1VMTool vs VMware Fusion
Fusion is free and genuinely capable, which makes this the hardest comparison on the list. The honest split is macOS guests and snapshot cost on one side, Windows maturity and price on the other.
Side by side
| 1VMTool | VMware Fusion | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time purchase. | Free, including for commercial use. |
| Snapshot mechanism | APFS clone of the disk bundle. Take and restore in well under a millisecond, independent of disk size. | Full snapshot trees and clones, conventional disk-delta implementation. |
| macOS guests | Supported on Virtualization.framework. | Not supported on Apple silicon. |
| Windows on ARM | Experimental first-party engine. | Production, with vTPM and Secure Boot. |
| Command line | 1vm covers every GUI action. | vmrun and vmware-vdiskmanager. Capable, older in style. |
| Getting it installed | Download and drag to Applications. | Broadcom portal, registration and compliance review. |
| Maturity | Early. | Long-established, twice-yearly releases. |
| macOS version floor | macOS 26 or later. | Supports older macOS releases. |
Highlighted cells mark the stronger side of each row. Competitor details checked September 2026 against vendor documentation — pricing and features move, so verify anything decision-critical at the source.
When you should stay on VMware Fusion
You already have Fusion machines, you need Windows 11 ARM or a wide Linux matrix with snapshots and encryption, and free matters more than polish. It is also the answer if you are on a macOS older than 26, which 1VMTool requires.
Where VMware Fusion frustrates people
- Obtaining it is genuinely the hard part. The download lives behind the Broadcom support portal with registration and an export-compliance step, and the in-product updater was retired.
- No macOS guests on Apple silicon. This is a documented limitation, so it cannot test Mac installers the way 1VMTool, UTM, Parallels and Tart can.
- Support is not included for new users. Every Pro feature is free, but Broadcom's support organization is not part of that.
- Host-integration features such as Unity mode were removed, and Apple-silicon setup is more manual than the commercial alternatives.
Why someone moves to 1VMTool
- You want a macOS guest on Apple silicon, which Fusion cannot give you.
- You want snapshots that cost nothing, rather than snapshots that work but take time proportional to the disk.
- You would rather download an app than negotiate a vendor support portal.
- You want a native Mac app rather than a cross-platform product with a Mac build.
Frequently asked questions
Fusion is free — why would I pay for 1VMTool?
If you need Windows 11 ARM that works today, or you already have a library of Fusion machines, you probably would not. 1VMTool is worth it if you want disposable Linux and macOS environments where resetting is cheaper than cleaning — and macOS guests are something Fusion cannot do on Apple silicon at all.
Can Fusion run macOS virtual machines on an M-series Mac?
No. Broadcom documents ARM variants of macOS as unsupported in a Fusion VM. If you need a throwaway macOS environment you need a different tool.
Is Fusion still maintained?
Yes — the current release is 26H1, from May 2026, on a half-year naming cadence, and it is still free for commercial use. Maintained and pleasant to obtain are separate questions, and the second one is where most of the complaints live.
Try it against your own workflow
The limits are stated on every screen before you commit to anything, which is the fastest way to find out whether this is your tool.