VMware Fusion 5 Review - why 4.1 stars?

Shlomi Lavi / updated: Aug 10, 2019

We publish unbiased reviews. Our opinions are our own and are not influenced by payments from advertisers. This content is reader-supported, which means if you leave your details with us we may earn a commission. Learn why ITQlick is free .

What is VMware Fusion 5?

VMware Fusion 5 is a virtualization software tool for home and commercial use. The software was designed and launched by VMware, Inc., headquartered in California, United States. It provides a safe and reliable way for running Windows applications on Mac systems.

---

---

Who is it best for?

The software is used as a viable option for home users who want to run Windows based application on their Mac devices. Other than individual users, this facility can also be used for commercial purposes and in this domain it is generally deployed in small and medium businesses.

If you need a variety of critical virtualization options for your individual devices or networks, including para-virtualization, hardware virtualization, and dynamic recompilation, you can benefit from VMware Fusion. Customers of the software constitute a wide category of individual and commercial users and come from all walks of industrial life. Some major customers include Georgian College, iPerintis, Russell Investment Group, and Abacus International Ltd. etc.

Main features and functionalities

The software offers a wide range of virtualization options for popular Windows applications. Virtual machine intended for Fusion 5 is OS X Mavericks and provides a seamless desktop environment across platforms. Windows applications can be directly run from the dock in OS X. You have the facility of dragging and dropping files between Windows and Mac applications.

Stable state of the guest operating system can be saved to the disk and you don’t need rebooting to return to your virtual machine. Folders and files can be shared between host and guest operating systems. Other important features provided by the software include DirectX support, virtual machine conversion, multi-display support, shortcut mapping for keyboard and mouse, CPU resource utilization, folder mirroring, optimization, and migration assistance. Enhanced support for Linux is also part of the complete package.

What is the actual cost?

The cost of license starts at $63 per license. ITQlick pricing score is 5.8 out of 10 (10 is most expensive). Access ITQlick pricing guide for VMware Fusion 5.

Pros

• The software provides the important ability of sharing files and folders between Windows and Mac systems.
• Multi-display support facility allows up to 10 simultaneous displays.
• Folder mirroring capability can be used to make files accessible on both host and guest operating systems.
• You can create automatic snapshots at predefined intervals and also take multiple snapshots simultaneously.
• Other than Mac and Windows, the software also offers support for Linux based systems.

Cons

• Management features of the software do not include the feature of live migration.
• VMware Fusion does not provide the important capability of P2V conversion.
• There are no capabilities of adaptive analytics and automated workflows on the software.
• Migration services of the software do not include migration of PC over USB.
• There is no support for active screen corners on the software.

How it stacks up?

Access a head to head analysis of VMware Fusion 5 vs alternative software solutions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)