Following a period of uncertainty and user frustration after its acquisition by Broadcom, VMware has announced a surprising move – making its professional-grade desktop hypervisor applications, VMware Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro, available for free for personal use. This decision comes after a period of backlash surrounding the discontinuation of free player versions and a shift towards a subscription model for commercial users.

Previously, VMware offered free “Player” versions of both Fusion and Workstation, catering to individual users who wanted to run virtual machines on their computers. However, these free options were discontinued as part of Broadcom’s integration plans. The news sparked concern and frustration within the tech community, particularly among students, educators, and hobbyists who relied on the free software for learning and personal projects.

VMware’s latest announcement seems to be a course correction, addressing user concerns and offering a free tier for personal users. Both Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro are now available for download with a “Free Personal Use” license. These full-featured applications offer a significant upgrade compared to the discontinued player versions, providing users with advanced functionalities for managing and running virtual machines.

This move is likely an effort to appease the personal user base that felt left behind by the initial changes. While the free tier doesn’t extend to commercial use cases, it offers a robust solution for individuals seeking a powerful and feature-rich virtualization tool for personal projects or learning purposes. Businesses will still require paid subscriptions to leverage these applications in commercial environments.

While the long-term implications of this decision remain to be seen, it does signal a potential shift in VMware’s approach under Broadcom’s ownership. By offering a free tier for personal users, VMware can potentially retain a strong foothold in the educational and hobbyist communities, fostering brand loyalty and building a pipeline of future professional users.

For individual users, this is a welcome change. The free access to professional-grade virtualization software opens doors for experimentation, learning, and exploring the world of virtual machines. Whether it’s running a specific operating system for testing purposes, creating isolated development environments, or simply experiencing the benefits of virtualization, the free tier of VMware Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro empowers individuals to explore these functionalities without financial barriers.