I really couldn’t believe the news that just surfaced on Twitter and elsewhere that Broadcom is bringing back the Free ESXi hypervisor. When we say this past year and this year already has been tumultuous on a hypervisor front, that would be a massive understatement. Not sure on the “why” of the turn of events, but we will hypothesize in just a minute. Let’s take a look at the details for Broadcom making VMware ESXi 8.0U3e free again for a free VMware hypervisor offering!
What is the news?
Well, this one may have flown under the radar a bit, but on the release notes page of the VMware 8.0U3e release, you will see this blurb on the official release notes for VMware 8.0 U3e: VMware ESXi 8.0 Update 3e Release Notes.
“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 is a major turn of events from the previous news that we wrote about here: Best Free Hypervisors Now That VMware ESXi Free Edition is Dead. Here I talked about the official KB article on Broadcom’s support site here: End Of General Availability of the free vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi 7.x and 8.x).
So, this is basically a reversal of that news on the KB. Will be interesting to see how Broadcom rewrites this KB or if they take it down complete. Time will tell.
How to download the new VMware ESXi free edition
Ok, so let’s take a look at how to now download the new VMware ESXi free edition as of VMware 8.0 U3e version that was released on April 11, 2025. So, all you have to do is sign up for the Broadcom support portal which is free to do.
Then navigate to this link:
Then, scroll down to where you see the VMware vSphere Hypervisor. (As a note, below is a user I have that has no paid support agreement, etc and I was able to complete the steps below to actually download the free version of the ESXi hypervisor. Very cool!)
Next, click the VMware vSphere Hypervisor and it will expand to reveal the 8.0U3e and then you just click this.
Finally, click the I agree to the Terms and Conditions checkbox. Then click the cloud symbol to begin the download.
What about a license now for the new Free ESXi?
The cool thing about this download is that it has an embedded license with the same features as the previous free edition of the hypervisor. So, this will make it a lot easier to deploy it in a lab, etc. I always thought the process to get the free ESXi license was a bit cumbersome on the VMware site. Wait, I can’t believe I am saying that something is easier on the Broadcom site than was the case on the VMware site.
Why is this happening?
One can only imagine why Broadcom has shifted gears AGAIN on VMware ESXi. However, I wonder what the numbers are on VMUG now? I just know in the circles I am in, to say that people have not been interested in VMware moving forward is a massive understatement.
Is this a way to get ones back interested in using ESXi in their labs? AND the new requirement for certification for getting access to the full licensing has been a bummer for many in the community. Time will tell if this strategy of bringing back the free ESXi hypervisor will be enough to get the community buzzing again about VMware.
I think Broadcom should bring things back to the way they were with VMware before the cert requirements, etc. This would be massive and allow ones to continue using the full products and evangelizing the solutions without the additional layer of blockers to getting the software in hand. Many are just not good test takers, it doesn’t mean they are not smart, or can’t use or effectively evangelize the software. This is just my honest opinion.
Let me know in the comments what you think about this massive news on a friday – TGIF!!!!
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