Parall

Parall - Multi-Instance App Launcher for macOS

Run multiple instances of Mac apps natively and cleanly.

Parall lets you create independent shortcut apps that behave like standalone apps, each with its own Dock icon, name, menu bar icon, configuration, and optional data container.

Parall lets you launch multiple instances of selected Mac apps through a native shortcut design, with no scripts or background daemons.

Examples: run Philips Hue Sync shortcuts for separate display lighting, launch Chrome with separate data, use multiple Dropbox accounts, or turn a website URL into its own app shortcut.

Key Features

- Launch multiple instances of the same app side by side.

- Each shortcut behaves like a separate app in the Dock with its own icon and name.

- Animate Dock icons and apply visual effects per shortcut, such as rotation or pulsing, opacity, grayscale, and transforms.

- Create Dock shortcuts that open any file, folder, or document in its default app.

- App data redirection supported for most non-sandboxed macOS apps.

- Automatically erase a shortcut's redirected data folder when the shortcut closes.

- Customize shortcut appearance with custom icons, or draw a text label on the Dock icon to distinguish "Work", "Personal", "Client A", etc.

- Override shortcut appearance with Follow System, Light, or Dark mode.

- Add a menu bar icon to control any shortcut while it is running.

- For supported browsers, get quick actions from the menu bar icon, including opening new windows.

- Control full-screen menu bar behavior for supported apps, including per-shortcut overrides for Chrome-based browsers.

- Experimental Dock icon visibility override for advanced setups that need special Dock behavior.

- New System Launch Mode with additional launch options for apps that are not compatible with Dock Shortcut Mode.

- For untested apps, download recommended compatibility presets with one click to simplify setup.

- Add command-line parameters or flags per shortcut.

- Create native macOS app shortcuts for any terminal commands.

- Advanced Info.plist overrides for fine-grained behavior tuning.

- Define environment variables per shortcut for flexible control and separation.

- iOS and iPadOS apps can be launched via shortcuts with environment overrides and arguments, but cannot separate data and cannot provide a dedicated Dock icon.

- Shortcuts stay in sync whenever the original app updates.

- Parall runs only when you use it. No background processes.

Parall-created shortcuts run fully offline and never transmit any data.

Parall itself operates offline by default with no background services or telemetry. Its only network request is optional: clicking "Download Compatibility Settings" for the selected app.

With Parall you can redirect an app storage to any location - for example:

- A Dropbox or iCloud Drive folder to keep app data synced across devices.

- An external SSD or network drive to save space on your internal disk.

- A project-specific folder to separate sessions or environments for testing.

This gives you complete freedom to organize, back up, and share app profiles the way you prefer.

Each shortcut Parall creates is a lightweight .app bundle that directly launches your chosen app.

You can pin them to the Dock, rename them, and assign custom icons - making each instance truly feel like an independent application.

Parall itself is fully sandboxed, private, and Mac App Store approved.

Shortcuts you create are not sandboxed (by macOS design) but are completely safe - they simply launch your existing apps.

WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams is an implementation exception: Parall creates a lightweight sandboxed web frame launcher to make the app compatible.

Not every app supports multiple simultaneous instances.

For the current compatibility list, visit parall.app/compatibility.

If your app isn't listed or you'd like confirmation before purchase, contact [email protected] - I'll test it and, if possible, add support.