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Pros & Cons summary

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

VMware Workstation excels in providing virtualization technology, allowing for simultaneous operation of multiple operating systems with no performance hit.
Its ease of setup and deployment is highly praised, requiring only a few minutes for initial configuration.
The snapshot and backup capabilities are invaluable, offering the ability to revert to previous versions without data loss.
Technical support is noted as being excellent, enhancing user experience with timely assistance.
It is recognized for its robust feature set, supporting third-party integrations and offering flexibility that surpasses other hypervisors.

CONS

VMware Workstation has issues with virtual network adapters and networking capabilities, which can lead to stability problems when used for development purposes.
There is a disparity in feature sets between the Windows-based client and the Linux-based client, with the Windows client being more advanced.
Scalability is limited, and VMware Workstation could benefit from improved compatibility with various platforms and CPUs.
Automatic software updates would enhance the overall experience, as the current process for upgrading can be cumbersome and resource-intensive.
Support for macOS virtualization is absent and would be a valuable addition to VMware Workstation features.
 

VMware Workstation Pros review quotes

it_user265281 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Manager / Senior Network Engineer at Warnock, Tanner & Associates
May 15, 2018
I have found this product excellent for test/dev environments. This is 90% of what I use this product for.
reviewer1478514 - PeerSpot reviewer
Database Administrator at a government with 1-10 employees
Mar 26, 2021
I haven't faced any inconveniences working with this solution. It is very easy to use.
DS
Consultant at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Jun 20, 2021
Great at solving connection problems.
Learn what your peers think about VMware Workstation. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
879,768 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer941238 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineering Applications Analyst at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Oct 21, 2021
Because the setup is so easy, this is a solution that can be used at a moment's notice.
DT
Senior Micro Solutions Engineer at Mobexpert
Nov 13, 2021
Technical support is very good.
reviewer903963 - PeerSpot reviewer
Pre-sales engineer at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Dec 9, 2021
VMware Workstation is great for migrating and patching operating systems.
reviewer1754271 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Technical Officer at a construction company with 51-200 employees
Feb 23, 2022
We are able to simultaneously run multiple operating systems in a single machine and have virtually no performance hit.
reviewer1803714 - PeerSpot reviewer
Customer experience engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Mar 14, 2022
The most valuable features of VMware Workstation are the speed of access and quality of upgrade. Those are the more important and pertinent aspects as far as we were concerned. Functionality and features were relevant for the customers. What a customer chose, we had to make sure that it operated.
BHARAT B  SHARMA - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Shreenathji Solutions
May 25, 2022
It will not harm any of the computer settings to run a specific program. For example, if a program needs a specific security policy, we don't have to use the shared configuration. We have an individual copy of Windows installed on the virtual machine, so anybody can access that. It helps us a lot.
Pallab Kumar Chanda - PeerSpot reviewer
Key Account Sales Manager at VFM Systems And Services
May 30, 2022
It is much more mature compared to Nutanix or SimpliVity when it's cross-platform based.
 

VMware Workstation Cons review quotes

it_user265281 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Manager / Senior Network Engineer at Warnock, Tanner & Associates
May 15, 2018
I have had issues with the virtual network adapters in the past that has taken some time to troubleshoot.
reviewer1478514 - PeerSpot reviewer
Database Administrator at a government with 1-10 employees
Mar 26, 2021
The price should be reduced.
DS
Consultant at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Jun 20, 2021
Performance could be improved, it's somewhat clunky.
Learn what your peers think about VMware Workstation. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
879,768 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer941238 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineering Applications Analyst at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Oct 21, 2021
Lacks the ability to clone onto another system rather than starting from scratch.
DT
Senior Micro Solutions Engineer at Mobexpert
Nov 13, 2021
I would want to see features included that make deployment easier.
reviewer903963 - PeerSpot reviewer
Pre-sales engineer at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Dec 9, 2021
My experience with Workstation is limited, so I don't know all the functionalities of this tool. Maybe Workstation could add some more compatibility with other vendors.
reviewer1754271 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Technical Officer at a construction company with 51-200 employees
Feb 23, 2022
The interface is a little wonky and needs to be improved.
reviewer1803714 - PeerSpot reviewer
Customer experience engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Mar 14, 2022
The big issue that we've always had with VMware, was the disparity between what was presented for a Windows-based client and a Linux-based client. The Windows client was always two or three releases ahead of the Linux client. We always wanted VMware to change and improve the feature sets between the client connector on Linux and on Windows.
BHARAT B  SHARMA - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Shreenathji Solutions
May 25, 2022
Installing VMware Workstation isn't so easy. It's highly complex compared to Windows. I rate it four out of 10 for ease of installation. Setting up a remote desktop only takes a minute or so, but the Workstation itself takes some time.
Pallab Kumar Chanda - PeerSpot reviewer
Key Account Sales Manager at VFM Systems And Services
May 30, 2022
The GUI interface could be improved.