The latest release as of early 2026 is ESXi 9.0.2.0 (build 25148076), released in January 2026.

As of mid-2024, is the current major release. While there is anticipation for future versions, searching for "ESXi 9" often leads to deceptive sites or malicious "repacks" claiming to offer software that hasn't been officially launched. Risks of Unofficial GitHub Repacks

: Since the Broadcom acquisition, VMware has moved away from perpetual licenses to a subscription-based model . "Keys" found on GitHub often violate these new terms or simply do not work with modern entitlement checks.

With the release of VMware ESXi 9.0 on June 17, 2025, Broadcom fundamentally changed how the software is activated.

While some GitHub repositories claim to offer license keys or "repacked" versions of VMware software, users should exercise caution:

: Licenses are now based on CPU cores rather than sockets, with a minimum requirement of 16 cores per CPU . Why "GitHub Repacks" are Risky

If you are a student, hobbyist, or professional looking to learn ESXi 9 without the enterprise price tag, there are legitimate ways to access the software:

: As of version 9.0, the standalone "Free ESXi" version is no longer offered. The latest version available with a free license is ESXi 8.0 Update 3e .

I can guide you through a safe, legal, and secure deployment strategy. Share public link

VMware ESXi 9 is a bare-metal hypervisor that enables users to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) on a physical host server. It's a robust platform that provides high performance, scalability, and reliability for virtualized environments. ESXi 9 offers various features, including improved security, high availability, and resource management.

Broadcom's VMware vSphere 9.0 introduces fundamental architectural changes, including the removal of traditional standalone license keys in favor of online cloud activations through VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) . This evolution makes unofficial GitHub repositories and "repacked" ISOs a major hub for malicious scripts and compromise vectors rather than legitimate licensing alternatives. The Architecture Shift in ESXi 9.0

VMware ESXi 9 is a robust and feature-rich hypervisor that provides a solid foundation for building and managing virtual infrastructure. Here's a brief overview of its key features and benefits:

To obtain a legitimate license key for VMware ESXi 9: