VMware Workstation and Fusion free for all users

VMware has announced that its Workstation and Fusion hypervisor products are now available for free to commercial, educational, and personal users, effective 11 November 2024.

The announcement comes almost exactly a year after Broadcom acquired VMware in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $69 billion (R1.2 trillion).

“Effective immediately, both VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation will transition away from the paid subscription model,” said Broadcom VCF division’s product marketing head for compute and AI, Himanshu Singh.

“The paid versions of these offerings — Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro — are no longer available for purchase.”

Singh assured customers currently under a commercial contract that their agreement will remain in effect until the end of its term.

“You will continue to receive the full level of service and enterprise-grade support as per your contract,” he said.

“The free version will include all the features you’ve come to rely on from the paid version. You’ll have the tools necessary to successfully complete your projects without compromise.”

Customers with active support agreements will still be able to access support through VMware’s standard channels, including its support portal, and by contacting the support team directly.

“Once your current contract concludes, you can continue using the product. However, please note that support ticketing for troubleshooting will no longer be available,” Singh said.

“All users will have access to a wealth of online resources, including documentation, user guides, and community forums, to assist you in making the most of your desktop hypervisor experience.”

Singh said Broadcom was still actively investing in new features, usability improvements, and other enhancements.

“Our engineering teams are committed to maintaining our high standards for stability, with timely updates and reliable performance,” he assured.

“A broader user base enables us to gather valuable insights, helping us optimize our offerings and deliver even greater value.”