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VMware ESXi vs VMware vSphere Foundation comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 6, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.7
VMware ESXi saves time and money initially but may result in higher long-term costs despite improved efficiency.
Sentiment score
7.3
VMware vSphere Foundation enhances server consolidation, scalability, and manageability, though some users haven't fully explored its available features.
In an environment where the infrastructure has to be up for monitoring and controlling physical infrastructure like water plants, it has absolutely returned on its investment.
Server consolidation is one return on investment where we can use one server for multiple workloads.
While the return on investment is not clearly defined, the manageability of multiple servers without needing additional personnel or specialists is beneficial.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.8
VMware ESXi support is responsive and effective, but some users note delays post-Broadcom acquisition, affecting satisfaction.
Sentiment score
7.1
VMware vSphere Foundation's customer service sees mixed reviews, praised for speed but criticized for language and response issues.
I rate the technical support from VMware as nine or ten out of ten.
In the last three or four years, we did not require any support from VMware engineers, indicating its high reliability.
Customer service and support are good; they are reachable, and at times remote support suffices.
There is nonstop support available around the world, which allows issues to be resolved continuously without interruption, regardless of whether the problem occurs in the USA, India, or another location.
Now, with Broadcom's management, I would rate it a three out of ten.
Most of the time, VMware operates smoothly without requiring support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
VMware ESXi offers scalable solutions, efficiently managing virtual environments with excellent vertical scalability, despite some licensing challenges.
Sentiment score
8.8
VMware vSphere Foundation is praised for efficient scalability, seamless integration, and maximizing server usage, with diverse scalability opinions.
The solution is scalable, allowing us to scale up or down regardless of infrastructure size.
vCenter Server can manage up to 1,000 ESXi servers within a single UI interface, allowing extensive deployment and management capabilities.
My customers are highly satisfied with its scalability.
The return on investment is high because we can maximize the use of one server for multiple workloads.
It's straightforward to procure additional licenses, install them on the host and add them to the same cluster.
You can simply add more hosts to your VMware stack seamlessly, scaling up vertically or horizontally.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.5
VMware ESXi is praised for stability and reliability, with most users rating it highly despite occasional performance issues.
Sentiment score
8.4
VMware vSphere Foundation is highly stable and efficient, consistently scoring high ratings with 90% user endorsement for performance.
ESXi is stable, and our business operations depend on it year after year.
Stability is optimal.
Frequent updates are required due to constant security challenges and attacks.
It is a standard tool and is considered very stable.
 

Room For Improvement

VMware ESXi requires simpler licensing, improved usability, cost reduction, enhanced support, better scalability, and features like remote access.
VMware vSphere Foundation faces challenges with pricing, procurement, and support, worsened by Broadcom acquisition and Oracle compatibility issues.
Providing a mobile application for remote access to ESXi servers would be beneficial.
It's not cost-effective for small users and creates a gap for alternatives, while favoring larger clients.
The cost of VMware ESXi is very high, especially after the acquisition by Broadcom, which led to price increases.
VMware needs to improve cost efficiency, especially in Pakistan, as customers often seek more affordable solutions.
Recently, VMware shifted its licensing models, and they should streamline it.
It is not legally compliant to use an Oracle database on VMware, which does not support Oracle core-based licensing.
 

Setup Cost

VMware ESXi is often seen as expensive, with high initial and annual costs and a confusing licensing model.
Enterprises find VMware vSphere Foundation costly post-Broadcom merger, prompting interest in cheaper alternatives and open-source solutions.
The product is very cost-effective, though not fixed, as pricing tends to fluctuate over time.
The solution is moderately priced, not exactly cheap yet not overly expensive either.
The pricing is expensive, with the cost for customers ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 yearly.
It's expensive, however, the stability it offers is optimal.
In Brazil, we are increasingly using open-source alternatives like Proxmox due to their lower prices in comparison.
vSphere Foundation is considered very expensive, especially when compared to competitive Chinese products.
 

Valuable Features

VMware ESXi is highly regarded for its reliability, user-friendliness, resource optimization, and efficient management of virtual machines.
VMware vSphere Foundation provides scalable, reliable infrastructure management with high availability, enhancing hardware visibility and IT efficiency.
Its capability to move virtual machines to physical machines is very efficient for our live environment.
As a level one or bare metal hypervisor, its unmatched scalability depends on underlying hardware, capable of managing large numbers of physical servers with one management platform.
The most important features are having a lot of code and CPU threads to ensure the system doesn't lag.
vSphere Foundation is valuable due to its scalability, reliability, and ease of management.
VMware provides the tools needed to move environments between private and public clouds seamlessly.
The virtual stack of vCenter, its distributed resources system, high availability engines, and the ability to move VM workloads from one host to another are outstanding.
 

Categories and Ranking

VMware ESXi
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware vSphere Foundation
Ranking in Server Virtualization Software
13th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

Syed Ali Waqas - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficiently manages development environments with robust network integration
I recommend new users download and evaluate the free version from VMware's website. Once satisfied, they should purchase the professional version for a smooth and secure IT infrastructure. The professional version is cost-effective, allowing one to create multiple servers on a single server. I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
AshutoshKumar4 - PeerSpot reviewer
Licensing issues and lack of support but manageability is appreciated
I find the manageability and interface of vSphere Foundation to be very good, more understandable, and futuristic compared to open-source alternatives. It provides me with a lot of features that I am comfortable using for virtualization. I manage multiple servers with ease, which is a significant benefit for my organization's virtualization needs.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about VMware ESXi?
My customers are satisfied with the solution’s performance.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VMware ESXi?
VMware ESXi operates on a subscription model with core-based licensing; the pricing can change frequently. The product is very cost-effective, though not fixed, as pricing tends to fluctuate over t...
What needs improvement with VMware ESXi?
The cost of VMware ESXi is very high, especially after the acquisition by Broadcom, which led to price increases. Improving the cost structure would be beneficial.
What needs improvement with VMware vSphere Foundation?
The licensing model is an area for improvement. Recently, VMware shifted its licensing models, and they should streamline it. Now they have time-based and core-based licensing, which may or may not...
What is your primary use case for VMware vSphere Foundation?
I work for a data center as a system administrator. I oversee production and analyze systems. We host our workloads on VMware and virtualized infrastructure.
 

Comparisons

No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about VMware ESXi vs. VMware vSphere Foundation and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
846,617 professionals have used our research since 2012.