You have the ISO on a USB stick. You installed it on your Dell PowerEdge or Intel NUC. Now what?
Current Free Key for ESXi 8 (as of 2025): 4F40H-4ML1K-M89U0-0C2N4-1AKL4 vmware esxi 8 download iso free
Pro tip: If you only see "Evaluation" or "Enterprise" versions, you are in the wrong section. Go back and ensure you clicked the "Hypervisor" SKU. You have the ISO on a USB stick
Go to the (support.broadcom.com). Do not go to VMware.com—that redirects you in circles. vmware esxi 8 download iso free
You must register with a valid email address. No corporate email required; Gmail works fine. Verify the email link.
Select the latest patch version (e.g., 8.0 Update 3). Download the standard . It is roughly 650MB.