Does VMware Workstation run on Linux?

Broadcom's own documentation says Workstation Pro can be installed on Windows and Linux host operating systems, and since November 2024 it has been free for personal, educational and commercial use with no licence key needed.

Getting hold of it is the annoying part. The download lives behind the Broadcom support portal, so you have to register an account and fill in a compliance form before you can reach the file. That is a slower process than clicking download, and it is worth doing while you still have a working machine.

The virtual machines themselves move as they are. A machine folder copied from Windows opens on the Linux version, because the file format is the same. Copy the whole folder rather than picking out individual files.

If all you want is to run Windows in a window now and then, there are gentler options. VirtualBox is free and installs from your app store on most systems without any of the registration. GNOME Boxes is simpler again and will download and install a system for you, at the cost of having almost no settings.