VMware’s Comeback with Free ESX in 2025

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by

Min Jae Kim
in

In a surprising turn of events that has the virtualization and cloud computing world buzzing, VMware has rolled out a development that feels both like a nostalgic revival and a strategic play. For tech enthusiasts, sysadmins, and CIOs alike, this news brings excitement and cautious optimism. The return of the free ESXi hypervisor, a move that many believed was lost to the past, signals a possible realignment in customer relations — and even in its broader strategy under Broadcom’s influence. But why now? And what does this mean for the future of virtualization?

Let’s dive deep into this exciting wave of change, break it down in layman’s terms, and explore what this all means — not just for the community, but for the tech ecosystem at large.

Alt Text: VMware ESXi comeback news sparks industry attention

Free ESXi Returns: What’s the Big Deal?

Alt Text: Free VMware ESXi hypervisor returns for community use

So here’s the scoop: VMware’s free ESXi hypervisor is back. That’s right — after the acquisition by Broadcom, many feared the community-friendly version of ESXi would fade into the corporate abyss. But guess what? The ESXi 7.0u3 hypervisor — free to use for labs, learning, testing, and small environments — is once again available for download. It’s a throwback to what made VMware beloved by IT pros and home labbers around the world.

This reinstatement was first reported on The Register and immediately gained traction, especially in forums and on social media. It’s like seeing an old friend return after disappearing for years — with a few new scars and stories to tell.

But it’s not just about nostalgia. This move has strategic undertones — with Broadcom now steering the ship, it seems they’re keenly aware that goodwill in the tech community translates to long-term stability. It’s also a powerful PR moment that rekindles trust after a somewhat rocky transition period.

Timing the Move: Why Now?

This development dropped in mid-April 2025, and the news spread like wildfire across industry platforms, forums like The Register’s community board, and YouTube tech channels. The update came directly from VMware’s support portal, where users once again found that golden “vmware download” link that was previously buried or missing altogether.

The most prominent version making a comeback is ESXi 7.0 Update 3, suitable for use in non-production environments, lab testing, and small-scale setups. If you’re itching to try it out, it’s ready for download — no strings attached, no sales calls required.

Broadcom & VMware: Who’s Pulling the Strings?

Alt Text: Broadcom’s strategic influence over VMware operations

At the center of this movement, of course, is VMware, but the new puppet master behind the curtain is Broadcom. Ever since Broadcom acquired VMware in a multi-billion-dollar deal, the landscape has shifted. Many were skeptical about how a traditionally hardware-centric company would handle a software darling like VMware.

One key individual making waves in the conversation is Duncan Epping, a respected figure in the community. His tweet about the return of free ESXi lit up tech Twitter like a Christmas tree: Check it here. His nod of approval signaled to many in the industry that this wasn’t just corporate spin — it was something meaningful.

Community Impact: Why This Really Matters

You might be wondering — why all the fuss over a free hypervisor? Isn’t that a niche topic? Not quite.

The return of free ESXi holds significance far beyond the lab. Here’s why it matters:

  • Trust Rebuilding: It signals a potential shift in Broadcom’s approach — from pure monetization to community goodwill.
  • Wider Accessibility: Budding IT pros, students, and small businesses can now access powerful virtualization tools without massive cost barriers.
  • Security Readiness: With cyberthreats constantly evolving, more accessible testing environments help foster stronger defense strategies in labs and learning spaces.
  • Industry Standards: This has long been the gold standard in virtualization. This move ensures that even the grassroots segment stays aligned with those standards.
  • Workforce Pipeline: Those training in ESXi today might be the VMware careers pipeline of tomorrow.

Let’s be honest — when big tech listens to its base, it’s a rare and refreshing sight. This decision could be a sign of smarter corporate strategy or just a reaction to intense backlash. Either way, the tech world wins.

Trusted Voices Speak Out

Duncan Epping, a longtime VMware advocate and technologist, tweeted:

“Glad to see VMware free ESXi is back — this is a good move to support the community and future professionals.”

This sentiment is echoed across the community, with thousands of likes and retweets reinforcing the idea that this is a much-needed course correction.

On YouTube, tech analyst Tim from Daily.dev summarized the update brilliantly, calling it:

What This Means for Future VMware Products

With VMware offering up the free ESXi again, many industry insiders are speculating whether this signals broader changes to its product ecosystem. Could this mean future releases of vSphere or vCenter might see more community-accessible tiers?

It’s not just about goodwill; it’s about staying competitive. As open-source hypervisors like Proxmox gain traction and cloud-native solutions become more mainstream, VMware may need to diversify how it delivers value — both to enterprises and solo developers.

There’s also chatter that this reintroduction might pave the way for VMware to expand its cybersecurity tooling to home labs and educational setups, helping the next generation get hands-on experience in safe, sandboxed environments.

VMware’s position at the top isn’t guaranteed — and this might just be the beginning of a more agile, responsive VMware under Broadcom’s command.

Conclusion

In a world where large tech corporations often prioritize profits over people, VMware’s decision to reintroduce its free ESXi hypervisor feels like a breath of fresh air. Whether it’s a strategic business move or a genuine olive branch, it’s certainly a win for accessibility, education, and community engagement.

Will this trend continue? Could we see even more community-focused initiatives from VMware and Broadcom? Only time will tell — but for now, we’ll celebrate this as a rare and welcome victory.

So, if you’ve got an old lab machine gathering dust, maybe it’s time to fire it up and rediscover the joy of ESXi. The world of cybersecurity, IT training, and virtualization just got a little brighter.

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Min Jae Kim

Min Jae Kim works as a cybersecurity analyst at Tech24. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the Department of Information Security at Korea University and a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University. His career is as follows. From 2012 to 2016, he worked as a security expert at the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) and worked on various cybersecurity projects. Since then, from 2016 to 2020, he worked as a cybersecurity analyst at McAfee, analyzing major security threats and developing response strategies. From 2020 to now, he has been working as a cybersecurity analyst at Tech24, writing the latest security trends and threat analysis articles. Kim Min-jae’s specialty is network security, hacking and response strategies, data protection, and encryption technology. He was awarded the “2020 Best Security Expert” award by the Korean Information Protection Association, and has experience in writing major security threat analysis reports and presenting them at domestic and international security conferences. His vision is to provide readers with the latest cybersecurity trends and contribute to raising corporate and personal security awareness.