Version 17.x of VMware Workstation Pro and Player for Windows and Linux will be going end-of-life on November 17th, 2025. VMware Workstation is a hosted hypervisor that allows users to run multiple virtual machines simultaneousy on a single physical machine. Make sure to update all installations in your network to continue receiving updates.
⚡ TL;DR | Go Straight to the VMware Workstation End of Life Audit
What is VMware Workstation?
VMware Workstation is a type 2 hypervisor that allows users to run multiple virtual machines simultaneously on a single physical machine. Ich VM can run its own operating system offering a high level of flexibility.
VMware Workstation comes in two main editions: Workstation Pro and Workstation Player. Workstation Pro is designed for commercial use by IT professionals, developers, and advanced users, providing the full range of advanced features such as creating and managing multiple VMs, taking snapshots, cloning machines, encrypting VMs, and configuring complex virtual networks.
Workstation Player is a simplified version intended for home or educational use, allowing users to run a single virtual machine at a time with fewer configuration options and no advanced features.
Historically, Pro required a paid license while Player was free only for personal use, but as of November 2024, Workstation Pro is completely free for all users, discontinuing the commercial licensing and paid support models.
VMware Workstation Lifecycle Policy
There appears to be no formal lifecycle policy for VMware Workstation that can be found in Broadcom or VMware’s documentation. Release and end of service dates appear to be the same for both Pro (for Windows and for Linux) and Player editions. It is advisable if you are running any instances of Workstation to keep an eye out for announcements from Broadcom or VMware about new patches, releases, or versions going end of life.
| Version | General Availability | End of Service |
| 25H2 (25.x) | 14 Oct 2025 | 01 Jun 2026 |
| 17.x | 17 Nov 2022 | 17 Nov 2025 |
| 16.x | 14 Sep 2020 | 31 Mar 2023 |
| 15.x | 24 Sep 2018 | 19 Dec 2020 |
VMware Workstation 17.x End of Life
All editions of VMware Workstation 17.x will be going end of service on November 17th, 2025. This includes all sub-versions from 17.0.0 to 17.6.4. In order to keep receiving updates, make sure to update any installations to version 25H2. Besides still being in service, 25H2 offers a couple of updates and new features including but not limited to:
- dictTool
- USB 3.2 Support
- Hardware Version 22
- Hyper-V/WHP Detection
- Expanded CPU and OS Support
Find Outdated Workstation Installations
Our team has created a new custom report to help you locate all instances of VMware Workstation in your network, along with their end of life date and how much longer they will stay supported. That way you can not only quickly spot which installations have gone past their EOL date but also plan ahead for upcoming End of Life dates.
