: Player is designed to run one VM at a time, whereas Pro can run many simultaneously.
VMware Workstation Lite isn’t about more features. It’s about fewer. In a world where software piles on complexity every release, a lightweight, focused tool feels almost revolutionary. For the thousands of users who launch a VM, work, and suspend it—Lite would be exactly enough. vmware workstation lite
However, as of late 2024 and early 2025, VMware (under Broadcom) significantly changed its licensing: VMware Workstation Pro is now free for personal, educational, and commercial use. The simplified Workstation Player has been retired : Player is designed to run one VM
: Ideal for users who just need to open OVF or VMDK files provided by others without configuring complex virtual networks. In a world where software piles on complexity
You cannot have more than one VM running simultaneously on Workstation Player unless you keep the window open and manually switch. You also lose snapshots. For many home labs, this is acceptable.
The demand for a lite version stems from legitimate frustrations with the Pro version: