Parallels Desktop vs UTM vs VMware Fusion for SOLIDWORKS
Comparing Parallels Desktop, UTM, and VMware Fusion for running SOLIDWORKS on your Mac? Here’s how they measure up on the factors that matter for CAD use.
| 3D graphics (DirectX 11) |
Yes |
No |
Limited on Apple silicon |
| OpenGL 4.1 support |
Yes |
No |
Limited on Apple silicon |
| Coherence/Unity mode on Apple silicon |
Yes (Coherence mode) |
No |
No (Unity not available on M-series) |
| Shared folders on Apple silicon |
Yes |
Manual setup required |
Not supported on Apple silicon |
| Microsoft-authorized for Windows 11 ARM |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Fast Windows 11 install |
Yes |
No (manual ISO + config required) |
Yes |
| VM suspend/resume |
Yes |
No (Windows 11) |
Yes |
| Official support |
Yes (24/7 live support) |
Community forums only |
Community forums only (discontinued post-Broadcom) |
| macOS update cadence |
First to ship updates |
Variable |
Slower update cycle |
| Drag and drop between Mac and Windows |
Yes |
No |
Not on Apple silicon |
UTM doesn’t support 3D graphics for Windows
UTM is a free, open-source virtualization tool for Mac. It doesn’t support 3D graphics acceleration for Windows virtual machines, which means these machines don’t have DirectX or OpenGL support. SOLIDWORKS requires this support to render 3D geometry, run FEA result visualization, generate photorealistic renders, and display RealView graphics. Without 3D acceleration, SOLIDWORKS will either refuse to launch or run at a much lower performance level that isn’t viable for design work.
By comparison, Parallels Desktop provides DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1 support inside the Windows VM, so SOLIDWORKS has the resources it needs.
VMware Fusion doesn’t have the workflow features engineers need
VMware Fusion Pro became free for all use types in late 2024. For many general virtualization tasks, it works—but it may not work as needed for SOLIDWORKS on Mac. First, because VMware Fusion isn’t authorized by Microsoft to run Windows 11 on Apple silicon, users may not have consistent access to support and updates when they happen. Parallels Desktop is the only solution with that authorization. Second, VMware Fusion does not support Unity mode, its equivalent of Coherence mode, on Apple silicon Macs, which means that SOLIDWORKS runs inside a separate Windows. You also won’t be able to access Mac files directly from SOLIDWORKS, drag files between Mac and Windows, or use Windows apps alongside Mac apps on the same desktop. Third, Broadcom discontinued official support for VMware Fusion after acquiring VMware. Users who encounter problems must rely on community forums.
By comparison, Parallels Desktop provides Microsoft authorization, Coherence mode, shared folders, drag-and-drop functionality between Mac and Windows, and 24/7 live support.
Authorized by Microsoft
Optimized for Mac M-series
