We use the solution for virtualization.
System Engineer at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
A reasonably priced, user-friendly solution that fulfills the virtualization needs of the organization
Pros and Cons
- "The product is really easy to use."
- "The product could provide the features available in Microsoft Hyper-V."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The product is really easy to use. It is user-friendly. It satisfies our needs.
What needs improvement?
The product could provide the features available in Microsoft Hyper-V.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for five years.
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VMware Workstation
December 2024

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is not scalable. The solution is not in production. We are not trying to scale it. Not more than 50 people are using the product.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are using both VMware Workstation and Microsoft Hyper-V. Microsoft products are more scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not that difficult.
What about the implementation team?
We need four to five administrators for the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
We are planning to invest in Microsoft products. My recommendation would depend on the product that people are using. While researching, I could find the solution in the product’s documentation. Overall, I rate the solution a seven or eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Key Account Sales Manager at VFM Systems And Services
Mature solution that delivers more ROI compared to similar products
Pros and Cons
- "It is much more mature compared to Nutanix or SimpliVity when it's cross-platform based."
- "The GUI interface could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I'm an IT salesperson. I have experience selling this solution.
What is most valuable?
It is much more mature compared to Nutanix or SimpliVity when it's cross-platform based. It's much more well known compared to the other newly formed solutions.
What needs improvement?
The GUI interface could be improved. My customer says that you have to be trained to use it.
For someone who isn't a VMware expert, a simpler user interface would help.
For how long have I used the solution?
I sold my first VMware solution in 2003.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable.
How are customer service and support?
It's good. I have used technical support once or twice for my customer. They have helped inform some technical discussions. I would rate them 5 out of 5.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Solutions like Nutanix are more user-friendly.
What was our ROI?
We have seen ROI. VMware is way cheaper if I take it as an application or a software compared to any hardware. It is cheaper compared to other products.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost differs depending on the customer's requirement.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 10 out of 10.
There are pros and cons to this solution, so understand your infrastructure. Utilize the technical people to understand what is required, then go for it. There are many customers who have taken what they don't need, and many customers don't have what they do need.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Buyer's Guide
VMware Workstation
December 2024

Learn what your peers think about VMware Workstation. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Scales well, has good technical support, quick and easy to install
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support is very good."
- "I would want to see features included that make deployment easier."
What is our primary use case?
VMware Workstation is currently being used as a test model, it is not in production.
It is used for testing, and we have a mixed solution for reduction. We are also considering moving part of our servers to virtualization.
How has it helped my organization?
It made various enhancements to the system once the deployment was completed.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the stability improve. We have experienced some crashes on our devices.
The configuration could be simplified.
I would want to see features included that make deployment easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Workstation for five or six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There are some concerns regarding the stability of this solution. We have a device that seems to be under some pressure and two others that are working very well.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have no issues with the scalability of the VMware Workstation.
At this time our organization has 15 to 20 users.
This solution is being used daily, and we have plans to increase our usage.
Our plan is to move part of the server to this solution.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have been using several virtualization tools over the last five or six years.
Approximately six or seven years ago I used a Remote Desktop Solution but it was not a good experience.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. it took thirty minutes to complete the deployment.
We only require two days a month for one person to maintain this solution.
What about the implementation team?
Using a lot of documentation, I was able to complete the installation myself.
What was our ROI?
With VMware Workstation, we have seen a return on investment, but the actual ROI will be shown in two or three years.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing costs are paid on a yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
The documentation should be thoroughly read.
I would rate VMware Workstation a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Easy to setup, highly scalable and stable product
Pros and Cons
- "I would rate the stability a ten out of ten."
- "The dashboard can be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use it in my Windows and Linux systems. I create VMs.
I also use vSphere Client.
What needs improvement?
The dashboard can be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for three years and two months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten. There are around 350 end users using this in our organization.
We use it on an everyday basis.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used vSphere. In our case, we have 23 servers saved on vSphere with the hostname AD2012.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. The deployment took a few days.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would rate the pricing an eight out of ten, with ten being expensive. It is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
It's the best solution. I would rate it a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Head of Engineering at Informatics (Private) Limited
A stable solution that helps engineers and developers test their applications on their laptops
Pros and Cons
- "VMware Workstation allows you to run a virtual machine."
- "For some virtual machine configurations, you have to go to the text editor and make the configuration changes, which could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
VMware Workstation is a desktop product I use for personal testing on my laptop. If I want to spin up a virtual machine on my laptop, I use VMware Workstation.
What is most valuable?
VMware Workstation allows you to run a virtual machine.
What needs improvement?
For some virtual machine configurations, you have to go to the text editor and make the configuration changes, which could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Workstation for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware Workstation is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 30 to 40 engineers use VMware Workstation in our organization.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is straightforward and can be done by the users. You run the setup profile, and it will guide you through the installation.
What was our ROI?
VMware Workstation helps engineers and developers test their applications on their laptops.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
VMware Workstation is an expensive solution in Asian countries. Users have to pay a licensing fee for VMware Workstation.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend VMware Workstation to other users.
Overall, I rate VMware Workstation an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
System Consultant DDI Lead at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Good features and makes deploying VMs easy but could be more robust
Pros and Cons
- "The features are good."
- "They could bring in many different features from VMware vSphere to Workstation."
What is our primary use case?
VMware Workstation is used by almost everyone who is trying to test something on their laptop.
How has it helped my organization?
I'm using it for my personal use, for testing. If I want to know how things are working, then I will test it using Workstation.
What is most valuable?
The features are good.
There's not much to deploying a VM, or virtual machine. It's all pretty easy.
What needs improvement?
They could bring in many different features from VMware vSphere to Workstation. This is a free version they are providing. However, it could be more robust. Therefore, if they could bring in things from the enterprise versions to the Workstation, that would be very helpful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for at least five or six years now.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are using a free version of the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not sure which version of the solution I'm on at the moment. It's likely the latest. I'm at around version 14.
I'd rate the product seven out of ten. I've been pretty happy with its capabilities overall. That said, it could be more robust and offer more features.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Effective horizontally and vertically scaling, high availability, and simple initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of the VMware Workstation solutions are the ESXi and vCenter."
- "The price of VMware Workstation could improve."
What is our primary use case?
Create multiple Virtual machines for various needs by different team members and also for other teams. Some of them are for crash and burn and some for extended validation.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of the VMware solutions (ESXi and vCenter) are snapshots, backup, restore, virtual networks, over provisioning of storage (in thin provisioning) etc.
What needs improvement?
The price of VMware solutions could improve.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Workstation for approximately seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware Workstation is a stable solution when compared to all the other hypervisors in the market. Snapshots, rollback and forth etc works smoothly. However, I do not have extended experience with the other solutions
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the VMware Workstation is good. We are able to add multiple ESXi servers into the vCenter and scale the requirements according to the client's needs. It can scale very well.
How are customer service and support?
I have not had direct interaction with the support. However, I have heard it is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used hypervisors from various vendors and I prefer vmware over other productss.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of the VMware Workstation is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
VMware Workstation has a high price than competitors in the market.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to others is they should be clear on the requirement for the hypervisor. Why are they going for VMware or any other hypervisor solutions and what are the benefits that they can bring to the table for them. They should choose the best vendor in the market, not only in terms of the vendor but in terms of cost. VMware is slightly on the higher side when it comes to price, but for all the interface customers, it's a one-stop solution for all the virtualization needs.
I rate VMware Workstation an eight out of ten.
I have not found a solution that is above an eight out of ten in my experience. There is room for improvement. VMware Workstation is now into microservices, containers, Kubernetes, and others containerization technology which I have not had a lot of experience with.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Engineering Applications Analyst at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Excellent for testing and provides insight without having to purchase licenses
Pros and Cons
- "Because the setup is so easy, this is a solution that can be used at a moment's notice."
- "Lacks the ability to clone onto another system rather than starting from scratch."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case of VMware Workstation is to test environments, different Windows operating systems and the like, and basically to figure out how the solution would work before we put it into production. I'm an engineering applications analyst.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution benefits us because it allows us to identify whether we need to spend money on a solution that would involve having to buy a bunch of licenses for software, and running an application or a system for whatever our requirements might be. It allows us to test out that scenario to see if it would be more beneficial for our environment as opposed to buying everything, setting it up and determining whether it is going to work or not. It gives us insight into some of the issues we might run into, and how to better facilitate fixing them.
What is most valuable?
Because the setup is so easy, this is a solution that can be used at a moment's notice. It's simple to set up for a test environment and that's a huge benefit.
What needs improvement?
For our needs, the issue is that there is no way to take an existing system out of the testing environment, clone it with everything that it's currently set up on, and put it into production without having to create a whole new one. It lacks the ability to clone the environment so you have your test environment set up in the way it's going to be used in production. Rather than create a whole other environment, the idea would be to clone that capability onto another system and not have to start over from scratch. You have everything working the way you want it to and you just want to move it over to the production side of things.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for about a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution handles pretty well. It did seem to function a little bit better than I had expected.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are no issues with scalability. When we need to make any tweaks by adding more resources, it's pretty straightforward. I'm the only user. In terms of the back end, Microsoft patching needs to be done on a monthly basis based on our processes. The software itself will look to see how often it needs updates. It's pretty straightforward.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've also used Azure. We made the switch because we had a license for Workstation and I needed to test a particular system. I could plug and play using the VMware Player to take an existing VTK, whatever the file extension is, and plug it in there to look at this VM. Workstation allowed us to test scenarios. We have a lot of older applications that run on older operating systems. Sometimes we have to test the old systems and see how they'll run in a virtual environment as well.
How was the initial setup?
As long as you have all the information you need in terms of how many processors are require and how much memory, it's not complicated. Implementation was an in-house job. Rather than loading a specific software package on our network, we can use a testing environment to see what to expect from it. We test out of the box in a virtual environment and see where we get with it. The deployment took about a day.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We use VMware for virtual cluster of servers, but I believe we bought Workstation outright once. It's pretty low in cost, so if we need multiple copies, we usually buy a handful. I've actually insisted that we go that route for some of the software groups that we have so they can test various environments without having to use another system.
What other advice do I have?
This product is pretty straightforward and easy to use. I would definitely recommend it for testing different scenarios, Windows, Linux, that sort of thing. It works well in all environments, in my opinion, and the ease of setup is great and allows you to have a lot of test cases strictly run from your system rather than having to set up another whole desktop or another computer as a testing environment. Obviously, it's based on the number of hardware resources available in your system but to get a quick testbed or environment set up, it's pretty easy and straightforward. You can set it up and go about your daily routine and then come back to it, test some more scenarios, get it to where it's accessible through the networks, and determine whether we need it or not. It's better to have that rather than having to set up a whole other computer for testing.
I rate this solution 10 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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