$199 app becomes free: VMware Fusion Pro 13 emulates Windows 11 for free on Apple MacBook and the like

VMware was acquired by Broadcom in December 2023 for $69 billion, and the company is now making major changes to the licenses for VMware Fusion Pro 13. In future, only corporate customers will have to pay for the software in the form of a simplified subscription system, while private users can download and install the app free of charge. This previously had a price tag of $199.

In order to download VMware Fusion Pro 13 free of charge, an account must first be created on the Broadcom support website, after which the app can be obtained directly via the Broadcom download portal. VMware Fusion Pro 13 is compatible with both Intel and ARM Macs up to the current MacBook Air based on the Apple M3, but there are some limitations on ARM Macs, especially in terms of GPU performance and DirectX support, so the software is only suitable for running Windows titles to a limited extent.

In addition, users of ARM Macs will inevitably have to install the ARM version of Windows 11, which in turn is able to emulate x64 Windows apps, resulting in a double loss of performance. The previously free VMware Fusion Player is being discontinued; users should simply upgrade to the now free full version of VMware Fusion Pro 13. Unlike the Player, the Pro version allows users to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously, create snapshots, run encrypted VMs and configure the virtual network. At the same time, VMware Workstation Pro 17 will also be free of charge, allowing Windows and Linux to be virtualized on a Windows system.