VMware Workstation Pro 17 and Fusion Pro 13 are now free for personal use

Ashwin
May 16, 2024
Updated • May 16, 2024
Software
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10

Broadcom has announced that it is making its desktop hypervisor products free for home users. VMware Fusion Pro 13 and Workstation Pro 17 are now free for personal use.

In case you didn't know, Broadcom acquired VMware in a staggering $69 Billion deal in November 2023. Now that the two apps are free to use, what about their future?

This does not mean the development of the applications have ceased. Michael Roy, the Product Line Manager for Desktop Hypervisor products, wrote that VMware Desktop Hypervisor apps will have two license models; a Free Personal Use or a Paid Commercial Use subscription. Users will need to decide whether a commercial subscription is required, based on their usage. But the two versions are identical in terms of features.

The formerly free versions of the apps, VMware Workstation Player and Fusion Player, have been discontinued, because the Pro versions are superior.

Note: There are some requirements before you can access the downloads. Firstly, you will need to register for a free account, secondly you will also need to provide your address "for verification". For what it is worth, I was able to use an approximate address, (without the building's name or number), and was able to get the software. So, in theory, you could input a random address to claim the freebies. You don't need to give your phone number to get the apps.

How to download Workstation Pro 17 and VMware Fusion Pro 13 for personal use

1. Go to https://support.broadcom.com/ and register for a free account.

2. PC and Linux users who want VMware Workstation Pro 17 should navigate to this page.

Download VMware Workstation Pro free for personal use

You need to click on "VMware Workstation Pro 17 for personal use". Select the appropriate version for your operating system, i.e. Windows or Linux. Click on it and then on the latest version number. The webpage will display a checkbox which you need to tick, to accept the terms and conditions. This will allow you to download VMware Workstation Pro 17. To do so, click on the cloud button, and your file should download momentarily.

How to download VMware Workstation Pro for free

3. The steps are similar for VMware Fusion Pro 13 for macOS. Head to this page, and follow the instructions in step 2, to download the VMware Fusion Pro 13 DMG file.

Download VMware Fusion Pro free for personal use

I found Broadcom's website to be quite slow while trying to access the downloads, so you may have to be a bit patient with it. On the other hand, if you don't want to register for an account, you can get the apps from the official website: VMware Fusion 13.5.2 and VMware Workstation Pro 17.5.2. (Links courtesy reddit user SJPS).

Here are some archived versions of the product comparison pages that highlight the various features that are available in VMware Fusion Pro 13 and Workstation Pro 17.

VMware Workstation Pro free for personal use

Among other things, the Pro versions of the apps allow you to create and manage encrypted virtual machines, supports Snapshots.

VMware Fusion Pro free for personal use

(Images via Broadcom/VMware)

On a sidenote, OpenAI has released the official ChatGPT app for macOS 14 (Apple Silicon M1 or better). A post at the OpenAI community forums has a link to download the app. Retroarch for iOS, and PPSSPP for iOS have been released on the App Store. You can follow this guide to learn how to use Retroarch.

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VMware Workstation Pro 17 and Fusion Pro 13 are now free for personal use
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VMware Workstation Pro 17 and Fusion Pro 13 are now free for personal use
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Here is how to download VMware Workstation Pro 17 and Fusion Pro 13 for free for personal use.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. marc said on May 22, 2024 at 1:35 pm
    Reply

    I tried,
    get this message:
    “Account verification is Pending. Please try after some time.”

  2. Anonymous said on May 17, 2024 at 7:42 am
    Reply

    I think I’ll stick with VMware Player 17.0.2 for now

  3. BellLabs said on May 16, 2024 at 11:59 pm
    Reply

    Broadcom destroys everything they touch. Their web staff needs to be sacked for their unusable web page. Why does someone need to create an account to download it for free for personal use? When VMware managed it, I don’t recall needing to register anything, and there was a straight link to download. Fortunately, you can get it from their own update mirrors if you use the VMware updater to determine the location.

  4. Anonymous said on May 16, 2024 at 5:03 pm
    Reply

    Nothing is free and the folks that frequent ghacks know this.

  5. marvin said on May 16, 2024 at 2:57 pm
    Reply

    This is great news!

    Just got a new (last week) laptop, been using virtualbox windows 10 and 11, trying to decided on which one works best for windows apps I have. But now going to switch over to VMware.

  6. Anonymous said on May 16, 2024 at 12:47 pm
    Reply

    so, free nowadays usually means you pay via telemetry?
    can someone check if theres now telemetry included?

    1. John G. said on May 16, 2024 at 9:25 pm
      Reply

      I prefer VirtualBox. At least for me it’s quite a bit easier to config imho.

  7. Anonymous said on May 16, 2024 at 11:11 am
    Reply

    I only used virtualbox. Should I switch to vmware?

    1. Denver said on May 16, 2024 at 6:00 pm
      Reply

      VMWare is too fast before I used virtualbox but is slow, but on this VMWare now I’m relaxed.

  8. samurai cat said on May 16, 2024 at 7:12 am
    Reply

    I wish they made VMware ThinApp free for personal use. It allows you to convert any app into portable app. How to use ThinApp example video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tvhdp1UHoc

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