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VMware ESXi pros and cons

Vendor: Broadcom
4.2 out of 5

Pros & Cons summary

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

VMware ESXi is praised for its high reliability and stability, making it suitable for production environments and crucial business operations.
Users appreciate VMware ESXi for monetary savings by consolidating multiple machines onto a single server, optimizing resource usage.
VMware ESXi's most valuable features include disaster recovery, vMotion, DRS, HA, and resource scheduling, which are essential for maintaining uptime and performance.
The platform is noted for its scalability and the ability to efficiently virtualize infrastructure, making it ideal for small to medium-sized businesses.
The integration with VMware vCenter offers centralized management and ease in managing complex virtual environments.

CONS

VMware ESXi is criticized for being costly, especially after the Broadcom acquisition, and the price increases have become a major concern.
The licensing model has become problematic, transitioning from a perpetual to a subscription model, which is not cost-effective for small users.
The setup phase of VMware ESXi is complex, requiring significant expertise and making it an area needing improvement.
VMware ESXi often requires shutting down VMs to change resources, posing a challenge for users who need more seamless management.
The password recovery process in VMware ESXi is cumbersome, and improvements are necessary to make it user-friendly.
 

VMware ESXi Pros review quotes

YM
Jul 2, 2024
In ESXi, they use technologies like memory compression, TPS, and ballooning for resource optimization.
Carlos Ortiz - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 3, 2024
The solution brings monetary savings for our company because we utilize a single server
EzraChibole - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 8, 2024
The ease of use would be the first feature I like, then reliability.
Learn what your peers think about VMware ESXi. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
869,832 professionals have used our research since 2012.
John Ilozor - PeerSpot reviewer
May 3, 2024
VMware ESXi provides high availability and a good web interface.
Ion Boni - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 3, 2025
We are using VMware ESXi for virtualization, with vCenter being the core product—these are building blocks for having efficiency and stability in daily operations, and we cannot operate without them.
HarveySim - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 23, 2024
The most valuable features of the solution are that it is efficient, fast, and affordable.
Ramish Ali - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 25, 2024
The main function of ESXi is the ability to consolidate multiple machines onto a single server, saving space and energy.
MS
Jul 3, 2024
The most beneficial features for me are DRS and HA (High Availability). In case of an interruption at the OS level, they ensure the virtual machine automatically comes back up.
Kyaw Htet Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 1, 2024
ESXi's server management capabilities are incredibly beneficial, as it supports software integration with Windows servers and other essential systems.
reviewer2002488 - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 7, 2024
I am not sure about cost savings, but efficiency-wise, it has improved our company.
 

VMware ESXi Cons review quotes

YM
Jul 2, 2024
What I feel is that FT (Fault Tolerance) is not used much. So maybe more focus on that feature is needed.
Carlos Ortiz - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 3, 2024
Some features should be added to the solution to enhance server management
EzraChibole - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 8, 2024
The price point could be improved.
Learn what your peers think about VMware ESXi. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
869,832 professionals have used our research since 2012.
John Ilozor - PeerSpot reviewer
May 3, 2024
VMware should make recovering the password easier if customers forget it.
Ion Boni - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 3, 2025
Licensing has become a major issue. The new subscription-based licensing model is problematic.
HarveySim - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 23, 2024
The tool offers an open-source version, which is not really well supported.
Ramish Ali - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 25, 2024
I would rate the technical support as six out of ten. The response time could be better.
MS
Jul 3, 2024
The license model has recently changed, which is a bit worrying for customers.
Kyaw Htet Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 1, 2024
There are concerns about VMware changing their licensing model from perpetual to a subscription model.
reviewer2002488 - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 7, 2024
VMware ESXi has a complex setup phase, making it an area where improvements are required.