Broadcom is once again offering a free version of the VMware ESXi hypervisor, which was discontinued in February 2024.
The Register discovered the reintroduction in the release notes of version 8.0 Update 3. According to Vmware, “Broadcom makes available the VMware vSphere Hypervisor version 8, an entry-level hypervisor. You can download it free of charge from the Broadcom Support portal. “
This news comes after Broadcom previously decided to replace permanent licenses with subscriptions, which eventually led to the discontinuation of the free ESXi version. This was a setback for hobbyists and IT professionals, as the free hypervisor was popular for experiments and learning environments.
Access to the free hypervisor
To try out the hypervisor, users must register with Broadcom’s customer portal. This is necessary to download the ISO files. However, the software does not appear to run in desktop hypervisors, which can make testing difficult.
In addition to reintroducing the free hypervisor, there are reports that Broadcom may also have revised its policy regarding the minimum number of licenses. It was previously announced that the minimum had increased from 16 to 72 cores, but recent reports suggest that the threshold has been reduced back to 16 cores.
This is a welcome development for VMware users, as it offers new possibilities for test environments without the high costs of a full subscription.
Tip: Broadcom raises minimum requirement for VMware licenses: from 16 to 72 cores