don't, and I doubt you want to, like ESX, but having a working M1 product is a major opportunity.

Making the license many computers-one user would make me much more likely to flip all of my Macs to Parallels than Fusion, just to make import/export faster and easier. I'd still have to work around ESX being the heavy lifter around here, but you'd at least have an opportunity. With one-license-equals-one-computer, you're just an outlier, waiting to be enough of a difficulty to merit homologization of my workflows.

While a standard issue mass-minted MBA will only see "We would reduce the total number of licenses sold if we allowed multiple machines", someone with more vision will see that you're also taking up more workloads and getting more face time.

Maybe you want to stay the second fiddle to VMware. That's cool. I expect VMware to ship a working M1 client in the next six months, so I'll have lots of easy overlap time before my license runs out. If your licensing was just a little easier for power users to leverage, though, you could possibly take a chunk of VMware's Mac business away from them. Your call.

 

I think your license should be bind to the user, not the computer. Because I need to switch from my imac to macbook occasionally and getting a second license is not worth it. I have Jetbrains toolbox subscription, I think this feature is really required!,I don't see how allowing two installs would hurt their bottom line, but then, I don't know the entire picture either.

 

Hello, you can transfer a license to another Mac, but maximum three times.

 

Just adding my voice.
I have just bought Parallels as I upgraded to a M1 at work and laptop. To my surprise (yes should I read the BS) you have to jump loops and at a max of three time to swap activation/license the my current computer that I'm using. I only need it running one computer at a time (when I'm at work main computer, on the road or at home on laptop) never simultaneous. So as I've paid for the year, just going to use at works computer, but not going to continue the subscription. Have just installed VMware fusion preview and windows 11 (this is harder to do that Parallels but it does work). Parallels is very nice, and would continue to use, but the current licensing policy needs changing.

 

I am right now purchasing VMware Fusion instead of a 2nd copy of Parallels because of what I've learned in this exact thread. I need to use a VM on my Desktop when I'm in my office and on my laptop when I'm on the road. Even Adobe allows this type of usage!

 

Looking at this long thread it's clear that Parallels has become an ogre company. Even Adobe allow 'multiple install, single use' of their products such as lightroom or photoshop (actually they allow TWO concurrent active apps as standard). As Parallels actually checks its activation every time you launch it this is something that could easily be instigated. I paid for the annual subs last year but due to this greedy approach I've not renewed the subscription. The moral perspective is simple, subscriptions allow you to 'pay to use' this should be regardless of what you use it on. Parallels practice is wholly inflexible, arcane and greedy. Once VMware address the M1 properly I expect a mass exodus to Fusion. For me this is less hasta la vista, and more good bye Parallels.

 

Spot on. I have a Mac Studio in the office and a MBP I take with me to clients / beach bar when I fancy a scenery change / home when absolutely necessary. I currently only have parallels on the MBP, to save on a second licence, & I have a manual switch of amazon now to swap the screen between mbp & ms but it is a pain in the sear! Plus my MBP is ancient so really want to be running on the studio!

 

One license should be used for one computer. This is the best practice.

 

Adding my thoughts: I've been a VMware user for a long time, but have recently been exploring the nicer interface of Parallels. I've gone as far as putting in my credit card number several times, but then realize it's going to be a pain to switch my license frequently between my 'at home' laptop and my 'travel' laptop. And it is just not right that I have to pay for two Parallels when I am one person with two machines. Please find a way to assign a license to a user. Follow the model of audio software and use something like iLok or whatever. I'd really like to use your product. If VMware comes out with a non-testing M1 version, I'll just stay with them and I believe a lot of others will too.

 

As you can see, Parallels does not care about their customers opinion. Just go through the 11 pages and look at Parallels answers.
Basically they will not even care enough to take some time to implement a basic licensing software to help customers switch the licence between computers. You know when you can ask for twice the price...

If you think this is outrageous like I do, just stay away from Parallels now. Just look at VM CPU/Ram configuration limitations with Parallels and it should convince you Parallels is more expensive and offers less than others!
VMware is not as nice but it works and it is waaaay cheaper. You could even consider other softwares like Virtualbox or Qemu if you have a linux machine on your network.

 

3 times... Even better

This is how Parallels care about their customers!

 

I had to sign up and post. What does it say when a thread about licensing has been going 5 years? A lot has changed in licensing over that period, not at Parallels I guess. Like a few before me, I too am here because VMware hasn't got their "stuff" together yet (on M1 or M2). So I gave Parallels a go for the trial period and frankly liked some of the features. I have an M1 desktop at home and an M2 laptop, so I thought maybe I should pull the trigger on a license? At least till VMware gets it together. Unlike most of my impulse click and buy efforts, I decided to do 5 minutes of investigation into the licensing. And wow, I am glad I looked. Not only is it a subscription model, it's limited to one machine. I couldn't wrap my head around that. Other reasonably large software companies, such as Adobe and Microsoft, have gone to the subscription model for the most part, but have what could be characterized as an "individual" license model, not a "machine" license model. That makes sense, you subscribe to a "service" (you are not licensing the product - that terminology is meant to deceive), and "you" can log in and use that service anywhere. You could even put Google docs in that group, you pay through advertising and data capture. I don't know if it's greed or gross incompetency, but the combination of these two licensing policies is distrurbing and says something about the company. You know what else really bugs me, no one from the company has come onto the thread and given a rational, well thought out defense of this policy. You get canned responses (not even the poofy kind), or the obligatory F you, look at our software agreement and obey! I must be feeling a little chippy this evening...look, I can afford whatever licensing model they throw at me, but this really fries me.

 

I totally agree with Brian and could not have said it better!

 

Ditto....I also agree with Brian. In addition I also have used VMware for many years and have it on three Macs. Now I have an M2 Mac and they have been unable, or unwilling/not interested, in providing VMWare for the M1/M2 Macs. I switched to Parallels because they did manage to get the job done. And very nice programs it is. BUT....I use windows for one program...Vectric Aspire...which is available only for Windows. It is a very powerful 3d development environment and code generator for the CNC. I had it installed on an old MacPro, I rebuilt and upgraded, and MacBook Air that is connected to my CNC. I also wanted to use my new M2 Mac for portability when I travel. Of course that didn't work to well. I was surprised at the limits on Parallels since I use it for one program. VMWare can be installed on multiple computers. It's not like I am a company with many employees using the software. Just me. Lightburn the software I use for my diode laser allow two computers and upon request will allow a third one. For Parallels to be available for two or three computers does not change anything for the company. You don't make less and the great majority of us will not purchase more copies, hard to justify, so what's the problem.
Well this is the United States and we are all about corporate greed. I like most here will switch back to VMWare if they ever get their act together.

 

Looks like vmware fusion 13 has official support for M1. Parallels still won't allow a subscription to be used on multiple computers. I guess I'll vote with my dollars. It's too bad really, I like some of the things that Parallels does over VMWare. But it is really vital for me to be able to run at work/home/laptop. I'm not going to pay for three subscriptions, and since this is for personal convenience my company isn't paying for it.

 

Fell in love with Parallels and been using it for a while for my desktop, but now that I need to use it on my laptop when I'm not home, traveling or just continue to use while in the living room I see that I will need another license. I'm not going to rely on some Remote Desktop app for testing my work with Vagrant. Why?!!!! I see I'm not the only one who thinks 1 license should be allowed for at least another personal computer... But this thread was started in 2017 and Parallels still haven't fixed this problem??? Wow! Seems like corporate greed at best. I'm not even going to sit around hoping they'll consider, because it seems like they won't after all those years. All my other professional programs are able to do it such as Adobe products, Davinci Resolve Studio, all Apple products, ect....even small but popular programs like TG Pro allow up to 3 computers. Hell no I'm paying for another license, there are alternatives. VMWare it is. Too bad, because I did like this software but you guys gave me one good reason to hate this company. Not a way to treat customers, you had these guys waiting for more than 7 years? Jeez! It was great while it lasted. Bye.

 

Sighhhhh!!! (A very long sigh)...
I really love Parallels, the way it integrates with Mac. I really hope (someday!??) they consider allowing at least 2 personal computers per license as most people has at least a 2 computers, one portable and one at home and switching between them regularly. For now, I'm using Parallels on my laptop since and VMWare Fusion (free) on my desktop. It's just hasle

 

I subscribed to Parallels and immediately asked for a refund when I saw that the subscription is only valid for a single computer. This goes directly against a subscription based model. I won't subscribe again until I can get multi-installs license. Jetbrains, Microsoft etc all allow it. This makes no sense, people have a desktop and laptop computer, in 2023 making them pay 2 subscriptions is stealing from them.