VMware Workstation Pro Free Download and Setup Guide
VMware Workstation Pro used to cost real money. Since November 2024 it is free for everyone - personal, educational and commercial use - and the installer no longer asks for a licence key. This guide walks the official route: the Broadcom portal download, the install, and your first virtual machine.
Technical AnshuWindows and Linux hostsFree for all use
Watch the full process in the video - the official free download and the complete setup, step by step
If you searched for a VMware Workstation Pro key or a crack, stop - you do not need one any more. Broadcom made Workstation Pro a free product for every kind of use, and the only catch is that the download now sits inside the Broadcom Support Portal, behind a free account, instead of the old open download page. Below is the whole journey in order - official download, install, first VM, and the one finishing step (VMware Tools) that makes the VM actually pleasant to use.
VMware Workstation Pro - your first VM at a glance
VM - Windows 11 LabPowered Off
Memory given to the VM8192 MB
Processors given to the VM4 CPUs
Virtual disk (grows as you use it)100 GB, dynamic
FirmwareUEFI with TPM 2.0
VMware ToolsInstall after the guest OS
A sensible first Windows 11 VM in Workstation Pro 25H2. Values are examples for a host PC with 16 GB RAM - scale them to your machine using the settings page in this series.
1
Make a Free Broadcom Account First
The installer lives at support.broadcom.com, and Broadcom asks you to sign in before downloading. Registration is free and takes a few minutes.
Open support.broadcom.com and register with your email
Complete the account profile - Broadcom shows a short profile and compliance step before the first download
Stay signed in for the next step
Any site that offers the installer without this account, or asks you to pay for a download or a key, is not Broadcom. The free story page in this series explains what changed and why.
2
Download Workstation Pro 25H2 from the Portal
Inside the portal, go to the VMware Workstation Pro product downloads and pick the 25H2 release for your host - Windows or Linux. Accept the download terms and save the installer.
Choose the Windows installer if your PC runs Windows, or the Linux bundle on a Linux host
Check the file name and size on the portal page match what you downloaded
Keep the installer file - you will reuse it if you ever reinstall
3
Install It - No Licence Key Anywhere
Run the installer with administrator rights and accept the defaults. The honest headline: current Workstation Pro builds do not ask for a licence key at all - Broadcom's own release notes state the product is free for commercial, educational and personal use and no licence key is required.
Run the downloaded installer and follow the wizard
If an old leftover screen ever asks for a key, you are installing an old build - stop and download the current one from the portal
Restart the PC if the installer asks - it installs network drivers that need it
4
Create Your First Virtual Machine
Open Workstation Pro and choose Create a New Virtual Machine. The Typical wizard is fine for a first VM.
Point the wizard at your operating system ISO file
Give the VM a name and a folder on a drive with real free space
Set memory to about half your PC's RAM and 2 to 4 processor cores
Create a dynamically growing virtual disk - 80 to 100 GB for Windows 11 - so it only takes space as the guest grows
For Windows 11, keep the UEFI firmware and the TPM 2.0 option the wizard offers, or the Windows installer will refuse to proceed
5
Install the Guest OS, Then VMware Tools - in That Order
Power on the VM and install Windows or Linux from the ISO exactly as you would on a real PC. The moment the desktop appears, do the finishing step most beginners skip: VMware Tools.
In the Workstation menu, open VM and then Install VMware Tools
Inside the guest, run the Tools setup from the mounted drive and restart the VM
On Linux guests, the distribution's open-vm-tools package does the same job
Tools is what gives you smooth window resizing, copy and paste between host and guest, drag and drop of files, and the proper display driver. Without it, every VM feels broken - with it, the VM feels like a real second PC.
The honest trade-off: Workstation Pro is free now, but Broadcom ended paid support for it. There is no support ticket and no engineer on the phone - help comes from the product documentation, the knowledge base and the community forums. For home labs and learning, that is a great deal. The support page in this series shows how to solve problems well in this new reality.
Watch the Full Setup in the Video
The complete process on screen - the free Broadcom account, the portal download, the install wizard and the first VM, exactly as it happens.
Is VMware Workstation Pro really free for office and commercial use?
Yes. Broadcom's release notes state that VMware Workstation Pro is now free for commercial, educational and personal use, and you no longer require a licence key. That change took effect in November 2024 and covers current builds including 25H2.
Why does the download need a Broadcom account?
Broadcom moved all VMware downloads into the Broadcom Support Portal at support.broadcom.com. The account is free - you register, complete a short profile step, accept the download terms, and then download. If a website offers the installer without the portal, it is not the official source.
My old installer asks for a licence key. What should I do?
You are holding an old build from the paid era. The free licensing covers Workstation Pro 17.5.2 and later, and current installers do not ask for a key. Uninstall the old attempt, download the current 25H2 installer from the Broadcom portal, and install that instead of hunting for keys.
This guide is based on the Technical Anshu VMware Workstation Pro video - stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments and you will get a reply.