VMware vSphere ESXi & vCenter Licensing Guide
VMware offers multiple licensing options for vSphere ESXi and vCenter Server, each catering to different business needs. Below is a detailed comparison of all available editions.
vSphere ESXi Licensing Comparison
| Feature | vSphere Free | Essentials Kit | Essentials Plus Kit | Standard | Enterprise Plus | vSphere+ (Subscription) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vCenter Server Included? | ❌ No | ✅ Essentials | ✅ Essentials | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Cloud Console |
| Max ESXi Hosts Supported | 1 Host | 3 Hosts (2 CPUs/host) | 3 Hosts (2 CPUs/host) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Max vCPU per VM | 8 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| vMotion | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| High Availability (HA) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Fault Tolerance (FT) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ (Up to 2 vCPUs) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| vSAN Support | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Lifecycle Manager | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Subscription Model | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Target Users | Labs, Testing | Small Businesses | Small Businesses | Medium Businesses | Enterprises | Hybrid & Cloud |
vCenter Server Licensing Comparison
| Feature | vCenter Essentials | vCenter Foundation | vCenter Standard | vCenter Cloud Gateway (for vSphere+) |
| Max ESXi Hosts Supported | 3 Hosts | 4 Hosts | Unlimited | Unlimited (Cloud) |
| Centralized Management | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| vMotion & HA | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| vSphere DRS | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| vSAN Support | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Linked Mode (Multi-vCenter Management) | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Subscription Model | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Target Users | Small Businesses | SMBs | Enterprises | Hybrid & Cloud |
Choosing the Right VMware Licensing
- For Small Businesses: vSphere Essentials Plus Kit + vCenter Essentials
- For Growing Businesses: vSphere Standard + vCenter Foundation
- For Enterprises: vSphere Enterprise Plus + vCenter Standard
- For Hybrid Cloud: vSphere+ Subscription + vCenter Cloud Gateway
What’s Included in vSphere Essentials Plus Kit?
- vSphere ESXi for up to 3 hosts (each with a maximum of 2 CPUs per host).
- vCenter Server Essentials for centralized management of those 3 ESXi hosts.
Key Features of Essentials Plus Kit
✅ vCenter Server Essentials (for managing up to 3 hosts)
✅ vMotion (live migration of VMs)
✅ High Availability (HA)
✅ vSphere Replication
✅ Data Protection
✅ vShield Endpoint Security
Limitations
❌ Cannot manage more than 3 hosts
❌ No Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS)
❌ No vSAN support
If you need to manage more than 3 hosts or require advanced features like DRS, vSAN, or Linked Mode, you would need to upgrade to vSphere Standard + vCenter Server Standard.
Need help choosing the right VMware licensing? Contact us today! 🚀 😊
