To download the of VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) for free (free hypervisor) or for a trial, follow these steps. There are two main sources depending on what you need.
You will be presented with a list of available versions.
You lose access to advanced features like vMotion, High Availability (HA), and Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS). esxi download
wget --user=YOUR_EMAIL --password=YOUR_PASSWORD \ "https://customerconnect.vmware.com/download/..."
For many years, the "Free ESXi" license (officially called the VMware vSphere Hypervisor) was a popular choice for small businesses and hobbyists. Free License Limitations To download the of VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi)
Upon installation, ESXi will run in evaluation mode for 60 days.
The free license is restricted to 8-way virtual SMP , meaning a single VM cannot use more than 8 virtual CPUs regardless of host hardware. 4. Installation Overview You lose access to advanced features like vMotion,
For scripting or older releases:
Before you install the downloaded ISO, ensure your hardware meets these minimum requirements (for ESXi 8.0):
A useful feature when downloading (now managed by Broadcom) is the availability of vendor-customized ISO files , which pre-integrate critical drivers for specific hardware. Why Vendor-Customized ISOs are Useful