Onscryn vs
Parallels RAS.
Parallels Remote Application Server is a virtual application and desktop delivery product that you deploy in your own environment. Onscryn is a browser-first service for Windows apps. They overlap on the goal and differ on how much you run yourself.
| Onscryn | Parallels RAS | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Windows apps streamed to a browser, with controls and automation | Virtual application and desktop delivery you deploy and manage |
| How users connect | A link in a browser, nothing installed | Clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, plus an HTML5 web option, per Parallels |
| Where it runs | Windows hosts you enroll | On-premises, hybrid, private or public cloud, including several hypervisors, per Parallels |
| Licensing | Plan-based. Talk to us for your case | Per concurrent user, a single model with no editions, per Parallels |
| Sign-in | SSO over OIDC and SAML, roles, instant revocation | Built-in MFA and SSO with identity providers such as Okta, Ping Identity and Azure AD, per Parallels |
| Automation | UI-tree workflows and a Copilot (preview) built in | Check their documentation |
| What you operate | Your hosts. We operate the platform | The Parallels RAS infrastructure itself, as well as your hosts |
Choose Parallels RAS if
- You want to run the delivery infrastructure yourself, on your own hypervisors or cloud.
- You need native clients on many platforms, not only a browser.
- Concurrent-user licensing suits how your people work.
Choose Onscryn if
- You would rather not deploy and maintain a delivery platform.
- A browser is all your users need, and you want nothing to install.
- You want recording, data controls and workflow automation in one place.
Licensing in practice
Parallels says its licensing is per concurrent user, meaning the number of people connected at the same time rather than named users, with prepaid subscriptions and a separate service-provider option. That can be cost-effective when many people have access but few are on at once. We do not quote its prices, which are on Parallels' own pricing page and change over time.
Operating it
A product you deploy yourself gives you control, and also makes you responsible for gateways, load balancing, updates and certificates. Onscryn trades some of that control for a platform that is already running, with you owning the hosts and the apps.
Sources, reviewed October 2026
We make Onscryn. Vendors change products and terms, so check their documentation before you decide. Spot something out of date? Tell us at [email protected].
Questions.
Parallels lists an HTML5 web option alongside its native clients. Check their documentation for its capabilities.
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