VMWare workstation player download [SOLVED] 2026
⚠️ Major Update (Feb 2026): VMware Workstation Player has been discontinued. Read below for what happened and what to use instead.
QUESTION:
I need to download VMware Workstation Player, but I can’t find it anywhere. Does anyone know where to get it?
ANSWER:
VMware Workstation Player no longer exists as a standalone product. Broadcom discontinued it in May 2024, and version 17.x reached end-of-life on November 17, 2025. No more updates, no more downloads from official sources.
The good news? VMware Workstation Pro is now completely FREE — for personal, commercial, and educational use. No license key required. Since Workstation Pro includes everything Player had (and much more), there’s no reason to hunt for Player anymore.
How to Get VMware Workstation Pro (Free)
Direct Downloads (No Login Required)
VMware Workstation Pro 17.6.3 (via VMware’s CDN — still works!):
- Windows: softwareupdate.vmware.com/…/VMware-workstation-17.6.3-24583834.exe.tar
(Downloads as a .tar file — extract it with WinRAR/7-Zip and run the .exe inside.)
VMware Workstation Pro 17.6.4 (latest version — via mirrors):
VMware Workstation Pro 25H2 (newest release, new naming convention):
- TechSpot and TechPowerUp typically have the latest builds mirrored.
Official Download (Requires Free Broadcom Account)
If you want to go the official route:
- Register for a free account at support.broadcom.com
- Select “VMware Cloud Foundation” as your division
- Go to My Downloads → Free Software Downloads (direct link)
- Accept the Terms and Conditions, then download
Fair warning: New Broadcom accounts must pass their “Export Compliance” screening before downloads are enabled. This can take days to weeks. Your profile info needs to be accurate — dummy data will get flagged and delayed. This is why the mirror links above are so valuable.
VMware Tools (No Login Required)
VMware Tools can still be downloaded directly without a login:
- Latest releases: packages-prod.broadcom.com/tools/releases/latest/
- All releases (Linux/Windows): packages-prod.broadcom.com/tools/releases/
- Legacy/macOS: packages-prod.broadcom.com/tools/frozen/
What Happened to VMware Player? (Timeline)
- Nov 2023: Broadcom completes acquisition of VMware
- May 2024: Workstation Pro becomes free for personal use; Workstation Player and Fusion Player are discontinued as standalone products (End of Sale: April 30, 2024)
- Nov 2024: Workstation Pro becomes free for all users, including commercial and educational — no license key needed at all
- Mar 2025: Broadcom kills the open CDN download URLs, requiring authenticated tokens for most downloads
- Nov 17, 2025: Workstation Player 17.x reaches end-of-life — no more updates or support
- 2025 H2: Broadcom introduces new naming convention — “25H2” replaces old version numbers like 17.6.x
What’s Going on with VMware? (aka, Broadcom Drama 101)
Since Broadcom acquired VMware, things have changed big time:
- Licensing overhaul (goodbye free ESXi, hello subscription model)
- Paywalls & account verification issues (even long-time users locked out)
- Products removed or consolidated (Player discontinued, downloads locked behind portal)
- The “free” download process requires registration, export compliance screening, and patience
The silver lining: Workstation Pro being completely free for everyone is genuinely great. The download experience, however, is not.
More Info on VMware/Broadcom Changes:
- Broadcom KB: Download Desktop Hypervisor Products
- Broadcom’s Official Download Guide
- All Free VMware Downloads on Broadcom
- VMware Workstation 17.6.4 Release Notes
- VMware users venting on Reddit
Looking for Alternatives?
With all the chaos, many users are exploring other options:
- VirtualBox — Free, open-source, supports snapshots & headless mode. Easiest free option for basic VMs.
- Hyper-V — Built into Windows Pro editions. Solid if you’re already on Win Pro.
- XCP-ng — Open-source, based on Citrix XenServer. Good for enterprise-level virtualization.
- Proxmox VE — Open-source, gaining tons of momentum as a VMware ESXi replacement. Includes VM import wizard for VMware ESXi VMs.
- QEMU/KVM — Linux-native, powerful for advanced users.
That said, with Workstation Pro now being free, it’s still one of the best desktop hypervisors out there if you can get past the download hurdle.
Helpful Links
Got a tip, mirror link, or an update on VMware’s latest mess? Drop a comment below — I’d love to keep this as useful as possible!
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