The results cascaded down the page. Most were dead ends—broken Gist links from 2015, bait-and-switch downloads, or forums where users were scolded by self-righteous moderators. Then, buried on the third page, he saw it. A repository that didn't look like much. The username was a string of random characters, and the repo was simply titled vSphere-Assets .
: Broadcom continues to offer a free version of ESXi 8.0 for personal use. You can download the ISO with an embedded free license key directly from the Broadcom Support Portal Evaluation Mode : Every ESXi installation starts with a 60-day full-feature evaluation period
For about $200 per year, VMUG Advantage provides for vSphere 8.0 Enterprise Plus, vCenter Server, vSAN, and other products. This is ideal for home labs that need advanced features like vMotion and distributed switching.
. For a legal and supported experience, you can obtain a free version or trial directly from Official Ways to Get an ESXi 8.0 License Key Broadcom Support Portal
Broadcom continues to offer a legitimate free version of ESXi 8.0 for those who prefer an official path.
Thus,