Multipass vs VMware Workstation Pro

Multipass runs cloud-style virtual machines on Linux, macOS, and Windows workstations. It is intended for prototyping cloud deployments locally and creating customized Linux development environments. Instances can use cloud-init metadata, including custom definitions for configured servers, and local workflows can model deployments for AWS, Azure, Google, IBM, and Oracle. Multipass fetches Ubuntu images from Canonical and offers a growing catalogue of images with pre-installed applications. Users can share host files and folders with instances; the primary instance integrates with the native filesystem and has dedicated hot-key access. Both command-line and graphical interfaces are available, and the documentation covers Windows Terminal integration and running Docker containers in an instance. Host hypervisors are Host Compute System on Windows, Apple Virtualization on macOS, and QEMU on Linux. The product is free; the listed plan costs nothing, with host requirements varying by operating system. Anyone with access to the Multipass daemon socket can fully control the software, including mounting host filesystems and changing instance security features. Canonical advises limiting daemon access to trusted users. Its access controls begin with group membership and can later use a user TLS certificate.

VMware Workstation Pro runs virtual machines, containers, and Kubernetes clusters locally on Windows and Linux hosts for development, testing, and learning. Hardware-assisted virtualization lets it run multiple operating systems on one physical machine, assigning virtual CPU, memory, and storage to each VM. Users can configure virtual networks, create snapshots, and restore those snapshots as rollback points. VM security options include encryption, virtual TPM, and UEFI Secure Boot. Workstation can connect to remote vSphere or ESX servers to manage VMs and physical hosts, and migrate local VMs to a private cloud. VMware identifies developers, IT professionals, students, and enthusiasts as intended users. Workstation Pro is available at no charge for personal, educational, and commercial use, without a subscription or license key. The 26H1 Windows release is a 64-bit application and adds connectivity to ARM-based ESXi servers; it is available through the Broadcom Support Portal. Free product users do not receive Broadcom Global Support Team support and are directed to forums and self-service resources.