VMware Workstation Pro
Server virtualization software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
Take the quiz to check if VMware Workstation Pro and its alternatives fit your requirements.
Completely free
Free Trial unavailable
Free version
Small
Medium
Large
- Education and training
- Information technology and software
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
What is VMware Workstation Pro
VMware Workstation Pro is a desktop virtualization product that runs multiple x86 virtual machines on a Windows or Linux host. It is used by developers, IT administrators, and security teams for local lab environments, OS/application testing, and running isolated workloads without dedicated server hardware. The product provides a rich local VM feature set (snapshots, cloning, virtual networking) and supports importing/exporting common VM formats to move workloads between environments.
Mature local VM tooling
Workstation Pro provides a broad set of VM lifecycle features such as snapshots, linked clones, and configurable virtual hardware profiles. It supports common guest operating systems and typical lab scenarios like multi-VM topologies on a single workstation. This makes it well-suited for repeatable developer/test workflows that do not require a full server or cloud control plane.
Flexible virtual networking options
The product includes NAT, bridged, and host-only networking modes and a virtual network editor for creating segmented lab networks. Users can simulate multi-tier environments and test connectivity and firewalling behaviors locally. This is useful for reproducing issues before deploying to server or cloud environments.
Interoperability with VMware formats
Workstation Pro uses VMware VM formats and can import/export OVF/OVA packages, which helps move VMs between local machines and other VMware-based environments. It also supports connecting to remote VMware infrastructure for certain workflows (for example, interacting with remote hosts). This reduces rework when a local proof-of-concept needs to be promoted to a more centralized environment.
Not a server virtualization platform
Workstation Pro is designed for running VMs on a single desktop/laptop host rather than managing clusters, high availability, or large-scale capacity. It does not provide the centralized scheduling, multi-host management, or elastic scaling expected from server and cloud compute services. Organizations typically need separate infrastructure products for production virtualization.
Host resource constraints
Performance and VM density depend heavily on the workstation’s CPU, RAM, storage, and I/O characteristics. Running multiple concurrent VMs can quickly exhaust local resources and impact both host and guest performance. This limits suitability for heavier workloads compared with dedicated server hardware.
Licensing and platform scope
Workstation Pro is a commercial product with licensing requirements that can be a constraint for broad team rollouts compared with some open-source virtualization options. It runs on Windows and Linux hosts, but it does not run on macOS (VMware’s macOS desktop product is separate). These factors can complicate standardization in mixed-endpoint environments.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| VMware Workstation Pro (Desktop Hypervisor) | Free — no purchase required (effective Nov 11, 2024) | Official announcement: made free for all users; paid Workstation Pro/Fusion Pro versions are no longer available for purchase. Downloads available via Broadcom Support Portal; existing commercial contracts remain in effect until their terms end. |
Seller details
Broadcom Inc.
Palo Alto, California, USA
1961
Public
https://www.broadcom.com/
https://x.com/Broadcom
https://www.linkedin.com/company/broadcom/
