VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation are now entirely free for all users

On November 11, 2024, VMware announced that its powerful desktop hypervisor products, VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation, will be accessible for free. This change, applicable to commercial, educational, and personal users, marks a significant shift in VMware’s strategy.

The paid versions, previously known as Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro, are no longer available. However, for customers under a commercial contract, VMware ensures that service and support will not be impacted until the end of the contract term.

The free versions of the hypervisor tools now include all the previously included features in the paid versions. Standard support via VMware’s support portal or support team will continue for the duration of existing commercial customers’ contracts.

Once the contract period ends, while customers can still use the product, the ability to file support tickets for troubleshooting will cease. Instead, VMware plans to provide access to a wide range of online resources, such as documentation, user guides, and community forums, to assist these users.

For new users that are onboarded under the free model, VMware has introduced a few new resources:

• Community Access: Access to a community of users to share insights, tips, and solutions.
• Extensive Product Documentation: Detailed documentation to maximize the use of VMware’s tools.
• Knowledge Base Articles: A rich library of articles on everything from troubleshooting to advanced features.

In the announcement, VMware says it remains committed to investing in new features, usability improvements, and other enhancements. The company aims to maintain high stability, performance, and security standards while optimizing its offerings and delivering even more value.

By making Fusion and Workstation accessible, VMware hopes to grow its user base and gather insights that will help the company evolve its products to better meet customer needs.

While this is a nice surprise, it wasn’t entirely unexpected, as VMware Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro were already announced as free products before their deprecation earlier this year.

What do you think about VMware’s move to make its hypervisor tools accessible to everyone? Are you planning to start using Fusion or Workstation now that they’re available at no cost?