This guide walks you through downloading, installing, and running the Parallax client with the simplest possible steps. For more technical details about the Parallax client, please read the Parallax client technical documentation.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:- A computer running Windows, macOS, or Linux
- At least 2 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended for mining)
- At least 50 GB of space (SSD recommended, 100 GB for mining with DAG storage)
- A stable internet connection
- Open
32110TCP & UDP ports in your router/firewall (recommended)
Step-by-step Guide
1
Download the Parallax client
Go to our GitHub Releases page and download the correct file for your operating system:
- Windows 64-bit:
parallax-windows-amd64.zip - Windows 32-bit:
parallax-windows-386.zip - macOS (Intel):
parallax-darwin-amd64.tar.gz - macOS (Apple Silicon):
parallax-darwin-arm64.tar.gz - Linux (x86):
parallax-linux-amd64.tar.gz - Linux (ARM):
parallax-linux-arm64.tar.gz - Linux (ARMv7):
parallax-linux-armv7.tar.gz
2
Unzip the package
Extract the downloaded file to a folder of your choice.Inside, you’ll see these programs:
- parallaxd → the Parallax full-node daemon (this is the one you’ll run)
- parallax-cli → JSON-RPC client for talking to a running node
- parallax-wallet → offline wallet management tool (create/list/import accounts, sign messages and transactions)
- parallax → a thin multi-call wrapper (
parallax node ...→parallaxd,parallax rpc ...→parallax-cli,parallax wallet ...→parallax-wallet) - clef → long-running external signer daemon with a rule engine (advanced users only)
3
Start the client
- Windows / macOS: Simply double-click
parallaxdto start your Parallax node. - Linux: You may need to right-click → “Allow executing file as program” before double-clicking.
That’s it — you’re running a Parallax node!
By default, the Parallax client will store the block chain data in this folder depending on your Operating System:
- Windows:
%APPDATA%\Parallaxor%LOCALAPPDATA%\Parallax - macOS:
~/Library/Parallax - Linux:
~/.parallax
Optional Steps
- If you want to help strengthen the network, you can open the peer-to-peer ports
32110 TCP & UDPon your router/firewall so other nodes can connect to you. - Don’t worry if you skip this step — your node will still work.
For Advanced Users
If you’re comfortable with the terminal, here are a few helpful commands:-
Check version:
-
Change data directory:
-
Enable API:
-
Increase log detail:
-
Sync from Parallax testnet:
Security Notice
⚠️ Never expose RPC or WebSocket ports8545/8546 directly to the internet without proper protection. This can put your node and assets at risk.
For most users, simply double-clicking the client and letting it run is the safest approach.
