If you’re hankering for full virtualization goodness on your Apple Silicon Mac, VMware has you covered for free.
VMware, which was acquired by Broadcom in November 2023, has announced that both its Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro products are now available for free. The applications allow Mac users to operate virtual machines to run non-macOS operating systems like Windows 11.
In a blog post announcing the change, Broadcom said the move was part of a plan to simplify how the company brings VMware apps to market:
“Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro will now have two license models. We now provide a Free Personal Use or a Paid Commercial Use subscription for our Pro apps. Users will decide based on their use case whether a commercial subscription is required.”
In order to acquire the software, users can simply register a user id and download the application from support.broadcom.com.
Broadcom also said it had discontinued Workstation Player and Fusion Player, although existing customers can upgrade to the more feature-packed Pro version at no extra cost. Meanwhile, VMware Player will remain bundled with Workstation Pro.
Broadcom also stated that customers using Fusion and Workstation at or for work are still required to pay for a commercial subscription, which can be purchased through an authorized Broadcom Advantage partner.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors, VMware, and support.broadcom.com