- Take Control of Your Multi-Cloud Environment
- For Customers
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- Desktop Hypervisor VMware Workstation Pro
- Build and Test for Any Platform with VMware Workstation Pro
- Try Workstation 17 Pro
- Buy Workstation Pro Today
- Build Virtual Machines on the Desktop
- Run VMs and Containers on a Single PC
- Develop and Test for Any Platform
- Enjoy Baked-In vSphere and ESXi Support
- Run Secure and Isolated Desktops
- Workstation Pro Features
- Virtual Machines
- High-Performance 3D Graphics
- Containers and Kubernetes Clusters
- Powerful Virtual Networking
- Use Cases
- Solutions for IT Professionals
- Solutions for Developers
- Solutions for Businesses
- System Requirements
- General System Requirements
- Workstation Pro installation:
- Guest Operating Systems
- Related Products
- VMware Fusion
- VMware Workstation Player
- vSphere
- Workstation Player or Workstation Pro — Choose the Right Version for You
- General
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Host Guest Integration
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Graphics
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Device Support
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Security Features
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Host Operating Systems
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Guest Operating Systems
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Windows Host Specific Features
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Linux Host Specific Features
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Advanced Features
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Licensing
- Workstation Player
- Workstation Pro
- Product
- Installation
- Downloads and Trials
Take Control of Your
Multi-Cloud Environment
Give developers the flexibility to use any app framework and tooling for a secure, consistent and fast path to production on any cloud.
Connect & Secure Apps & Clouds
Deliver security and networking as a built-in distributed service across users, apps, devices, and workloads in any cloud.
Run Enterprise Apps Anywhere
Run enterprise apps and platform services at scale across public and telco clouds, data centers and edge environments.
Automate & Optimize Apps & Clouds
Operate apps and infrastructure consistently, with unified governance and visibility into performance and costs across clouds.
Access Any App on Any Device
Empower your employees to be productive from anywhere, with secure, frictionless access to enterprise apps from any device.
Anywhere Workspace
Access Any App on Any Device Securely
App Platform
Build and Operate Cloud Native Apps
Cloud & Edge Infrastructure
Run Enterprise Apps Anywhere
Cloud Management
Automate and Optimize Apps and Clouds
Desktop Hypervisor
Manage apps in a local virtualization sandbox
Security & Networking
Connect and Secure Apps and Clouds
Run VMware on any Cloud. Any Environment. Anywhere.
On Public & Hybrid Clouds
On Private Cloud & HCI
Solutions
Anywhere Workspace
Access Any App on Any Device Securely
App Platform
Build and Operate Cloud Native Apps
Cloud Infrastructure
Run Enterprise Apps Anywhere
Cloud Management
Automate and Optimize Apps and Clouds
Edge Infrastructure
Enable the Multi-Cloud Edge
Networking
Enable Connectivity for Apps and Clouds
Security
By Industry
Manage your Multi-Cloud Environment
Multi-Cloud made easy with a portfolio of cross-cloud services designed to build, operate, secure, and access applications on any cloud.
For Customers
For Partners
Working Together with Partners for Customer Success
See how we work with a global partner to help companies prepare for multi-cloud.
Tools & Training
Services
Support
Marketplace
Videos
Blogs & Communities
Customers
Events
Desktop Hypervisor VMware Workstation Pro
Run Windows, Linux and BSD virtual machines on a Windows or Linux desktop with VMware Workstation Pro, the industry standard desktop hypervisor.
Build and Test for Any Platform with VMware Workstation Pro
Try Workstation 17 Pro
Includes a Dark Mode user interface, DirectX 11 Graphics, support for Kubernetes and containers, Hyper-V and WSL2 support and more.
Buy Workstation Pro Today
Done evaluating? Make Workstation 17 Pro yours today.
Build Virtual Machines on the Desktop
Build, test and demo software across an array of different devices, platforms and clouds. IT professionals, developers and businesses rely on 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.
Run VMs and Containers on a Single PC
Deploy local OCI containers and Kubernetes clusters with VM isolation, virtual networking and virtual resource options through the vctl CLI tool.
Develop and Test for Any Platform
Fix more bugs and ship quality code on time using Workstation Pro in development and testing. Virtualize nearly any x86 operating system available today on a desktop PC.
Enjoy Baked-In vSphere and ESXi Support
Run ESXi and vCenter as virtual machines on the desktop, and connect to a remote vSphere environment for quick VM access and basic management tasks.
Run Secure and Isolated Desktops
Run a secure second desktop with different privacy settings, tools and networking configurations for online protection, or to take “snapshots” that can be restored later.
Workstation Pro Features
Virtual Machines
Rely on the same hypervisor technology that powers vSphere to run virtual machines and guest operating systems.
High-Performance 3D Graphics
Gain 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.
Powerful Virtual Networking
Create and configure complex IPv4 and IPv6 virtual networks for VMs, with added network latency and bandwidth simulations to help recreate real-world scenarios.
Use Cases
Solutions for IT Professionals
Design, test and demo software solutions for nearly any device, platform or cloud.
Solutions for Developers
Build and test apps and operating systems with ease.
Solutions for Businesses
Enable BYO by delivering corporate desktops and apps to any user, anywhere.
System Requirements
General System Requirements
VMware Workstation runs on standard x86-based hardware with 64-bit Intel and AMD processors, and on 64-bit Windows or Linux host operating systems. For more detail, see our System Requirements documentation.
- A compatible 64-bit x86/AMD64 CPU launched in 2011 or later *
- 1.3GHz or faster core speed
- 2GB RAM minimum/ 4GB RAM or more recommended
General Host OS Requirements
VMware Workstation Pro and Player run on most 64-bit Windows or Linux host operating systems:
- Windows 10
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows Server 2012
- Windows 8
- Ubuntu
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux
- CentOS
- Oracle Linux
- openSUSE
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
Note that Windows 7 hosts are no longer supported, Workstation 16 will not function on them.
Workstation Pro installation:
VMware Workstation 17 supports hundreds of 32-bit and 64-bit guest operating systems.
Here is a list of the most popular:
- Windows 11
- Windows 10
- 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
For Hyper-V Enabled Hosts:
Host Operating Systems:
Minimum Requirements to Run Container Runtime on Workstation Windows Host Operating Systems:
Minimum Requirements to Dark Theme support on Workstation Windows Host Operating Systems:
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.
Related Products
Explore other VMware products for desktop virtualization, including VMware Fusion Pro for Mac and Workstation Player to run a single virtual machine on a PC.
VMware Fusion
VMware Workstation Player
Free local virtualization solution for Windows and Linux
vSphere
Server virtualization software
Workstation Player or Workstation Pro — Choose the Right Version for You
General
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
Create Large VMs (32CPU, 128GB RAM)
Convert PC into a virtual machine
Host Guest Integration
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
Run VMs with Different View Modes
Unity View Mode (Windows guests only)
Graphics
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
3D graphics with DX11 and OpenGL 4.3 support
Large Graphics Memory: 8GB
Device Support
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
4K / 5K / Retina Display Support
Support a Wide Range of Virtual Devices
USB Smart Card Reader Support
Assistive Device Support (Section 508 Compliant)
Multi-Language Keyboard Support
Virtual Trusted Platform Module Device
Security Features
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
Microsoft Virtualization Based Security (Guest) Support
Virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM)
Create/Manage Encrypted VM
Host Operating Systems
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
Guest Operating Systems
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
Over 200 Supported OSs (Linux, older Windows, BSD)
Windows Host Specific Features
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
Hyper-V Mode Support (Device Guard, WSL)
Linux Host Specific Features
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
Host Support — Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, RHEL, SUSE, openSUSE
Advanced Features
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
Command Line Operation: vmrun and VIX
vCenter Server Appliance Easy Deploy
Virtual Network Customization (NAT, network rename)
Virtual Network Simulation (Packet Loss, Latency, Bandwidth)
Connect to remote vSphere host
Licensing
Workstation Player
Workstation Pro
Product
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.
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
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.
Workstation 17 Pro requires a 64-bit operating system on the host PC, but you can still run your favorite 32-bit Windows and Linux guest operating systems inside a virtual machine.
Downloads and Trials
You can download VMware Workstation Pro software from the Workstation Pro Download page.
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.