Is VMware vSphere (ESXi and vCenter) Still Supported? (2026)
Short answer
VMware vSphere (ESXi and vCenter) is supported and new versions continue to ship; the newest version is supported until 12 Aug 2028. CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog lists 18 vulnerabilities in VMware vSphere (ESXi and vCenter).
Broadcom has sold VMware vSphere only as a subscription since 11 December 2023, so support and upgrade rights depend on your subscription or renewal terms.
Legacy Technology Tracker · Status as of 16 Oct 2026. Data checked 7 Oct 2026; refreshed monthly, with quarterly snapshots kept unchanged.
Risk rating
Low: supported, with new release lines continuing; no licence change recorded in the last 24 months; 18 vulnerabilities on CISA's KEV list (supported versions receive security fixes). How ratings work
Key facts
Every value links to its source and shows when we last checked or retrieved it. Data checked 7 Oct 2026; status as of 16 Oct 2026.
| Fact | Value | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support status | SupportedVMware ESXi and vCenter Server releases. | ||
| Newest version supported until | |||
| Known exploited vulnerabilities (CISA KEV) | 18 CVEs all time; 7 added in the last 24 monthsNewest added 18 Aug 2026Matched by vendor and product name in the KEV catalog. | ||
| Licence change | : Broadcom announced that VMware offerings would be sold only as subscriptions or term licences, ending the sale of perpetual licences and of Support and Subscription (SnS) renewals for perpetual offerings (effective dates varied). Customers could keep using perpetual licences with active support contracts. | ||
| Job postings and salaries | Not published: the job-posting source is on hold pending a data licence. | — | — |
Versions in scope
VMware ESXi and vCenter Server releases. Dates per version, each with its source.
| Version | Status | Standard support ends | Extended support ends | Latest release | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| esxi 5.0 | Unsupported | — | 5.0 Update 3g (14 Jun 2016) | |||
| esxi 5.1 | Unsupported | — | 5.1 Update 3d (24 May 2016) | |||
| esxi 5.5 | Unsupported | — | 5.5 Update 3k (14 Sep 2018) | |||
| esxi 6.0 | Unsupported | — | 6.0 EP 25 (20 Feb 2020) | |||
| esxi 6.5 | Unsupported | — | 6.5 ESXi650-202403001 (5 Mar 2024) | |||
| esxi 6.7 | Unsupported | — | 6.7 Update 3w (28 Oct 2024) | |||
| esxi 7.0 | Unsupported | — | 7.0 Update 3w (15 Jul 2025) | |||
| esxi 8.0 | Supported | — | 8.0 Update 3k (29 Jul 2026) | |||
| esxi 9.0 | Supported | — | 9.0.2.0100 (29 Jul 2026) | |||
| esxi 9.1 | Supported | — | 9.1.1.0 (3 Sep 2026) | |||
| vcenter 4 | Unsupported | — | 4.1 U3a (31 Jan 2013) | |||
| vcenter 5.0 | Unsupported | — | 5.0 U3g (19 May 2016) | |||
| vcenter 5.1 | Unsupported | — | 5.1 U3d (19 May 2016) | |||
| vcenter 5.5 | Unsupported | — | 5.5 U3k (14 Sep 2018) | |||
| vcenter 6.0 | Unsupported | — | 6.0 U3j (12 Sep 2019) | |||
| vcenter 6.5 | Unsupported | — | 6.5 U3w (4 Jul 2024) | |||
| vcenter 6.7 | Unsupported | — | 6.7 U3w (28 Oct 2024) | |||
| vcenter 7.0 | Unsupported | — | 7.0 U3w (29 Sep 2025) | |||
| vcenter 8.0 | Supported | — | 8.0 U3k (29 Jul 2026) | |||
| vcenter 9.0 | Supported | — | 9.0.2.0100 (29 Jul 2026) | |||
| vcenter 9.1 | Supported | — | 9.1.1.0 (3 Sep 2026) |
If you still run VMware vSphere (ESXi and vCenter)
vSphere 7.0 reached end of general support on 2 October 2025, so any estate still on 7.x is already outside standard support. vSphere 8.0 follows on 11 October 2027, per endoflife.date's reading of Broadcom's lifecycle table.
The realistic options:
- Upgrade within VMware. Move to a current vSphere or VMware Cloud Foundation release under a subscription. Check the core count first: Broadcom's licensing rule requires at least 16 licensed cores per CPU, and you pay for the total across the hosts you license.
- Renew and negotiate. Compare the renewal quote with your prior terms before assuming the migration cost is lower; Broadcom's change of 11 December 2023 moved all offerings to subscription or term licences.
- Move to another platform. VMware to Nutanix keeps workloads on-premises; VMware to native cloud moves them to public cloud services.
- Split the estate. Keep workloads that are costly to move on VMware and migrate the rest, which reduces the licensed core count at the next renewal.
Perpetual licences already owned remain usable under their original terms, but new purchases follow subscription or term terms.
Related pages: suppliers in cloud modernization companies and cost ranges.
Frequently asked questions
Is VMware vSphere still supported?
Can I still buy perpetual VMware licences?
No. On 11 December 2023 Broadcom ended the sale of perpetual licences and of support renewals for them. Customers could keep using perpetual licences they already held, with support as defined in their contracts.
What can replace VMware vSphere?
Teams usually weigh a Nutanix platform, native cloud services, or staying on VMware at renewal terms they have tested against alternatives. See the VMware to Nutanix and VMware to native cloud guides.