--- description: Review of Parrot OS Software: system overview, features, price and cost information. Get free demos and compare to similar programs on Software Advice Ireland. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/software_advice/og_logo-55146305bbe7b450bea05c18e9be9c9a.png title: Parrot OS | Reviews, Pricing & Demos - SoftwareAdvice IE --- Breadcrumb: [Home](/) > [Operating Systems](/directory/4417/operating-systems/software) > [Parrot OS](/software/238015/parrot-os) # Parrot OS Canonical: https://www.softwareadvice.ie/software/238015/parrot-os Page: 1 / 2\ Next: [Next page](https://www.softwareadvice.ie/software/238015/parrot-os?page=2) > Parrot OS is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian, which helps IT teams of all sizes develop software and perform security-related tasks such as computer forensics, penetration testing, cryptography, hacking or reverse engineering. Designed for security researchers, AnonSurf facilitates web browser security and anonymization of IP addresses. It enables ethical hackers to identify vulnerabilities across computer systems or networks. Parrot Hole, a variant built for desktop users, strips out penetration testing packages and offers a configured Debian environment. It comes with a virtual machine manager, which lets cybersecurity teams monitor VMs across the network or other computers. Its Parrot Air variant focuses on wireless penetration testing and Studio for multimedia creation. The system also provides information about CPU temperature and displays a usage graph. Parrot OS is available for free and support is offered via community discussion and documentation. > > Verdict: Rated **4.5/5** by 17 users. Top-rated for **Likelihood to recommend**. ----- ## Quick Stats & Ratings | Metric | Rating | Detail | | **Overall** | **4.5/5** | 17 Reviews | | Ease of Use | 4.1/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Customer Support | 3.8/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Value for Money | 4.6/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Features | 4.6/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Recommendation percentage | 90% | (9/10 Likelihood to recommend) | ## About the vendor - **Company**: Parrot Security ## Commercial Context - **Pricing model**: (Free version available) - **Pricing Details**: Parrot OS is available for free. - **Target Audience**: 2–10, 11–50, 51–200, 201–500, 501–1,000, 1,001–5,000, 5,001–10,000, 10,000+ - **Deployment & Platforms**: Cloud, SaaS, Web-based, Linux (Desktop) - **Supported Languages**: English - **Available Countries**: United States ## Features - Desktop Interface - For Developers - Memory Management - System Updates - User Interface ## Support Options - Knowledge Base ## Category - [Operating Systems](https://www.softwareadvice.ie/directory/4417/operating-systems/software) ## Alternatives 1. 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Anyone interested in cyber security will find it to be a powerful OS. It offers very high levels of stability and security. > > **Cons**: If all essential tools are pre-installed on the Kali Linux OS, that would be fantastic. because the most recent upgrades do not include programs like ZAP and several Python libraries. However, these are crucial components of security testing. > > It's perfect for People into Pentesting. ----- ### "If your an IT Admin that has need for forensic work and advanced security apps" — 4.0/5 > **Jeffrey** | *10 May 2022* | Telecommunications | Recommendation rating: 7.0/10 > > **Pros**: That it came with a host of tools that I need to use on a regular basis for pentesting networks and various hardware components. > > **Cons**: Clunky user interface, not as resource light as I would prefer and install was a little quirky. > > Overall I am happy with the product, though I would not suggest this distribution for a beginner in the world of linux. While I have used other linux distros and simply installed the various tools I had need for a quick install of a system that had most of the tools I use daily and this was the option I chose. ----- ### "Most Friendly Penetration Testing Distro" — 4.0/5 > **Mohamed** | *7 June 2022* | Information Technology & Services | Recommendation rating: 6.0/10 > > **Pros**: Definitely the interface that suits the user and the penetration tester, and it is the only distribution that combines these two features In addition to monitoring resources in a friendly and clear manner with a strong UI and appropriate in its consumption of resources It also has the most important and most powerful penetration testing tools without the need to download them and face the problems of their work. In addition, it consumes much less resources than Kali in terms of RAM, CPU and Disk Space, with a stronger graphical interface. > > **Cons**: I haven't had any flaws with Parrot, on the contrary, I find it better than many penetration-testing distros. > > Good experience and I think that it is better than Kali and other penetration testing distros in terms of consumption of device resources, user interface and fewer problems Plus there are a lot more penetration testing tools in Parrot than Kali ----- ### "absolutely great" — 5.0/5 > **Piet** | *7 July 2024* | Education Management | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: ease of use, amazing layout, great security in a country where there is censorship, great to safely use in browsers with anonsurf > > **Cons**: nothing, everything works out of the box and is self explanatory > > 10/10 I have some kind of perfect second system on my Chromebooks Gnome-Boxes, it is really amazing, I used to be a great Linux user 10-15 years ago until I switched to ChromeOS for ease of use, but now I have jumped in again with this system ----- ### "Best OS For Security Professionals" — 4.0/5 > **ANIRUDH** | *9 November 2023* | Computer & Network Security | Recommendation rating: 8.0/10 > > **Pros**: As a cyber security instructor I'm using Parrot OS as my home OS for a long and its too easy for me to use. The factor that made me interested to Parrot more than Kali Linux is its stability, we can use it as our main OS without worrying about anything and of course its coming with a lot of preinstalled penetration testing tools and most of the common libraries. > > **Cons**: For me the most hated thing in Parrot OS is lack of drivers, We need to install audio drivers , mic and camera drivers manually and community support is less than Kali Linux, however some people really love to install drivers manually as part of their learning. > > I'm very satisfied with Parrot OS and all of my students are using it. ----- Page: 1 / 2\ Next: [Next page](https://www.softwareadvice.ie/software/238015/parrot-os?page=2) ## Links - [View on SoftwareAdvice](https://www.softwareadvice.ie/software/238015/parrot-os) ## This page is available in the following languages | Locale | URL | | en | | | en-AU | | | en-GB | | | en-IE | | | en-NZ | | ----- ## Structured Data