VMware Just Made Fusion and Workstation Free for Everyone — Here’s Why That Matters

In a move that feels a bit like an early holiday gift, VMware announced that starting today 11/11, its popular desktop virtualization software, VMware Fusion (for Mac) and VMware Workstation (for Windows and Linux), are now free for all users. That’s right — free, no fine print.

This shift is a pretty bold pivot for VMware. After a rocky year in the enterprise space, where it faced some backlash over its hypervisor approach, it looks like VMware is trying to reset its image, especially with individual users and developers who’ve always loved its products.

For those unfamiliar, VMware Fusion and Workstation let you create virtual machines (VMs) — ideal if you want to run multiple operating systems on a single computer without all the hardware hassle. Whether you’re a dev testing software across platforms, a student messing around with different OS setups, or a Mac user in desperate need of some Windows-only apps, these tools are gold. And now they’re free gold.

It’s not hard to see why VMware is doing this. With stiff competition and some bruises in the corporate world, opening up its tools to consumers is a smart way to win back hearts and rack up some goodwill points. Whatever the motivation, it’s a win-win for users.

For the official details, check out VMware’s announcement: VMware Blog.