Students can experiment with Linux commands or network configurations without the risk of breaking their personal computers. System Requirements
: Officially, VMware does not support running macOS as a guest on non-Apple hardware due to Apple's licensing restrictions. Unofficial workarounds exist but are not recommended.
Select the appropriate release for your host system (Windows or Linux). The latest stable version at the time of this writing is 17.x. download vmware workstation player
Open your web browser and navigate to the .
The latest version of VMware Workstation Player, version , comes packed with a host of powerful features: Students can experiment with Linux commands or network
In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about downloading VMware Workstation Player, the difference between the Player and Pro versions, and how to get it up and running on your Windows or Linux machine.
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: You are a home user, student, or casual user who only needs to run one virtual machine at a time for basic tasks like testing software or learning a new OS.
| Feature | VMware Workstation Player | VMware Workstation Pro | Oracle VM VirtualBox | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Free for personal use. Commercial use requires license. | Now free for personal use. Commercial use requires license. | Completely free (GPLv2), even for commercial use. | | Host OS | Windows, Linux | Windows, Linux | Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris | | Maximum Concurrent VMs | Typically one at a time. | Multiple VMs simultaneously. | Multiple VMs simultaneously. | | Snapshots & Cloning | Not available. | Available (snapshots, cloning). | Available (snapshots, cloning). | | Advanced Networking | Limited. | Full control (virtual networks). | Extensive networking options. | | Performance | Excellent for basic tasks. | Optimized for intensive professional workloads. | Good, but generally slower for I/O-heavy tasks. | Select the appropriate release for your host system
Choose whether to check for product updates on startup and join the VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). Click and wait for the process to finish.