This version was designed for individual users and was notably free for personal use . To obtain a free license, users had to register for a My VMware account and generate a personal use serial key.
VMware discontinued the free “Fusion 12 Player for personal use” license key distribution in early 2023, but existing keys still work.
In early 2024, Broadcom (the new owner of VMware) announced that is now free for personal use. However, this officially applies to Fusion 13 and newer.
Fusion 13 requires a (or paid upgrade if eligible). Upgrade paths: