Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware last year led to layoffs and changes in software licensing that caused unrest within the company and fear among customers. However, there is good news for home users as Broadcom is now offering VMware Fusion Pro 13 and VMware Workstation Pro for free for personal use. These virtualization products are more sophisticated and easier to learn than some alternatives, making them a valuable resource for home users.
For companies looking for permanently licensed versions of Fusion Pro or Workstation Pro, the news is less positive. VMware is phasing out these licenses and moving to a subscription-only model for future updates. This simplifies the product offerings but may be a side effect of Broadcom’s push towards a subscription model for all software products.
A subscription to the desktop hypervisor app costs businesses $120 per year, with the only difference from the free Home version being a message indicating it is licensed for personal use only. Full versions of the apps are now free, leading to the discontinuation of VMware Workstation Player and Fusion Player applications. These apps could launch existing VMs but could not create new virtual machines from scratch.
Users who want to use Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro must sign up for a Broadcom account and can then download the apps for free. Workstation Player will remain as part of Workstation Pro, while Fusion Player users can upgrade to Fusion Pro by updating the app and deleting the Fusion Player license key. Users of Workstation Player must download and install the Workstation Pro software separately.
Overall, while the changes in VMware‘s licensing models may be unsettling for some businesses, the availability of Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro for free personal use is a positive development for home users looking for sophisticated virtualization products.
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