Workstation Pro
Build and Test for any platform with VMware Workstation
VMware Workstation Pro is the industry standard for running multiple operating systems as virtual machines (VMs) on a single Linux or Windows PC. IT professionals, developers and businesses who build, test or demo software for any device, platform or cloud rely on Workstation Pro.
Workstation Pro Overview
Workstation Pro Overview
Learn about advanced features for running multiple operating systems as virtual machines (including Linux and Windows VMs) at once on a single PC.
Try Workstation 16 Pro
See for yourself what's new in Workstation, including: DirectX 11 Graphics, new Dark Mode user interface, Hyper-V mode support and more.
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Run VMs, Containers and Kubernetes clusters on a Single PC
VMware Workstation Pro allows you to run multiple virtual machines, OCI containers and Kubernetes clusters at once on the same Windows or Linux PC. Create fully featured and securely isolated Linux and Windows VMs and other desktop, server, and cloud environments, complete with configurable virtual networking and network condition simulation, for use in code development, solution architecting, application testing, product demonstrations and more.
Develop and Test for Any Platform
Workstation Pro supports hundreds of operating systems to run and build apps of any kind, and now has added support to Build, Run, Pull and Push OCI containers, and the ability to create Kubernetes clusters with kind and Minikube, as well as providing the tools for users to deploy Kubernetes the hard way. Workstation Pro is an essential part of the development and testing cycle by providing apps with production-like environments, helping developers find bugs early and release great code on time.
Run Nested or Connect to Remote VMware vSphere
Securely connect with vSphere through vCenter Server or ESXi hosts to launch, control and manage both virtual machines (VMs) and physical hosts. A common VMware hypervisor maximizes productivity and enables easy transfer of VMs to and from your local PC, and also allows for deploying entire VMware Cloud Foundation environments locally, perfect for testing the next big thing.
Secure and Isolate Environments
Run a secure second desktop with different privacy settings, tools and networking configurations, or use forensic tools to investigate OS vulnerabilities. Workstation provides one of the most secure hypervisors in the industry and delivers useful features for IT security professionals, such as the ability to ‘sniff’ virtual network traffic and output it into standard PCAP format.
FEATURES
vSphere Integration
Workstation serves as the ultimate companion to vSphere. A shared hypervisor delivers environment fidelity like no other, ensuring that apps can easily move between desktop, data center and cloud. Workstation brings insight into remote clusters, data centers and virtual machines, as well as allow users to quickly deploy ESXi and the vCenter Server Appliance as VMs in a local lab on a single PC.
High-Performance 3D Graphics
VMware Workstation Pro supports DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.3, delivering a fluid and responsive experience for running 3D applications. Users can run the most highly demanding 3D apps or modern games with impeccable performance in a VM, supporting the latest high-performance graphics hardware.
Clones for Rapid Duplication
Save time and effort and ensure an exact duplicate when repeatedly creating the same VM setup. Use “Linked Clones” to quickly duplicate a VM while significantly reducing physical disk space. Use “Full Clones” to create fully isolated duplicates that can be shared with others.
CLI for Containers and Kubernetes
Workstation Pro brings with it a new CLI for commanding OCI containers and kind Kubernetes clusters: ‘vctl’. With vctl, Workstation Pro users can Build, Run, Pull and Push OCI container images. Locally, Workstation deploys a tiny appliance VM to host containers, giving them their own IP address on a custom ‘vmnet,’ removing the need for port forwarding, while consuming fewer resources during operation.
Powerful Virtual Networking
Create complex IPv4 or IPv6 virtual networks for VMs with added support for Jumbo Frames or integrate with third-party software to design full data center topologies using real-world routing software and tools. Test app resiliency Virtual Network Simulation by introducing packet loss, latency and bandwidth restrictions.
Helpful Snapshots
Create a rollback point to revert to on the fly, which is perfect for testing unknown software or creating customer demos. Multiple snapshots make it easy to test a variety of different scenarios without the need to install multiple operating systems.
USE CASES
Windows Virtualization Done Right
Workstation Pro delivers a desktop virtualization solution designed for every kind of user. IT pros get a high-powered productivity tool. Developers get an expansive engineering environment. Business leaders can enable Work-from-Anywhere initiatives. Students and home users get the best of all worlds.
Solutions for IT Pros
Design, test and demo software solutions for nearly any device, platform or cloud.
Solutions for Businesses
Enable BYO by delivering corporate desktops and apps to any user, anywhere.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Workstation Pro installation:
VMware Workstation 16 supports hundreds of 32-bit and 64-bit guest operating systems.
Here is a list of the most popular:
- Windows 10
- Windows 8
- Windows 7
- Windows XP
- Ubuntu
- RedHat
- SUSE
- Oracle Linux
- Debian
- Fedora
- openSUSE
- Mint
- CentOS
- Solaris, FreeBSD, and various other Linux Distros
See the VMware Compatibility Guide for a complete list of supported host and guest operating systems.
Guest Operating Systems
- Intel Sandy Bridge or a newer CPU
- AMD Bulldozer or a newer CPU
Host Operating Systems:
- Windows 10 2004
Minimum Requirements to Run Container Runtime on Workstation Windows Host Operating Systems:
- Windows 10 1809 or higher
Minimum Requirements to Dark Theme support on Workstation Windows Host Operating Systems:
- Windows 10 1809 or higher
For 3D Hardware Accelerated Graphics Support:
Hardware Requirements:
- For Windows hosts, a GPU that supports DirectX 11 is required.
- For Linux hosts, the latest NVIDIA proprietary drivers are required.
- For Linux hosts, AMD devices are not supported
Software Requirements:
- 64-bit Host Operating System:
Windows 8 or higher
GNU/Linux with NVIDIA drivers that support OpenGL 4.5 and above - Guest Operating System
Windows 7 or higher
GNU/Linux with vmwgfx
* With exception, the following CPUs are not supported:
- Intel Atom processors based on the 2011 “Bonnell” micro-architecture (e.g. Atom Z670/Z650; Atom N570)
- Systems using Intel Atom processors based on the 2012 “Saltwell” micro-architecture (e.g. Atom S1200, Atom D2700/D2500, Atom N2800/N2600.
- Systems using AMD processors based on the “Llano” and “Bobcat” micro-architectures (e.g. code-named “Hondo”, “Ontario”, “Zacate”, “Llano”)
In addition, the following CPUs are supported:
- Intel processors based on the 2010 “Westmere” micro-architecture (e.g. Xeon 5600, Xeon
3600, Core i7-970, Core i7-980, Core i7-990)
For a complete list of supported host and guest the operating systems visit the VMware Compatibility Guide.
COMPARE
Workstation Player or Workstation Pro - Choose the Right Version for You
| General |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| Create New VMs |
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| Create Large VMs (32CPU, 128GB RAM) |
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| Convert PC into a virtual machine |
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| Mass Deployment |
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| Host Guest Integration |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| Host/Guest File Sharing |
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| Shared/Mirrored Folders |
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| One-Click SSH to Linux VM |
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| Run VMs with Different View Modes |
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| Unity View Mode (Windows guests only) |
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| Graphics |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| 3D graphics with DX11 and OpenGL 4.1 support |
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| Large Graphics Memory: 8GB |
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| Device Support |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| 4K / 5K / Retina Display Support |
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| Support a Wide Range of Virtual Devices |
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| USB Smart Card Reader Support |
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| USB 3.1 Device Support |
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| Assistive Device Support (Section 508 Compliant) |
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| Multi-Language Keyboard Support |
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| Virtual Trusted Platform Module Device |
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| Virtual NVMe Device |
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| Security Features |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| Microsoft Virtualization Based Security (Guest) Support |
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| Virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM) |
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| UEFI Boot Support |
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| UEFI Secure Boot Support |
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| GPU Sandbox Renderer |
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| Snapshots |
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| Create/Manage Encrypted VM |
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| Host Operating Systems |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| Windows 10 Host |
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| Linux - Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, RHEL, SUSE, openSUSE |
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| macOS 10.16 and greater |
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| Guest Operating Systems |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| Over 200 Supported OSs (Linux, older Windows, BSD) |
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| Windows 10 Guests |
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| macOS Guests |
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| Mac Host Specific Features |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| macOS 10.16 Host support |
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| macOS Guest Support |
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| Windows apps in the Mac Dock |
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| One-Click SSH to Linux VM |
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| Metal Graphics Engine |
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| BootCamp Import / Launch |
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| Application Menu |
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| Windows Host Specific Features |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| Windows 10 Host |
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| DX12 Rendering Engine |
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| Hyper-V Mode Support (Device Guard, WSL) |
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| Linux Host Specific Features |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| Vulkan Rendering Engine |
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| Host Support - Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, RHEL, SUSE, openSUSE |
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| Advanced Features |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| Command Line Operation: vmrun and VIX |
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| vCenter Server Appliance Easy Deploy |
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| REST API |
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| "Nautilus Container Engine" |
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| Virtual Network Customization (NAT, network rename) |
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| Virtual Network Simulation (Packet Loss, Latency, Bandwidth) |
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| Connect to vSphere/ESXi Server |
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| Remote vSphere Host Power Control |
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| Create Linked Clones |
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| Create Full Clones |
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| Encrypt VMs |
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| Licensing |
Workstation Player |
Workstation Pro |
| Free for Personal Use |
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| Commercial License |
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| Trial License |
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FAQS
Product
See AllHow does VMware Workstation Pro work?
VMware Workstation Pro works by creating fully isolated, secure virtual machines that encapsulate an operating system and its applications. The VMware virtualization layer maps the physical hardware resources to the virtual machine's resources, so each virtual machine has its own CPU, memory, disks, and I/O devices, and is the full equivalent of a standard x86 machine. VMware Workstation Pro installs onto the host operating system and provides broad hardware support by inheriting device support from the host.
What types of applications can I run in a virtual machine?
Any application that will run on a standard PC will run inside a virtual machine on VMware Workstation Pro. VMware Workstation Pro is the equivalent of a full PC, with full networking and devices — each virtual machine has its own CPU, memory, disks, I/O devices, etc. This allows you to run any application that runs on the supported guest operating systems, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Apache Web Server, Microsoft Visual Studio, Kernel debuggers, Firewalls, VPN software and much more.
Installation
See AllWhat kind of hardware do I need to run VMware Workstation Pro?
VMware Workstation Pro runs on most standard x86-based hardware with 64-bit Intel and AMD processors and on 64-bit Windows or Linux host operating systems. Please review the CPU requirements before purchase, as some older CPU’s are no longer compatible. VMware recommends 1.2 GB of available disk space for the application. Additional hard disk space required for each virtual machine. Please refer to vendors recommended disk space for specific guest operating systems.
Does Workstation 16 Pro support 32-bit operating systems?
Workstation 16 Pro requires a 64-bit operating system on the host PC. You can still run your favorite 32-bit Windows and Linux guest operating systems inside a virtual machine on Workstation 16 Pro. If you plan to run 64-bit virtual machines with VMware Workstation Pro, please refer to the Knowledge Base article on compatible 64-bit CPUs.
Downloads and Trials
See AllHow can I download VMware Workstation Pro?
You can download VMware Workstation Pro software from the Workstation Pro Download page.
Can I convert my trial license to a permanent license?
After the evaluation period has expired, you will be prompted to enter a license key. If you have purchased the product you will have received a new license key. Enter the purchased license key when prompted to unlock the full "unlimited" version of the software. To take advantage of complimentary email support for up to 30 days, your license key must be registered. If you purchased the product from the VMware Online store, your license key is automatically registered. If you purchased from a reseller, you need to manually register your license key in My VMware. Please consult this KB article for detailed instructions on license key registration.
Licensing and Upgrades
See AllHow do I purchase Workstation 16 Pro upgrades?
VMware Workstation 16 Pro upgrades are available for purchase on the VMware online store or through VMware resellers.
IMPORTANT: When you install a new version of Workstation, the previous version will be uninstalled from your system. Therefore, we recommend that you proceed with the upgrade only if you have a new license key. Your existing virtual machines will not be affected.
Support
See AllWhen does complimentary support start?
Complimentary support starts when your VMware Workstation Pro license is registered. Registration takes place automatically if you purchase your product from the VMware Online store. If you purchased from a reseller, you need to register your license in My VMware. Please consult this KB article for detailed instructions on license key registration.
RESOURCES
Technical Information
Join the Community
Choose Your OS
Run the apps that keep you most productive, wherever you want to use them. If Windows isn’t your main operating system, check out VMware Fusion for Mac or Workstation Player for a simplified solution for running a second and isolated OS on a single PC.
Workstation Player
Run a second and isolated operating system on a single PC.