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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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Awards

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

View all 5 features
  • Live virtual machine backup (20)
    9.6
    96%
  • 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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N/A
Unavailable

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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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 9.6.

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

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Reviews and Ratings

(88)

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

(1-2 of 2)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
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.
Server Virtualization (5)
84%
8.4
Virtual machine automated provisioning
90%
9.0
Management console
80%
8.0
Live virtual machine backup
90%
9.0
Live virtual machine migration
70%
7.0
Hypervisor-level security
90%
9.0
  • It has helped a great deal keeping duties separated among different roles.
  • The ability to share a single OS build helps cut down on setup for new employees.
This version of the HyperVisor is similar to other systems, but like most, it has its own twist on things and how it works. One of the essential functions is the tabbed approach to listing VM's which allows multiple servers to be running and allowing access to each using keyboard shortcuts to do so without the need for a listing of servers or having to use the mouse. VMware Workstation is also well established in the marketplace with a reputation for stability and performance, which works well for my situations.
I haven't had to call VMware Workstation support. The majority of the time, whenever I have a problem, I can perform an online search and find the answers I need. Online forums and users with similar situations are generally sufficient to answer any questions I have had, though, from previous experience at another company, their support is outstanding and responsive to circumstances. However, that is generally for a paid support contract and should be expected when you are paying for that support.
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.
Server Virtualization (5)
40%
4.0
Virtual machine automated provisioning
100%
10.0
Management console
100%
10.0
Live virtual machine backup
N/A
N/A
Live virtual machine migration
N/A
N/A
Hypervisor-level security
N/A
N/A
  • The ROI on Workstation would be hard for us to compute. It makes things easier to do and to get access to, but there are other applications and methods to do much the same thing.
  • Where there has to be a some form of ROI is in the fact that you will actually do things that you might not otherwise do simply because Workstation makes them easier. Sandbox testing is a good example of this idea.
We didn't compare Workstation to other alternatives and we haven't used any other products like it. I guess you could use Workstation in conjunction with ESX and without vCenter, but I'm not sure and we have always had vCenter. We chose Workstations because it was a known tool that works well in large VMware ecosystem that already had and because it was inexpensive and easy to use.
We have never called support for Workstation so this rating is actually based on an overall rating of VMware. The good thing about VMware products is they don't generally need much support, but like any other really large company the support they give has, in our experience, gone downhill. They take a while to get through to and then aren't generally quick to respond and resolve cases.
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