VMware has reinstated its free ESXi hypervisor, a popular tool among home lab operators and IT administrators. The announcement was made quietly in the release notes for version 8.0 Update 3e by Broadcom. Despite no further details from VMware at this time, the return of the free hypervisor is seen as a strategic move to encourage users to explore its capabilities. This decision reverses VMware's earlier stance from February 2024, when it shifted to a subscription-only model.
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