VMware Workstation Player

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
VMware Workstation Player
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
VMware Workstation 17 Player is a platform for running a single virtual machine on a Windows or Linux PC to deliver managed corporate desktops. Organizations can use Workstation Player to deliver managed corporate desktops, while students and educators use it for learning and training.N/A
Pricing
VMware Workstation Player
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
VMware Workstation Player
Free Trial
Yes
Free/Freemium Version
Yes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
No
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup fee
Additional Details—
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
VMware Workstation Player
Considered Both Products
VMware Workstation Player
Chose VMware Workstation Player
We use it to run virtual machines
Chose VMware Workstation Player
I haven't used VirtualBox a lot but I didn't find it as intuitive as VMware workstation. The later was much more simple for me to use. The Oracle tool is free however so it is definitely something to take into consideration.
Also, VirtualBox needs you to get some additional …
Chose VMware Workstation Player
Both free, VMware supports USB 3.0 while VirtualBox does not. VMware supports nested hardware-assisted virtualization while VirtualBox does not.
Chose VMware Workstation Player
VMware Player is easier to use for administrators and end-users when compared to anything else on the market.
Chose VMware Workstation Player
Most of this is apples to oranges. VMware Horizon View allows for a cloud-based virtualization solution, whereas VMware Player is better suited for educational purposes (basic, local, etc.). VMware Fusion is nice, but I prefer Parallels when it comes to local virtualization on …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
VMware Workstation Player
Small Businesses
VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion
Score 8.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion
Score 8.4 out of 10
Enterprises
VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion
Score 8.4 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
VMware Workstation Player
Likelihood to Recommend
6.9
(9 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(2 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
VMware Workstation Player
Likelihood to Recommend
VMware by Broadcom
VMware will work great for the following test scenarios:
  • Testing windows updates on a system
  • Testing a new software or a new software version
  • Creating a sandbox to test options/features of an OS
  • Creating different VM to test a software on different OS without the need to have physical machines for all of them
You can also use it as a "player" only where you have that static VM that you run from time to time as with my use for SAS University. Whenever you need to use the software, you simply start that VM.
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Pros
VMware by Broadcom
  • VMware Player is easy to use.
  • VMware Player supports a wide variety operating systems.
  • Unity mode makes it easy for the end user to utilize needed legacy applications while maintaining their familiar Host OS desktop. It's seamless to the point where the end user doesn't know they're running applications from a VM.
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Cons
VMware by Broadcom
  • Would be nice to use more VMs at once, but this is basically trial software, so it's hard to fault them.
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Likelihood to Renew
VMware by Broadcom
I give a rating of 8 because VMware Player has its use cases, for example it requires the host OS to be logged in, and the VMware Player application to be opened and the Guest VM started. Only one VM can run at a time. I'd give a 9/10 to VMware Workstation because you can run shared VMs at startup without logging in or starting the workstation application. and i'd give ESX a 10/10 because ESX is the leader in enterprise visualization.
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Usability
VMware by Broadcom
Great product. Its user-friendly GUI and overall performance are really the biggest strength of this tool. The reason why I don't give a higher note is because of the price. Although it's decent (starting at around $200 for a license), there is a good free alternative in VirtualBox. Not everyone values friendly GUI as something worth paying for. For people that are more tech-savvy, I would recommend looking into VirtualBox as they might actually like the model better (with downloadable add-ons and packages).
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Performance
VMware by Broadcom
Integration isn't really relevant here but I see this question more as an OS compatibility for the VM. They state that they support over 200 different OS versions. I honestly have never tried anything else other than Ubuntu and Windows myself but nonetheless, this is impressive. I have not hit any limitation in my use of this software in terms of limitation or conflicts with other software.
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Support Rating
VMware by Broadcom
VMware support is very knowledgeable on their products, eveything from AirWatch to ESX clusters. VMware is easy to contact, they stay in touch and see the issue through to the end and a final resolution. They keep you up to date on your issue status and don't leave you waiting for answers.
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Implementation Rating
VMware by Broadcom
Installing the application was easily completed on the twenty computers that needed VMware Player. Once those 20 users were configured we copied our virtual machine template to the 20 users and turned on their newly provisioned virtual machines. We then configured unity mode so the user could easily work from within the virtual machine from their host desktop.
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Alternatives Considered
VMware by Broadcom
Both free, VMware supports USB 3.0 while VirtualBox does not. VMware supports nested hardware-assisted virtualization while VirtualBox does not.
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Return on Investment
VMware by Broadcom
  • A positive impact is that it require little to no funding to use.
  • Negative impact is that because it is free it can be hard to get support.
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