If you need a truly free, unlimited Type-1 hypervisor that behaves like ESXi, consider Proxmox VE (open source) instead. The "Free ESXi" is essentially dead for production.
As of 2024, Broadcom discontinued the free vSphere Hypervisor (the standalone free license). However, you can still download the Installation ISO for free; you simply need a free account. You can use the ISO for 60 days as a trial, and after that, the host remains functional for basic management but with limited features (no vCenter, no API access to backups). For many home labbers, the "Evaluation Mode" reset trick works. esxi download iso free
If you need a truly free, unlimited Type-1 hypervisor that behaves like ESXi, consider Proxmox VE (open source) instead. The "Free ESXi" is essentially dead for production.
As of 2024, Broadcom discontinued the free vSphere Hypervisor (the standalone free license). However, you can still download the Installation ISO for free; you simply need a free account. You can use the ISO for 60 days as a trial, and after that, the host remains functional for basic management but with limited features (no vCenter, no API access to backups). For many home labbers, the "Evaluation Mode" reset trick works.