Skip to main content
TrustRadius
VMware Workstation Player

VMware Workstation Player
Formerly VMware Player

Overview

What is VMware Workstation Player?

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…

Read more
Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

VMware Player has been widely used in various scenarios, addressing software compatibility issues and ensuring operating system …
Continue reading

VMware Workstation Player is solid

6 out of 10
March 29, 2022
I use VMware Workstation Player to run virtual machines on Windows or Linux PCs. I can easily run multiple operating systems as virtual …
Continue reading
Read all reviews
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing
N/A
Unavailable

What is VMware Workstation Player?

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.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

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

Would you like us to let the vendor know that you want pricing?

3 people also want pricing

Alternatives Pricing

What is Ace Cloud VDI?

Ace Cloud Hosting provides fully managed cloud-hosted Virtual Desktops and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) to clients globally. Its hosted VDI solutions like DaaS and WaaS are structured to provide users flexibility, device mobility, HIPPA compliant security, and data safety in nominal monthly…

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.

Return to navigation

Product Demos

VMware - Virtual Machine,Virtualbox,Virtual,Vmware Workstation,Vmware player Part- 1

YouTube
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is VMware Workstation Player?

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.

VMware Workstation Player Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(34)

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 Player has been widely used in various scenarios, addressing software compatibility issues and ensuring operating system compliance. Users have reported that the software has been particularly helpful for beginners as it serves as an introduction to virtualization. By using VMware Player, users can explore the concept of virtualization without the need to invest in a paid product.

The creation and maintenance of basic virtual machines can be easily done with VMware Player, making it suitable for beginners. It has been successfully utilized in running open-source and software-defined development projects, including open network operating systems and distributed architectures. The interface of VMware Player has been widely praised for its user-friendly nature, allowing users to run multiple operating systems simultaneously without the need for rebooting.

Additionally, users have found VMware Player to be a time-saving tool as it eliminates the requirement of directly installing operating systems on PCs. This makes it easier for users to switch between multiple operating systems effortlessly. VMware Player has also gained popularity in software testing and quality assurance, providing a sandbox environment for testing software installations and behavior.

With the ability to run virtual machines on both Windows and Linux PCs, VMware Player offers flexibility and convenience to users. It has been described as a handy tool for managing and handling virtual machines on laptops and workstations without impacting production machines.

Furthermore, VMware Player serves as a software visualization tool, allowing users to run programs that are not installed on their machines but are emulated within the virtual machines. This feature has proven beneficial in various use cases where users require access to specific programs or applications without the need for direct installation.

Overall, VMware Player's user-friendly interface, compatibility features, and versatility make it a valuable tool for both beginners and experienced users alike in addressing software compatibility issues, exploring virtualization concepts, managing virtual machines efficiently, and facilitating software testing and development processes.

Easy to use: Many users have found VMware Player to be easy to use and beginner-friendly. They appreciate the intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate and operate the software.

Wide variety of operating systems supported: Reviewers have mentioned that they appreciate the fact that VMware Player supports a wide variety of operating systems. This allows them to create virtual machines of different OSes on different host machines, providing flexibility and convenience.

Seamless performance: Several users have praised VMware Player for its seamless performance. They mention that the program works smoothly with other applications, ensuring smooth performance even when running a virtual machine.

Limited functionality: Some users have mentioned that VMware Player has limited functionality compared to VMware Workstation, as it can only run a single virtual machine at a time and requires the user to be logged into the host machine. This limitation may not meet the needs of users who require simultaneous operation of multiple virtual machines or want to run VMs without logging in.

Steep learning curve: Several reviewers have commented that VMware Player requires higher technological knowledge than most users possess. This can make it challenging for less experienced users to fully utilize the software's features and navigate its interface effectively.

Lack of comprehensive documentation: Users have found the documentation provided for VMware Player to be lacking in robustness. Some reviewers expressed frustration with the insufficient guidance on various functionalities and troubleshooting common issues, making it difficult for them to find proper solutions independently.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-9 of 9)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I use VMware Workstation Player to run virtual machines on Windows or Linux PCs. I can easily run multiple operating systems as virtual machines on my Windows or Linux PCs.
  • Create VM of Linux OSes on my WIndows machine.
  • Create VM of Windows OSes on my Linux machine.
  • Create VM of WIndows OSes on my MAC.
  • Easier use with MAC machines.
  • Support for x32 computers.
  • Easier sharing of host physical drives and usb devices.
I think Vmware Workstation Player is great for test, dev environments allowing you to easily spin up virtual machines on a number of OSes. It is not as well suited for large enterprise environments as there are other more robust solutions from VMware that would work better. If you want to spend little or nothing this is your solution.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I have been using this VM ware for virtual machines and it appears to be working well.
  • easy to load new VM
  • VM works seamlessly with other applications
  • works very well
  • Good software
  • Documentation could be more robust
  • Needs higher technological knowledge than most users
  • can be very expensive
very good
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
WMware Player is a great little and handy tool to use VMs locally or to install, handle and manage VMs on your laptop, workstation, and so on. It enables you to change settings or to install, as an example, a test machine in your environment without touching or affecting production machines and their settings.
  • Small installation footprint.
  • Easy to install and manage.
  • You have a small virtual environment "to-go".
  • All depends on the power of your workstation.
  • Network management can sometimes be tricky.
Mange, transfer, test, change, [and] install virtual machines in different locations and environments. With a laptop you can take parts of your environment with you to test and develop. You can easily create a copy or clone of a VM to test out things without affecting the production environment or network.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is probably used more heavily in other groups (like for software testing and QA for example). In my case, I've used it mainly to run virtual machines that were built and shared. More specifically SAS University which is a free "light" version of SAS base. So I was using it as a form of software visualization tool where it allowed me to run a program that wasn't installed on my machine but rather "emulated". However, I know that this kind of tool and this one also, in particular, are very often used as sandboxes to test software installs and overall behavior.
You can install a piece of software on one of your virtual machines, do all sorts of testing and then if you must, restore the initial state at the click of a button.
  • Overall performance is great, the program feels light (and should be) when running a virtual machine.
  • The interface is really user friendly and you quickly get the hang of it.
  • Ability to go full screen is also really convenient but make sure to remember how to leave full screen!
  • Managing the VMs is not really handled (unless I used it wrong). If you have just a few VM available it's ok but keep in mind that you can't really regroup them. Using a naming convention is an easy way around the problem though.
  • I had occurrences where my VM was corrupted and the error message was mentioning the possibility of restoring the state but stating that it could corrupt the VM itself. I had to do it a couple of times over the last year and a half and never got any problems but this warning always scared the heck out of me. I wish VMware would be able to provide some more details on why this thing happens every once in a while and how to avoid it.
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.
Tom Thomas | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is a very user friendly interface that allows you to run multiple operating systems at the same time on your PC. Not having to reboot to switch between them is very convenient. It is easier to use VMware Player than installing them directly to your PC, as it would take much longer.
  • Ideal for testing new software
  • Can switch between OS without restarting
  • Supports 4k and multiple monitors
Great way to test out different software or OS without having to install them directly to your PC. Switching between operating systems is fluid and easy, without the hassle of needing to restart. Great for quick developing or tweaking of minor settings without having to apply them directly to your PC using trial and error.
June 06, 2016

VMware Player

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I personally use VMware for many reasons such as being able to access Linux OS for my project or testing a program.
  • Free
  • Easy to use
  • Built-in DHCP service which is shared by all NATed VMs
  • No VM snapshot
  • No support for a virtual monitor
  • Limited cmd line interfance for managing
  • Can't be installed on OS - X
If you can't afford VMware Fusion and are ok with limited features, this is excellent program to use and best of all, it's free!
Neeranjan Deone | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I have been using VMware Player for open source and software-defined development.
I use it for running open network operating system , distributed architecture . I had no issues
spawning the vm and running my setup on the virtual machine.
  • Easy to create VMs
  • Portable
  • Reliable
  • Licensing
  • Easy access to OS images
  • Networking connecting to internet
VMware Player is appropriate for educational purposes. It needs to be more reliable for company development.
Jeremy Kendzierski | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
VMware Player has been used in multiple applications that address software compatibility issues and operating system compliance. With VMware Player we have been able to continue the use of legacy applications running on VMs of older OSs while maintaining an up to date host OS across our network.
  • 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.
  • As intended, VMware Player is capable of running a single VM at a time and you must be logged into the host machine in order to run the guest VMs. In order to run VMs without logging in and/or to run multiple VMs simultaneously requires VMware Workstation.
VMware Player is well suited for a desktop end user who needs to run applications that require very specific settings or restrictions that would effect the host OS too greatly. For example if an application requires an old version of Java or an old browser to function then VMware Player is a better place to host a guest OS with those configurations. This way the host machine can still utilize a newer browser and Java version for safety and compliance while the VM can be used for compatibility and access.
October 07, 2015

Players gonna play

Stephen Demsky | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I used VMWare Player to give myself an introduction to virtualization. It allows you to get your feet wet without committing money to a paid product, such as VMware Workstation or VMware Fusion. The features are limited, but as a beginner, you will be mainly concerned with the creation and maintenance of basic VMs, which is doable with VMware Player.
  • Allows beginners to experience virtualization
  • Simple to use
  • Lightweight
  • Would be nice to use more VMs at once, but this is basically trial software, so it's hard to fault them.
Better suited for personal use, more-than-likely in an academic environment. For business you're better off with a paid product such as VMware Workstation or VMware Fusion. The Pro version of VMware Player may be a better choice for some, but again you're committing to purchasing and may as well go with Workstation/Fusion at that point.
Return to navigation