VMware actually provides a legitimate license for ESXi. It is not a key you find on GitHub, but one you register for on VMware’s official website.

The free version of ESXi was unexpectedly discontinued by Broadcom after its acquisition of VMware, but it made a quiet return in April 2025 with the release of ESXi 8.0 Update 3e.

: All ESXi installations start with a 60-day full-feature evaluation period . How to Apply a License Key

: It is legal, fully supported by the community, safe from malware, and provides the exact same environment used in enterprise data centers. 3. Explore Free Open-Source Hypervisor Alternatives

For users whose virtualization needs are tightly coupled with data storage, modern Network Attached Storage (NAS) operating systems offer built-in hypervisor capabilities. TrueNAS SCALE uses KVM to let you host virtual machines alongside your storage pools seamlessly. Conclusion

After a brief period of uncertainty following Broadcom's acquisition, VMware has revived its free ESXi offering. The free version is now officially called (ESXi 8.0U3e). This approach is completely legitimate, secure, and officially supported.

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: Keys for VMware vSphere 6.x, 7.x, and 8.x are common, often promising to unlock Enterprise Plus features.