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VMware Workstation Pro

VMware Workstation Pro

Overview

What is VMware Workstation Pro?

VMware Workstation Pro is virtualization software which allows running multiple x86-based operating systems on one PC. Users can run Windows, Linux and BSD virtual machines on a Windows or Linux desktop.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

VMware Workstation Pro provides a versatile solution for a range of use cases across different industries. For businesses, it offers a …
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Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

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  • Live virtual machine backup (20)
    9.5
    95%
  • Virtual machine automated provisioning (19)
    8.9
    89%
  • Management console (21)
    8.1
    81%
  • Live virtual machine migration (20)
    7.7
    77%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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What is VMware Workstation Pro?

VMware Workstation Pro is virtualization software which allows running multiple x86-based operating systems on one PC. Users can run Windows, Linux and BSD virtual machines on a Windows or Linux desktop.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

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

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IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions is designed to make cloud adoption easier, allowing the user to optimize the value of existing on-premises infrastructure, while leveraging the same tools, technologies and skills in the cloud. The solution provides rapid scalability, deployment in 35+ global data…

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Product Demos

VmWare WorkStation Pro 15 Demo installation Procedure in Tamil

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VMware Workstation pro 16 Download new install windows 10

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How to access BIOS screen on VMware Workstation Pro

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VMWare 15 5 Demo

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VMware Workstation Pro 14 Crack Tutorial - Latest Version for Windows - free install

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VMware Workstation Pro v14.0.0 FULL Installation

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Features

Server Virtualization

Server virtualization allows multiple operating systems to be run completely independently on a single server

8.5
Avg 8.3
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Product Details

What is VMware Workstation Pro?

VMware Workstation Pro is virtualization software which allows running multiple x86-based operating systems on one PC. Users can run Windows, Linux and BSD virtual machines on a Windows or Linux desktop.

This enable users to build, test and demo software across an array of different devices, platforms and clouds. IT professionals, developers and businesses can use Workstation Pro every day to support their projects and customers. Workstation Pro makes it easy to run complex local virtual environments to simulate operating systems, platforms and clouds, all from the same desktop PC.

Workstation Pro Features

  • Virtual Machines - Uses the same hypervisor technology that powers vSphere to run virtual machines and guest operating systems.
  • High-Performance 3D Graphics - Provides a fluid and responsive experience for running 3D applications. Workstation Pro supports DirectX 11 and now OpenGL 4.3 in virtual machines.
  • Containers and Kubernetes Clusters - Developers on Windows have a new CLI tool, vctl, that can build and run containers and Kubernetes clusters with VM-level isolation and networking.
  • Virtual Networking - Supports complex IPv4 and IPv6 virtual networks for VMs, with added network latency and bandwidth simulations to help recreate real-world scenarios.

VMware Workstation Pro Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

VMware Workstation Pro is virtualization software which allows running multiple x86-based operating systems on one PC. Users can run Windows, Linux and BSD virtual machines on a Windows or Linux desktop.

Reviewers rate Live virtual machine backup highest, with a score of 9.5.

The most common users of VMware Workstation Pro are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(89)

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 Workstation Pro provides a versatile solution for a range of use cases across different industries. For businesses, it offers a secure environment to test software and ensure its safety by running it in a virtual setting with malware. This feature has been widely appreciated by users looking to safeguard their systems. Additionally, users leverage VMware Workstation Pro to deploy development web servers in Linux on Windows machines, enabling efficient software testing. The ability to easily simulate different networking conditions using the Network Editor feature is another valuable use case, as it allows users to test scenarios that would be difficult to replicate physically. IT operations teams rely on VMware Workstation Pro for running lab environments, conducting tests, and validating software solutions and updates. This capability has proven to be indispensable in minimizing risks and ensuring smooth transitions in production infrastructure changes. Furthermore, departments find value in VMware Workstation Pro for running Android applications by virtualizing the Android platform. The software's ability to virtualize old applications that require maintenance has provided an efficient solution compared to running them on outdated hardware. In addition, users appreciate being able to try new features, software, or system updates without encountering real problems through the use of VMware Workstation Pro. This feature has allowed for seamless experimentation and risk-free exploration of new technologies. Overall, from simulating and testing operating systems or production machines to managing virtual labs or supporting older software versions, VMware Workstation Pro serves as a reliable tool for diverse user needs. Its optimized performance, resource utilization capabilities, and flexibility have made it a popular choice among users across various sectors and fields.

Users recommend trying out Hyper-V first for minimal needs, but overall, they believe VMWare is the best hypervisor in its budget range. They find VMWare easier to use and more feature-rich than Oracle VM Virtual Box.

The most common recommendations from users include:

Using VMWare Workstation for testing new security features and bugs. Users find it slightly difficult to set up initially, but once configured appropriately, it becomes easy to use. Although VMWare Workstation Pro is expensive, it provides a rich virtual machine experience with customizable settings. Users suggest using it as a sandbox for testing applications or programs before installing them on the actual system.

Running multiple virtual machines on a single host machine and creating multiple environments. Users highly recommend VMWare Workstation for this purpose. It allows for easy rollbacks to previous instances of virtual machines and is beneficial for teams working on the same project globally. It is also valuable for IT professionals who need to test code or actions in a virtual environment before deploying to a live production environment.

Considering an upgrade to the new version of VMWare Workstation and utilizing features such as a user-friendly interface and RDP access point. Users suggest exploring the additional features available in the latest version of VMWare Workstation. They also recommend using one computer as an access point to remote desktop into multiple virtual machines. This allows for streamlined management of multiple VM containers in a business use case.

Overall, users highly recommend VMWare Workstation due to its ease of use, extensive features, and ability to create multiple environments efficiently.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-14 of 14)
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Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We actively use VMware Workstation Pro for virtualization. Thanks to virtualization, we can do cost-oriented studies. In this regard, the best product on the market belongs to WMware Workstation Pro. Apart from classical virtualization scenarios, we see the benefit of creating test environments before we incorporate new technologies into our projects. In addition to what I wrote, sometimes it may be necessary to use more than one operating system on a computer. At this point, it would be a good solution to quickly set up the system and get your work done.
  • It offers a safe working environment.
  • Fast and solution-oriented work.
  • It does very well creating temporary or virtual machines.
  • It creates safe areas for your new and testing projects.
  • I think the resource consumption is too much. Improvements can be made, especially in terms of CPU usage.
Let's exemplify;
  • Before installing major updates in operating systems, you can test them in a virtual machine.
  • If your projects need to run on a different operating system than the one you are using, you can quickly set up a new virtual machine.
  • It is suitable for long-term operation.
  • These features allow you to create device-independent portable operating systems. You can continue to run a machine you set up on another machine quickly without losing files.
Thus, it provides a flexible and reliable working environment.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We have Controls Engineers that use VM's where the software only supports older Windows versions. So that we can keep the users laptop up to date. I use Workstation Pro for testing Policy changes and testing software. Also, duals as a sandbox area where I can test server changes from clones made from our production environment.
  • Testing Environment
  • Supports pretty much every OS
  • Networking options for VM's
  • Sometimes the networking setup can be a little confusing. Kind of wish there was a network map with the current setup with vSwitches and vNics which would make it easier to visually be able to see all network connections and what adapters they are running through.
  • There might be a reason, but I wish snapshots would run a little faster. I know when I snapshot a VM in vSphere it is almost instant. Again, there might be a reason behind why it takes so long compared to vSphere, just can get annoying waiting for it to complete before testing.
I would not recommend using a VM as a complete replacement for your everyday driver, but I would recommend it for testing. One way that I use Workstation Pro is with testing GPO's. I can make a change to a user or computer GPO, take a snapshot, reboot the computer to pull the GPO, see if it worked. If it didn't, I revert to the last snapshot before the GPO was pulled, make some changes to the GPO again, and test on the test VM. The same style of testing can be used with creating and changing scripts for computer changes. We have a whole computer setup script that installs software and changes a ton of settings. On a VM you can test over and over to make sure the script runs how you want it to and revert if you didn't like the script outcome. Especially handy with software installs, so you don't have to wait for a program to uninstall and then edit the script and run the script again. Using snapshots save me so much time in testing!
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Currently we use VMware Workstation for a number of reasons.
1. We utilize it for the benefit of testing where we will have applications running and to test it within our network we will utilize a virtual machine to simulate its run and completeness.
2. It is used also to run production systems so users can remote into the system. This also allows us to make precise backups in the event of any changes made that may deem the VM unusable we can quickly revert.
  • allow virtualization of physical system
  • creation of a wide range of virtual systems from linux to windows
  • adapting to your current networking
  • ability to virtualize with other software such as GNS3
  • as with the latest, option for shared vm
  • improved network configuration manager
  • improved compatibility with other virtual machine software
Some scenarios where VMware Workstation pro is best suited are:
1. Utilization for testing software - can install a virtual machine to simulate software requirements and testing it on your network.
2. Testing operating systems upgrades and installation on specific hardware requirements.
3. Virtualizing a physical server
4. Being able to backup a whole server and restore from it in the event of any issue occurring.
Johnson Martins | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Highly powerful and easy Cloud package for the business data easy visualization and the management of multiple running services for the companies is effective. The VMware Workstation Pro provides us with great production workflow management possibilities and the ability to create required reports via this platform is fantastic and the ability to protect data through their Cloud services channels is effective.
  • I like the easy to integrate the solution.
  • Functionalities on data migration is good.
  • Useful platform for the project time management.
  • Very easy platform but the interface is not that friendly to new user.
  • For those new providing productive data analytics for multiple data is challenging.
  • The performance on poor hardware machine is very poor.
Reliable platform to keep multiple Cloud services active and provide effective data security for all the business data that are being processed through VMware Workstation Pro environment. The data collection ability from multiple platforms through its stable data integration functionalities is impressive. The processing of data and the data planning tools with software were very beneficial to our business.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I currently use VMware Workstation Pro to manage the various VMs in our environment, as well as a few local VM's stored on my workstation. We have around 1,000 VM's in Vcenter, and VMware Workstation Pro is much more easier to use when needing console access to them.
  • It uses tabs to navigate between VM's when opened, which is great when updating multiple servers
  • The management for VM's stored locally works great
  • I like it's integration with Vcenter
  • It could use more monitoring features
  • They should rethink the licensing, such as having to pay for an upgrade right after purchasing
  • The version I'm on randomly freezes sometimes when launching, then works fine after a few minutes.
It's great for anyone Systems Administrator responsible for multiple servers in a Vcenter environment, as well as anyone who utilizes multiple VM's on the pc for various tasks. If you simply have a VM or two you use to test or play around with, there are free alternatives that may be a better option.
Tyler Twitchell | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
VMware Workstation is used to run VM's that can be discarded and recreated with little effort. These VM's run on our location desktop or laptop with the intended purpose to obfuscate the work that goes on within our organization and that of our production use. These virtual machines are running and supported within VMware to act as a barrier between production access and regular access to our corporate environments allowing up to have a separation of duties within the working environment.
  • Create test systems to validate specific builds.
  • Allow for a separation of duties as well as keep network traffic segregated.
  • Some changes could be made to help with multi screen support.
  • VMware Workstation is difficult to span between different host OS (Windows vs Mac).
The ability to deploy a server to test a specific piece of software is of great benefit, and if you mess up with an install, as long as you have a copy of the machine you started with, you can quickly delete an OS and start over. The same works if you need to share a single image among many people.
Nick Darnell | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I currently use VMware Workstation Pro to manage the VM's in our production environment as well as some locally hosted test machines that may or may not go into production. Workstation allows me to access all of my clusters and VM's with ease on a client based environment rather that web portal based access which can sometime be subpar.
  • Not HTML based - Web applications are not always the best method to access VM's
  • Isolation - VM's can be pulled off production networks for testing in a safe environment
  • Operability - The interface mirrors the HTML format giving the user all of the features necessary to modify, access and manage VM's
  • Stability - The client will sometimes randomly crash
  • Consistency - I have run into issues where VM hardware can only be modified through vSphere so you must bounce back and fourth from time to time
Workstation Pro is well suited for both small and enterprise level applications. Home labs and small businesses can use it to manage a few VM's and massive scale corporations will have the ability to operate multiple clusters across multiple domains all in one setting. I find it most useful for offline application testing on VM's prior to migration into production.
Vlad VARNA | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use VMware Workstation (on Windows) and Fusion (on mac) to test our software and to test it safely with malware. We also use it to deploy development web servers in Linux on Windows development machines. We also use the Network Editor to test different networking conditions that would be harder to replicate physically.
  • You can have different test machines on a single developer host.
  • It's almost as fast as a physical machine.
  • You can use snapshots to quickly experiment with new things and updates without worrying you will lose everything.
  • With the Network Editor, you can configure whole LANs, which would require a lot of effort and equipment to set up physically.
  • The VMX configuration file is easily editable for more advanced features.
  • At the moment, it's incompatible with Microsoft's HyperVM, which is used in Docker and the Linux Subsystem on Windows 2 (WSL 2).
  • VMware shared files sometimes stop working and need to be reset.
  • 3D support is limited to Windows and only certain scenarios.
Out of the desktop VM solutions, it's better than its competitors in terms of speed, features, and reliability (though in the recent releases reliability seems to be going down; probably mainly because of issues with HyperVM). If you want to have a whole Linux environment that you can just move on a stick it's better than WSL. If you need different preconfigured OSes for automated testing it's also very good
Graham Murison | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
VMware Workstation is used in IT operations for running lab environments, testing software solutions/updates. It also allows us to run multiple operating systems on one virtual host. We also have some other departments that required Android hardware in order to run ONE android application. Instead, what we did was deployed VMware Workstation for them and now they run Android through this virtualized platform. There are also some really old applications we have that are required more maintenance for one or two people. Instead, of trying to run it on old hardware we virtualized it and it runs as a Windows XP/2000 virtual machine on a Workstation host.
  • Segregates networking
  • Virtualizing multiple operating systems
  • Resource management
  • Device redirection (USB, printers)
  • Integration with other VMware products
  • More flexible networking functionality, like VLANs etc
  • Pricing
We have used VMware Workstation to virtualize old servers/workstations operating systems that are running on really ancient hardware. By doing this we are have reduced our hardware maintenance cost, power consumption, and cooling costs. It also does well when you are testing the deployment of new software packages or operating systems. This allows IT computers to be free of the bloatware that comes with so many software suites, upgrades for us just requires moving files around.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
VMware Workstation is being used by a few departments to do a variety of things. It is being used by some to access VMs on our host clusters, it is being used by others to create and run local sandbox VMs, and we have used it to copy deprecated VMs to an end-users desktop giving them the opportunity to start that VM and do data recovery on into the future. Workstation provides a good alternative to a remote desktop for managing your servers if they are all virtual. It also provides a great way to do testing and one-off application usage on your desktop in a sandbox.
  • It provides a great remote access tool for accessing and managing servers in virtual environment. With the security risks surround remote desktop this provides a good alternative to do the same functions.
  • The app itself is very lightweight and easy to install/maintain.
  • Sandbox testing can be a time consuming thing to setup and do. Workstation makes this easy to create, use, and put away. This make you more willing to put new things in the sandbox and test them before production usage.
  • The cost of workstation is very affordable for the functionality that you get and you can try it for free before you buy it.
  • We use it to run apps that can be difficult to setup or conflict with other apps. We just spin this app VM up run it, and then shut it back down. The startup and shutdown is very quick.
  • It's not free? With all the money spent on a VMware environment, they could easily give this product away as a tool to use with the overarching products.
  • Initial licensing can be a bit of a challenge as with any VMware product.
  • We have never needed support as the product is very easy to use, but VMware as a company doesn't provide the greatest support.
  • As you read the three things above, you will notice that we really don't have any ideas on how to improve the product as it works very well over all.
When you use the vSphere client to open a remote console you have what appears to be a slimmed-down version of Workstation. The full version can be used in that same role, but instead of going to vSphere first you can directly get to your VM tree through Workstation. This makes it quick to move from VM to VM. Sandboxing is where Workstation is especially well suited. You can run test apps, difficult apps, and deprecated apps/OSs in a sideways fashion that is not dangerous to your production environment. If you're not a VMware shop, this product could be used but would be less appropriate.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
For at home development of virtual machines, it is hard to find a better solution. VMware Workstation is primarily used as personal Linux and web development solutions. It is a super simple/flexible product that allows individual users very robust options. We use it for developing exploit capable boxes and ranges allowing staff to work from home while remaining productive without having to have a cloud solution from home. Currently, roughly 70% of our organization is using VMware workstation in some form or another, whether it's on BYOD, or assigned org devices.
  • VMware Workstation is very easy to use and learn. Little to no knowledge of virtual computing is needed to operate Workstation.
  • The price point is not that bad. While there are free solutions out there that provide simple and basic virtualization solutions, VMware Workstation is definitely worth the money. Also, they offer educational discounts.
  • While being easy to use it has advanced options, it can integrate into remote clouds as well.
  • The snapshots offered on Workstation is a great feature many of the free virtual tools do not have. This allows you to save a live state or dead state of a machine. Allowing immediate rollback or roll forward to points you've saved.
  • Making it easy to export VMS is something that Workstation struggles with; exporting to OVA which is the primary type of VM we export to is cumbersome and can be difficult without proper knowledge on how to do this.
  • Management of VMS could be a little bit more in depth.
  • I think the networking portion of Workstation could use some slight improvements, more in-depth segmentation to support containers, however, this is a small issue and not something many people will miss or need.
If you're a remote user for an organization, specifically for development, VMWare workstation is hard to beat. It's great for home use or even inside organization BOYD type solutions. It is not a replacement for a private or public cloud. It is not intended for production level scenarios; it's more intended for small solutions like classrooms and home use.
Stefan Trbojevic | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
VMware Workstation has been used as our main virtual lab environment tool, this is where we do all our testings before publishing any new updates, as well as to troubleshoot and get more familiar with new features our product has to offer. For instance, I have multiple images set where I can quickly switch between them and spot any new changes that have been developed.
  • Mounting and creating multiple images.
  • Creating restore point.
  • Managing your PC resources efficiently.
  • Multi-monitor setup can be a problem.
  • Some random problems with the mouse cursor not clicking where it should but on some other spot.
VMware Workstation is well suited for literally anyone, be it for a private project or for your work, It is usually being used for testing purposes or perhaps for virtual servers, whatever the task may be VMware Workstation can handle it with ease. As previously mentioned multi-monitor setup is something that needs to be worked on for the product to be fully implemented and usable in your environment.
February 08, 2018

A Perfect VM Manager

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
From my personal experience, VMware Workstation is a wonderful software. I can use different development environments using a single machine (with very accelerated performances). Thanks to VMWare I can develop different solutions and perform tests and debugging easily without any risk and with an immediate rollback speed.
  • immediate rollback speed with VM Snapshot
  • connection with VSphere
  • no risk of unwanted impacts
  • requires a minimum of system knowledge
  • different VMs running at the same time can use a lot of resources
  • the machine running VM Workstation must be very high performing
Scenarios in which this product is useful are if:
  1. you are a developer or you are often interested in new products
  2. you want to carry out extensive tests on certain products or features particularly impacting products that are already used in the company
  3. you have the intention to make particularly risky changes
  4. you can create specular environments and test everything on the virtual. machines
Evan Miller | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I am currently the sole user of VMware Workstation to manage various virtual machines that serve as our Windows Imaging build and test environment. This solves the issue we had with hardware-based image building where the various drivers for the hardware could cause issues with sys prepping and capturing images for our computers.
  • Managing multiple virtual machines. I can have many virtual machines open and the resources it utilizes puts a minimum drain on hardware it is running on.
  • Snapshot management is great in this software. Being able to take snapshots before a major update or software install is great to rollback to when or if something goes wrong.
  • The interface for the software is pretty intuitive. Not a whole lot of things buried in menus that you have to dig around to find.
  • Don't have much negative to say about it. The GUI could maybe use a little more modernization but that's really pushing it.
Windows Imaging - using this to build and test images prior to being rolled out to a production environment is a key point of this software and how I use it. With the multiple feature updates with Windows 10 OS it is ever more important to properly test everything (virtually).
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