Broadcom is releasing the free version of the VMware ESXi hypervisor. The trial version was ideal for enthusiasts who wanted to learn it or even their first small implementations in production.

The free version of the VMware ESCi hypervisor is disappearing. This is what the new parent company Broadcom decided. Since the permanent licenses have also been abolished, the free hypervisor no longer has any space, it says.

The free version of the ESXi hypervisor was a limited version that could only control a limited number of cores and memory. Management functions were also missing. Within these limitations, the free version worked indefinitely, making it popular for both testers and hobbyists. The low barrier to entry enabled many IT professionals to take their first steps in the VMware stack.

Higher threshold

Broadcom now believes the threshold should be higher. There are still options for not paying full price for the hypervisor. ESXi, for example, is available as trialware that you can rely on Advantage-license.

Given the existence of the trial, the actual impact of the move is not that great. On the other hand, Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware is immensely unpopular and the buyer has already met some negative expectations, such as moving to an exclusive subscription model without perpetual licenses and divesting from resellers. Broadcom continues to clearly signal that it is no longer interested in smaller customers and users. In this context, the removal of the free ESXi hypervisor is almost symbolic and will not exactly create more goodwill among customers.

Alternatives

If you still want to get started with a free hypervisor, you can try out open source alternatives. Nutanix, for example, which enthusiastically observes what is happening at VMware and rubs its hands behind the scenes, has the Nutanix Community Edition.

Only time can tell whether Broadcom’s strategy with VMware will work. The fact is that a negative perception, combined with a higher threshold for IT professionals who want to master the topic, will have an impact.