Virtual machines, or VMs, are very convenient apps. They enable you to run software made for other OSes, and make it easier to transition between platforms. On Mac, one of the best options is VMWare Fusion, check below how to download and install it.

VMWare Fusion has recently been made free for all users. The installation procedure, however, remains a bit tricky.

When you go to the VMWare website, the Download button takes you to a login page. Even worse, it's from Broadcom, a company that makes Wi-Fi chips. Confusing, right?

That's because Broadcom owns VMWare. And, to download the app, you need to create a Broadcom account. That's easy, though: click the top-right Login drop-down menu and select Register, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete your registration. After that, you'll be able to log in to the Broadcom website.

Click the icon left of your name, on the top menu, and select VMWare Cloud Foundation. After that, select My Downloads on the left-side menu, and type "fusion" on the search bar.

Select VMWare Fusion > VMWare Fusion 13, then the latest release. Click the checkbox to agree to the terms and conditions. After doing that, the download icon (a cloud with a down-facing arrow) will become clickable.

Nope, it's not done yet. You'll be taken to a page to confirm your information, do that and you'll be redirected back. Click the icon again, and you'll finally be able to download VMWare Fusion on your Mac.

After downloading the .DMG file, open it. Move the VMWare Fusion app to your Applications folder and open it. You'll be prompted for your password, and then to enable accessibility control. It's required for keyboard and mouse VM functionality. After that, the initial VMWare window will open.

This screen features some premade configurations, like installing a VM of your current macOS version from the recovery partition. You can also make a Windows VM from a Boot Camp installation, import an existing VM, or create a custom one.

For this example, we'll go with the large Install from disc or image drop area at the top. After selecting the installer ISO, click Continue.

You can either let VMWare determine the VM hardware for you or do it yourself by unchecking Use Easy Install. This allows you to customize the bootloader (BIOS or UEFI), CPU cores, RAM, storage, and so on. Either way, after you are finished, your virtual machine will be ready to use.

While virtual machines are a great way to run apps made for other OSes, VMWare is not the only option. You may want to consider alternatives like Parallels instead. Or, if you do have a Windows PC lying around, using a remote desktop solution may better suit your needs.