VMware is making its Workstation and Fusion desktop hypervisors free for everyone
- VMware Fusion and Workstation will be free for all users
- Paid Pro versions have been discontinued, along with Pro support
- Broadcom promises to listen to customer feedback
A year after Broadcom acquired VMware and made serious changes to its product portfolio, the company is now offering VMware Fusion and Workstation products for free to all users.
The significant change comes as a surprise given the company’s previous and controversial change to paid subscriptions.
After sharp price increases across the board due to so-called range simplification, which forced customers to buy bundles they may not need, the announcement of two free products is welcome news.
VMware confirms two free product offers
Broadcom, which took ownership of VMware in November 2023, now offers its VMware Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro products to all types of customers, including commercial, educational and personal users.
Head of Product Marketing for VMware Cloud Foundation, Mark Chuang, confirmed in a blog post: “Both VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation will immediately move away from the paid subscription model, meaning you can now use these tools for free.”
Existing subscribers with active support contracts will retain their service until their contract expires, but the Pro versions of Fusion and Workstation will be discontinued, meaning support tickets will no longer be offered. Support will only be available in the form of online resources such as “documentation, user guides and community forums,” Chuang says.
Looking ahead, Broadcom promises to continue investing in new features, usability improvements and other improvements. The company also shared a pledge to “maintain its high standards for stability” and deliver timely updates. The California-headquartered company also promises to listen to customer feedback for “valuable insights” – something it failed to do in the first 12 months of its VMware ownership, when many customers sought alternative solutions amid cost concerns.
