What changed with VMware
Perpetual licenses ended
VMware moved to subscription only. Source: Cloudmagazin
Reported price rises
In May 2025, the European Cloud Competition Observatory (ECCO) and the trade body CISPE claimed Broadcom had raised VMware licensing costs to between 8 and 15 times previous levels. Source: The Register
Broadcom’s side
Broadcom’s CEO, Hock Tan, has denied the price hikes. Source: Cloudmagazin
Why many teams are looking at alternatives
A recent survey of VMware users gives a picture of the mood. It covered 269 executives, managers and professionals at VMware user organisations, between December 2025 and February 2026.
said higher licensing costs were prompting them to consider alternatives.
What respondents said gets in the way
Read these figures with care. The survey was commissioned by Rimini Street, which sells third-party VMware support, so it has a commercial interest. Also, considering alternatives is not the same as having moved.
Analysts and the wider market
- Gartner predicts that by 2029, 55% of enterprises will start proofs of concept for alternatives to VMware-based deployments, up from 25% in 2026. That is about evaluations, not about leaving. Source: The Register
- UK retailer Tesco said in June that it was replacing VMware. Its licensing court case against Broadcom has a High Court trial set for no earlier than November 2027. Source: The Register
“Free” alternatives: what is free and what is not
Here is how the main options compare. We only list what we can source.
| Platform | License model | What is free | What you still pay for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VMware | Subscription only. Perpetual licenses have ended. | VMware once offered a free hypervisor (ESXi). Broadcom ended it. | The subscription. | Cloudmagazin, StarWind |
| Hyper-V | Enabled on a licensed Windows Server 2025. The free Hyper-V Server was phased out. | The Hyper-V role is free to enable. | The Windows Server license, and licenses for any Windows guest VMs. | StarWind |
| Proxmox VE | Free, open source software under the AGPLv3 license. Commercial use is allowed without payment. | The software. | Support, as a subscription priced per CPU socket per year: €120 Community, €370 Basic, €550 Standard, €1,100 Premium (before VAT). Without a subscription there is no Enterprise Repository and no support tickets. | Proxmox, HorizonIQ |
| eEVOS | Perpetual license. euroNAS says support renewals are optional after three years. Virtualisation, availability and backup come in one platform. | euroNAS offers a free, fully functional trial download after registration. | Licenses, and support renewals after three years. Ask us for a quote. | euroNAS, euroNAS licensing FAQ, PCR |
Want these numbers worked out for your estate?
Tell us how many hosts and VMs you run, and we will compare your three-year costs.
Free today, free tomorrow?
Two real precedents are worth knowing.
- VMware’s free ESXi ended. Broadcom phased out the free hypervisor. Source: StarWind
- Microsoft’s free Hyper-V Server was phased out. Hyper-V is now enabled on a licensed Windows Server 2025. Source: StarWind
The point is simple. Do not build your next platform on a price that someone else controls.
The three questions to ask before you move
-
Who owns each app, and is it supported on the new platform?
Every application has an owner. Ask that owner, and the supplier, whether the app is supported on the new platform. Get the answer in writing.
-
Is it certified for your regulators and cyber insurers?
Check what your regulators and your cyber insurer expect. Ask whether the new platform meets those expectations before you commit.
-
Will you be tied to one vendor’s pricing again?
Look at who sets the price, and how easily you could move again. Avoid swapping one dependency for another.
These questions came up repeatedly in the reader comments on a recent Register article.
Moving takes planning
The move itself is often the hard part. These are estimates from a third-party article, not promises. Source: Cloudmagazin
Mid-sized environments
8 to 12 weeks with structured planning, for 50 to 200 VMs.
Enterprise environments
6 to 18 months, for thousands of VMs.
Where eEVOS fits
eEVOS, from euroNAS, is one option to put on your shortlist. Here is what it offers.
One license
Virtualisation, enterprise storage and backup in one license.
Perpetual license
euroNAS describes a perpetual license rather than a subscription, with support renewals optional after three years.
Hardware-agnostic
It can run on qualified industry-standard servers, which may include hardware you already own. Check compatibility with euroNAS first.
Built-in VMware import
A vCenter Import Wizard connects to VMware vCenter to import multiple VMs.
What eEVOS includes, according to euroNAS
- Virtualisation features: live migration, snapshots, cloning, thin provisioning and granular I/O control. If hardware or software fails, VMs restart automatically on healthy nodes. Source: euroNAS
- Shared storage: iSCSI, NVMe-oF, NVMe over TCP, SAS and Fibre Channel, with access from several hosts at once. Ceph clusters start at 3 hosts and scale to 32. Source: euroNAS
- Backup and recovery: deduplicated and immutable backups, instant recovery, file-level restore and VSS support for Windows. Backups go to a NAS share or S3-compatible storage, and VMs can be replicated to remote sites on a schedule. Source: euroNAS
- Two-host option: two eEVOS hosts can mirror their local storage in real time, which suits smaller sites. Source: euroNAS
- Moving from VMware: a vCenter Import Wizard connects to VMware vCenter to import multiple VMs. It can also import from Hyper-V, Xen and KVM. Source: euroNAS
Read more about eEVOS as a VMware alternative, or hear the euroNAS conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Proxmox really free?
The software is. Proxmox VE is open source under the AGPLv3 license and can be used commercially without payment. Support is a paid subscription, priced per CPU socket per year: €120 (Community), €370 (Basic), €550 (Standard) and €1,100 (Premium), before VAT. Without a subscription you cannot use the Enterprise Repository or open support tickets.
Is Hyper-V free?
The Hyper-V role is free to enable on Windows Server 2025. The server itself needs a license, and so do any Windows guest VMs. Microsoft has phased out the free Hyper-V Server.
Why did VMware prices rise?
We cannot say why, and Broadcom's CEO has denied that prices rose. What is clear is that VMware ended perpetual licenses and moved to subscription. In May 2025, ECCO and CISPE claimed licensing costs had risen to between 8 and 15 times previous levels.
How long does a VMware migration take?
Third-party estimates put mid-sized environments (50 to 200 VMs) at 8 to 12 weeks with structured planning, and enterprise environments with thousands of VMs at 6 to 18 months. Your own timeline depends on your environment.
What should I check before I move?
Three things. Who owns each app, and is it supported on the new platform? Is the platform certified for your regulators and cyber insurers? Will you be tied to one vendor's pricing again?
Does eEVOS need new hardware?
eEVOS is hardware-agnostic, so it can run on servers you already own, provided they meet euroNAS’s requirements. Check your servers against the euroNAS hardware compatibility list first.
Can I try eEVOS before I buy?
euroNAS offers a free, fully functional trial download after registration. There is also a no-obligation demo.
How do I get a cost comparison?
Book a demo and tell us about your environment. We will work through a three-year cost comparison with you.
Want to compare your three-year costs?
Book a short call. Tell us what you run today, and we will help you compare the options on cost and risk.
Fortuna Data, Basingstoke, UK. Call 01256 331614 or email solutions@fortunadata.com.
Sources
- The Register, 7 October 2026: survey of VMware users (Rimini Street / Unisphere Research), ECCO and CISPE claim, Gartner prediction, Tesco.
- Cloudmagazin, 18 March 2026: end of perpetual licenses, Hock Tan’s denial, migration estimates.
- StarWind: Windows Server 2025 and free Hyper-V: free ESXi ended, Hyper-V licensing.
- Proxmox VE subscription pricing: current subscription prices, checked 9 October 2026.
- HorizonIQ: Proxmox subscription and pricing guide, 29 July 2026: Proxmox license and what a subscription includes.
- euroNAS: eEVOS product page: features, shared storage, backup, two-host mirror, VMware import.
- euroNAS licensing FAQ: licensing per physical CPU (for eEVOS Plus).
- euroNAS download page: free trial download.
- PCR, 16 September 2025: euroNAS on perpetual licenses and support renewals.