VMware has announced a change in the product policy for desktops, specifically VMware Workstation Pro for PC and VMware Fusion Pro for Mac, now available for free for personal use.
Previously, VMware’s approach was to offer VMware Workstation/Fusion Player for running VMs for personal use for free. To create VMs, users had to purchase Workstation/Fusion Pro.
The new policy discontinues Workstation/Fusion Player, leaving only Workstation/Fusion Pro for general personal use for free, while commercial use still requires payment. The paid package is now consolidated into one subscription package called Desktop Hypervisor subscription, allowing access to all desktop applications for $120 per year.
VMware’s strategy in the era of Broadcom shifts from perpetual licenses to subscription models, starting with server-side products like vSphere or ESXi and now extending to the desktop side. Despite this, they still generously offer the Pro version for personal use at no cost.
TLDR: VMware has made VMware Workstation Pro and VMware Fusion Pro free for personal use, discontinuing the Player versions and introducing a new paid Desktop Hypervisor subscription package for commercial use.
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