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VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion

Overview

What is VMware Fusion?

Vmware Fusion is a virtual user session software built to run Windows applications on Macintosh to run any Windows applications.

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Learn from top reviewers

An excellent fusion of great virtualization features, high performance, and pricing that fits the bill for almost everyone.

Rating: 9 out of 10
April 4, 2022
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
VMware Fusion is used in a multitude of development scenarios including spinning up Linux servers for early-stage development before the code is pushed to an internet-facing d...
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Shion Song
Executive - Marketing
Art Director & Web Developer
shion.ca
VMware Fusion12 years of experience

If you need to run Windows apps on a Mac, VMware Fusion is great!

Rating: 10 out of 10
July 22, 2021
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
I use VMware Fusion on my Mac so that I can run business-related software that is only available on the PC. This allows me to run Windows-based software seamlessly on my Mac, ...
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Jim Chandler
Consultant - Professional Services
Founder
360intentionality, LLC
VMware Fusion4 years of experience

Switch Between Software Development Environments With Ease

Rating: 10 out of 10
February 25, 2020
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
We use VMWare Fusion to run disk images of Windows operating systems on a Mac, as well as running VMWare Fusion on a Debian Linux machine to run other Linux environments. The ...
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Jonah Dempcy
Employee - Engineering
Web & Mobile Developer
Bluefire Productions
VMware Fusion14 years of experience

I have two computers on one screen....kinda!

Rating: 10 out of 10
February 18, 2020
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
Our company switched from PC based to Mac based back in 2012. For the most part, our applications are MAC OS. However, we have not found a suitable Mac version of our bookkeep...
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Verified user
Partner
VMware Fusion5 years of experience

An excellent high performing product that makes desktop virtualization simple and cost effective

Rating: 10 out of 10
August 29, 2019
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
As a charter school management organization, we strive to provide the best educational tools to our students. As such, we have deployed Mac labs utilizing Apple iMac computers...
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Stefan Semo
Manager - Information Technology
Director of IT Infrastructure, Security & Compliance and Customer Service
Success Academy Charter Schools
VMware Fusion4 years of experience

VMware Fusion: run all of your Windows and Linux software on Mac without a problem

Rating: 6 out of 10
February 21, 2019
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
VMware Fusion is being used as a virtual machine monitor to allow Mac users to test how things work on Windows machines. It is used mostly by developers and quality analysts, ...
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Verified user
Professional
VMware Fusion3 years of experience

VMware Fusion is a great operation for running virtual machines on a Mac.

Rating: 8 out of 10
January 28, 2019
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
VMware Fusion is primarily used by clients who need to access Windows-specific applications on their Macs. In most organizations I manage, VMware is used as a last resort, whe...
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Aaron Pinsker
Professional - Information Technology
Owner
Colorado Computer Care
VMware Fusion7 years of experience

VMware Fusion - The go to Mac virtualization application

Rating: 8 out of 10
December 10, 2018
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
VMware Fusion is the preferred workstation virtualization application for Mac users. It allows users to virtualize a multitude of operating systems on their workstation. We ha...
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Alex Waitkus, CISSP-ISSAP, OSCP
Engineer - Information Technology
Security Architect
Securicon, LLC
VMware Fusion6 years of experience

VMware Fusion is a great choice for IT pros

Rating: 8 out of 10
September 7, 2018
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
I use VMware Fusion primarily for my own use. My organization does not have many Macs deployed, but for my work it makes the most sense and gives me the best productivity. How...
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Verified user
Engineer
VMware Fusion5 years of experience

VMware Fusion is the best virtualization product for us as a VMware shop.

Rating: 10 out of 10
August 3, 2018
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
We use VMware Fusion for end-user Windows desktops for our IT department. We've also used VMware Fusion for our server development and testing. I love the fact that you can ea...
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Kurt Pritchett
Engineer - Information Technology
Senior System Engineer
Clayton County Public Schools
VMware Fusion4 years of experience

Virtualization for Macs!

Rating: 10 out of 10
April 12, 2018
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
VMWare Fusion allows Apple users to run a Windows or Linux operating system inside a virtual machine on their Macintosh. As a paid software it is much more stable than Virtual...
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Michael Timms
Technician - Information Technology
IT Specialist
iQor
VMware Fusion2 years of experience

Running Windows on A Mac

Rating: 8 out of 10
December 19, 2017
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
As Mac users it is nice to be able to test landing pages and websites on Internet Explorer. It also enables running a few programs that do not offer Mac versions.
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Verified user
Director
VMware Fusion4 years of experience

Fusion, make any Mac even more effective!

Rating: 9 out of 10
November 20, 2017
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
My previous employer used VMware fusion on our MacBooks which we needed to use because our customers also used MacBooks and we need them to test our software on Macs but those...
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Andrew Shannon
Administrator - Information Technology
Director of Technology
Packaging & Distribution Resources
VMware Fusion4 years of experience

Intuitive, Simple, and Quick!

Rating: 10 out of 10
November 14, 2017
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
VMware Fusion is being used by Mac OS users in our Platform Operations department. VMware Fusion provides us with the ability to quickly spin up development or testing environ...
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Zach Cooper
Employee - Information Technology
Site Reliability Engineer
AdvancedMD
VMware Fusion7 years of experience

VMware Analysis

Rating: 9 out of 10
May 16, 2017
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
It is being used by the entire organization. Generally we use Macs, so we use it for a Windows environment for programs that require that.
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Verified user
Technician
VMware Fusion2 years of experience
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Pricing

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VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion

N/A
Unavailable

What is VMware Fusion?

Vmware Fusion is a virtual user session software built to run Windows applications on Macintosh to run any Windows applications.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Alternatives Pricing

Red Hat Virtualization (RHV)

Red Hat Virtualization (RHV)

$999
Per Year Per Hypervisor
What is Red Hat Virtualization (RHV)?

Red Hat Virtualization (formerly Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, broadly known as RHEV) is an enterprise level server and desktop virtualization solution. Red Hat Virtualization also contains the functionality of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktop in later editions of the platform.

V2 Cloud

V2 Cloud

$40
per installation
What is V2 Cloud?

Desktop virtualization doesn't have to be complicated. And V2 Cloud aims to make it simple. As a fully integrated Desktop-as-a-Service solution, V2 Cloud states they focus on speed and simplicity—so users can work faster from anywhere. V2 Cloud offers a free trial.

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Product Details

What is VMware Fusion?

VMware Fusion: Desktop Hypervisors for Mac

Software designed to give users the freedom to be more productive, agile and secure in a preferred environment. IT professionals, developers and businesses can use VMware Fusion desktop hypervisors for OS support, rock-solid stability and advanced features. With Fusion Player and Fusion Pro, run nearly any OS as VMs on Mac for development, testing, gaming or even simulating production clouds on local desktops.

VMware Fusion Video

What is VMware Fusion?

VMware Fusion Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Vmware Fusion is a virtual user session software built to run Windows applications on Macintosh to run any Windows applications.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 10.

The most common users of VMware Fusion are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(73)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

VMware Fusion has become a valuable tool for users across various industries and professions. Users have found it particularly useful in virtualizing firewalls, test systems, and OS-specific applications that are unavailable on Macs. It offers developers the ability to spin up Linux servers for early-stage development before pushing the code to an internet-facing dev server for client review. Additionally, users appreciate how VMware Fusion allows for easy maintenance of different VM images to safely and efficiently test various application environments. Furthermore, it has been used as a lab rat to test code against bleeding edge versions of PHP and popular web apps.

For businesses relying on Intel Macs, VMware Fusion proves essential by enabling them to run Windows-only business-related applications without the need for multiple physical hardware or rebooting. The software is also utilized by IT departments to test changes, such as group policy adjustments, before pushing them out. End-users in finance benefit from using VMware Fusion to seamlessly run different financial software on their Macs. Charter school management organizations have leveraged this software to virtualize MS Windows on iMacs for compatibility with Windows-only programs.

Overall, VMware Fusion fills the gap between Mac and Windows environments by allowing users to seamlessly run Windows-based software on their Macs, eliminating the need for separate computers. It provides a versatile solution for developers and quality analysts to test web development on Windows browsers like Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Users appreciate its simplicity in dealing with disk partitioning, assigning RAM to new operating systems, and its feature-rich offerings like capturing snapshots and changing networks. By providing access to critical Windows applications while still enjoying the benefits of a Mac system, VMware Fusion has been enthusiastically adopted by organizations using predominantly Macs.

Intuitive User Interface: Reviewers have consistently praised the intuitive and easy-to-navigate user interface of VMware Fusion. Many users have found it straightforward to locate and customize settings, such as adjusting the hard disk size. This user-friendly interface has made it convenient for users to manage their virtual machines without any hassle.

Snapshot Functionality: The option to create and restore snapshots in VMware Fusion has received high praise from a significant number of reviewers. Users have found this feature to be both useful and easy to use. It allows them to quickly revert back to a previous state if any issues arise during their work, providing them with peace of mind.

Seamless Integration with macOS: The seamless integration of VMware Fusion with macOS has been highly regarded by many users. They appreciate features like the ability to copy and paste between environments, run applications in full screen mode for an immersive experience, and launch apps directly from the Mac desktop. This tight integration enhances productivity and convenience for users working across different operating systems on their Mac computers.

Outdated User Interface: Some users have expressed that the user interface of VMware Fusion is in need of improvement, stating that it has taken a step back and lacks modern design elements.

Unreliable Remote Host Connections: Several users have reported experiencing spotty remote host connections with VMware Fusion, making it difficult for them to establish stable connections and causing frustration during remote work or collaboration.

Difficulty Configuring Boot Camp Install: Some users have found configuring a boot camp install to run inside macOS via VMware Fusion to be tricky. This process can lead to license activation issues for certain applications, adding complexity to the setup process.

Users commonly recommend VMware Fusion for several reasons. Firstly, they suggest using VMware Fusion as the best option for running Windows on a MacBook and as an alternative to having a second laptop. Users also believe that VMware Fusion is worth the license price due to the time-saving benefits it provides. Additionally, users recommend VMware Fusion for its simplicity and ease of use in setting up and running virtual machines. They praise its stability, hardware sharing capabilities, and ability to make Windows software compatible with a Mac. Ultimately, users suggest considering VMware Fusion if you need to run programs not available on MacOSX or if your company pays for a MacBook.

Reviews

(1-3 of 3)
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An excellent fusion of great virtualization features, high performance, and pricing that fits the bill for almost everyone.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Incentivized
April 04, 2022
SS
Shion Song
Art Director & Web Developer
shion.ca (Marketing & Advertising, 1-10 employees)
Vetted Review
Verified User
VMware Fusion
12 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
VMware Fusion is used in a multitude of development scenarios including spinning up Linux servers for early-stage development before the code is pushed to an internet-facing dev server for clients to see. It allows easy maintenance of different VM images to test different application environments easily and safely. It is also a great "lab rat" to test code against bleeding edge versions of PHP and popular web apps. Fusion is also used to run Windows-only business-related applications on the intel mac platform, thereby eliminating having to reboot or run maintain multiple physical hardware. While the Mac software library has grown, Windows counterparts from the same developer are often still better so Fusion helps eliminates this shortfall.
Pros and Cons
  • The option for a perpetual license makes it a cost-effective option for occasional-use scenarios.
  • Features like "Unity" are well implemented to make windows applications appear as if they were native macOS apps.
  • Support for external USB devices (especially audio) runs more stable than Parallels.
  • Snapshots are helpful in quickly returning to a previous state if a setting or application causes issues.
  • The low power footprint makes it a great option for laptops on battery power. (Idle power consumption of the VM is negligible when measured at the wall using a Kill-A-watt).
Likelihood to Recommend
Due to its perpetual licensing model, VMware Fusion is a great option for users whose needs do not change as much over time. It is also great for occasional-use scenarios such as testing and preparing code to run on newer platforms. Fusion is not really recommended for running graphics-intense applications as graphics acceleration in Fusion is fairly limited in both performance and API support. It has, however, come a very long way and offers near-native performance for many tasks.
Most Important Features
  • Perpetual licensing option as our use-case is mostly occasional. We can upgrade on our own terms as needed.
  • VM performance.
Return on Investment
  • Eliminated the need to maintain separate windows hardware as well as multiple OSes for testing.
  • Saved a lot of hours needing to configure VM instances to serve specific needs (e.g. can create an image and use it as an image template for similar projects going forward).
Alternatives Considered
As mentioned previously, perpetual licensing was the #1 reason. The interface is also cleaner, simpler, and less bloat. Parallels also seem to run a bit slower. Fusion was also more stable and significantly faster in both raw performance and graphics compared to Virtualbox. Virtualbox also had a tendency to random freezings on some of our Linux instances on occasion.
Other Software Used
Usability
9
Sometimes the best surprise is no surprise and Fusion is just that. It's reliable and generally just works as expected every time (the only exception was running a boot camp install directly but that use-case scenario opens a can of worms due to how product activation works) The interface and settings are clean and simple and there is no hide and seek games to play.

An excellent high performing product that makes desktop virtualization simple and cost effective

Rating: 10 out of 10
Incentivized
August 29, 2019
SS
Stefan Semo
Director of IT Infrastructure, Security & Compliance and Customer Service
Success Academy Charter Schools (Education Management, 201-500 employees)
Vetted Review
Verified User
VMware Fusion
4 years of experience
View profile
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
As a charter school management organization, we strive to provide the best educational tools to our students. As such, we have deployed Mac labs utilizing Apple iMac computers, which work great for almost all curriculum, except some STEM and liberal arts applications that are not available for Mac. The decision to go with VMware Fusion was an easy one after we evaluated the available options for virtualizing MS Windows on the iMacs in order to get compatibility with some of the Windows-only programs. Unlike the competition, the VMware Fusion upgrade and update process as new versions come out is much simpler and as easy as point and click. it is also cheaper and its performance is on par with all the other visualization desktop products. A great addition to anyone's toolkit.
Pros and Cons
  • Accelerates Windows applications on Mac very smoothly.
  • Great options for VM management down to CPU cores and host RAM utilization.
  • Very easy to update/upgrade with just a click of the mouse.
Likelihood to Recommend
  • Wherever there is a need to run Windows applications on Macs and one needs a quick and simple way to deploy this support as well as an easy way to update the application.
  • Environments where batch deployment is valued (enterprise) will be best suited by VMware Fusion with its ease of deployment.
  • Cost-conscious buyers would appreciate the lower costs of purchase, update, and upgrades that come with VMware Fusion.
VMware Fusion Feature Ratings
Return on Investment
  • Being less expensive than the competition, it has enabled us to deploy more computers for our students
  • It has reduced the effort to manage and update that our IT staff have to exert to keep the systems up-to-date
  • It has provided our students with a great learning environment that is flexible and allows for fine control of resource utilization
Usability
10
It's an excellent product that performs desktop virtualization very well and requires little to no maintenance.
Support Rating
10
Honestly, we never had any issue so there was no need to reach out to support for anything. I would assume that given experience by others as well, they are not too busy.
Alternatives Considered
VMWare Fusion is easier to deploy and manage than Parallels and also has a much simpler and less expensive licensing system. For us these are win-win.
Other Software Used

VMware Fusion - The go to Mac virtualization application

Rating: 8 out of 10
Incentivized
December 10, 2018
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
VMware Fusion is the preferred workstation virtualization application for Mac users. It allows users to virtualize a multitude of operating systems on their workstation. We have used Fusion to virtualize firewalls, test systems for development and running OS specific applications that are unavailable on Macs.
Pros and Cons
  • Managing workstation-specific virtualization for Mac.
  • Host/Guest resource management.
  • Feature and patch releases are added several times a year to make sure Fusion maintains its leadership role
Likelihood to Recommend
VM Fusion is the best virtualization platform for Macs. It is suited for any implementation for workstation virtualization.
VMware Fusion Feature Ratings
Return on Investment
  • Positive - OS virtualization for the Mac workstation
  • Positive - better OS resource management than other platforms - keeping users more productive
Alternatives Considered
VM Fusion is a leader. It has more functionality and capability for workstation virtualization application. Its unity view and resource management of virtual guests is far superior to any other Mac workstation virtualization applications on the market.
Other Software Used
Users and Roles
12
Cybersecurity engineers, developers, etc. VMware Fusion allows users to virtualize any environment on their Apple workstations. This includes firewalls, application servers, etc. It gives our users the flexibility to test and assess applications, operating systems, and other systems before deployment. Users also use the unity mode to run Windows applications seamlessly on OSX where these applications may not be available.
Support Headcount Required
VMWare fusion is a application that runs on OSX and doesn't require in house support. There are times where users assist others in configuration of virtual systems, but other than that the application is stable and is used by employees that understand what it is and how it works.
Business Processes Supported
  • Security assessment of operating systems and appliances.
  • Security engineering of system configurations.
  • Secure development and testing of software.
Innovative Uses
  • Users can leverage VMware Fusion to connect remotely to virtual systems hosted in ESXi clusters.
  • This application doesn't contain much where it can be used innovatively.
Future Planned Uses
  • VMware fusion is a straightforward application used to virtualize systems on OSX and doesn't really have many other ways to use the application.
  • A Mac could be set up to use VMware Fusion as a central virtual server but with the availability of ESXi this is not cost effective unless a fully segmented architecture is desired.
Likelihood to Renew
10
For Apple workstations VMware Fusion is the virtualization software to use. No other application (free or paid) can do what Fusion can. The features and constant updates make Fusion an application that cant be beat.
Products Replaced
No
Key Differentiators
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Product Reputation
  • Prior Experience with the Product
Fusion is hands down the best virtualization application for Apple workstations. Other platforms come close but don't offer the features and flexibility of Fusion.
Evaluation Lessons Learned
There is nothing I would change. I tried all software that is similar to VMware Fusion and if I were to do it again, I would try all options and assess functionality, features, etc in the same way.
Implementation Details / Implementation Partner
  • Implemented in-house
Implementation Phases
No
Change Management Lessons
Change management was minimal
Install of this application requires no change management. It is a simple install process like any other desktop applications.
Implementation Issues
  • I did not encounter any issues.
Implementation Rating
10
This is a workstation application and no install insights are needed.
Support Rating
8
Security patches and constant updates keep Fusion a leader. I have had to contact support 1 or 2 times and my issues were identified and resolved quickly.
Bug Resolution
No
Exceptional Examples of VMware Fusion Support
The times I contacted VMware for Fusion support my issues were resolved with identification of the issue and training on how to work around my issue or notification of a patch.
Easy Tasks
  • Install of Operating systems to create virtual machines.
  • Deployment of virtual system/appliance templates (OVA, etc.).
  • With the exception of 1 OS - VMWare tools are easy to install, manipulate, and leverage for full system unity.
Difficult Tasks
  • Some systems require manipulation of the virtual config files to make changes or optimize the system - this is not difficult for me but may be for others.
Mobile Interface Availability and Impressions
No
Usability
10
As I have said 3-4 times in this review, VMware fusion is the best application for system vitalization on Apple Workstations. I have tried all the others and you get what you pay for in the cases of free applications. Even when tested against paid options, Fusion is the best for me and my team.
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